Fermentation in Reptiles and Amphibians

Gut bacterial communities across tadpole ecomorphs in two diverse tropical anuran faunas

“…Tadpoles are characterized by a whole set of unique 66 morphological features of which many are related to feeding, such as the unique keratinized 67 jaw sheaths and labial teeth of the oral disk. Metamorphosis of anurans does not only consist 68 of reduction of tail and gills and appearance of limbs and lungs, it also involves a profound 69 modification of bauplan components related to feeding (Bjorndal 1997 The rapid rise of increasingly efficient DNA sequencing techniques during the past two 91 decades has led to massive advances in numerous fields of biology, ecology and evolution. A 92 noteworthy finding was the recognition of the astonishing diversity and ubiquity of 93 microorganisms, especially bacteria and archaea, and their influence on eukaryotic life 94 taxonomy was assigned using the RDP classifier (Wang et al 2007) with an 80% confidence 239 threshold.…”

Recurrent evolution of herbivory in small, cold-climate lizards: Breaking the ecophysiological rules of reptilian herbivory

“…For example, because most plant tissues are relatively low in digestible energy, large body size is favorable because it affords a low mass-specific rate of energy expenditure (7,(13)(14)(15)(16). A large body can also support a voluminous gut that will increase digestive efficiency by increasing the time that food is fermented and assimilated (8,9,17,18). Likewise, high body temperatures may be necessary for microbial fermentation of plant tissues (9,12,18,19), given that herbivorous vertebrates lack endogenous cellulases and must rely on gut endosymbionts (bacteria and protozoa) to release the energy bound in plant cell walls (17,18,20).…”

Physically Effective Fiber Threshold, Apparent Digestibility, and Novel Fecal Microbiome Identification of the Leopard Tortoise (Stigmochelys pardalis)

“…Some chelonians, including S. pardalis, have serrated tooth-like structures on the outer edges of the internal hard palate, although further research is needed to identify origin and function (Spellerberg, 1982). Without teeth, chelonians do not have the ability to masticate, and therefore, cannot mechanically reduce ingested food particle size (Bjorndal, 1997;Fritz et al, 2010b).…”