Food Preferences Of The Columbian Black Tailed Deer Odocoileus Hemionus Columbianus Richardson On The Tillamook Burn Oregon

Author : James Charles Crawford
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 238 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (182 download)

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Download or read book Taste Responses in Columbian Black-tailed Deer (Odocoileus Hemionus Columbianus (Richardson)) written by James Charles Crawford and published by . This book was released on 1970 with total page 238 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Taste responses of the Columbian black-tailed deer, Odocoileus hemionus columbianus (Richardson), were determined by use of the two-choice preference test method, where the choices were tap water and tap water-chemical solutions in ascending concentrations. The chemicals tested were: the sugars, glucose and sucrose; the sodium salts of chloride (NaC1) and acetate (NaAc); the acids, hydrochloric (HC1), acetic (HAc) and butyric (HBu); and quinine sulfate (QSO4), quinine monohydrochloride, and saccharin (the non-sodium, crystalline form). Animals used in the study consisted of twelve deer, half bucks and half does, plus four Hampshire sheep as a control group for comparison with previous work. The deer, initially about five months old, were penned by sex into four groups of three deer each. The separately penned groups were fed ad libitum pelleted alfalfa hay and Fischer's calf grower. Responses were determined by expressing the consumption of test fluid as percent intake of the total fluid consumed for a given time period. The non-discrimination zone was derived by determining the normal variation, with tap water in both containers, around a theoretical mean intake of 50% from each container. To determine if there were differences in response due to sex both graphical analysis and a paired "t" test were used. The chemical concentrations at the preference and rejection thresholds for deer were 57% and 43% of total fluid intake, respectively. For sheep the non-discrimination range was calculated to be from 44% to 56%. Specific results are as follows: 1. Deer demonstrated stronger preferences for sweet solutions than sheep. The average sensitivity levels of deer and sheep for glucose were at 0.0294 M and 0.1388 M, respectively. The average sensitivity level of deer for sucrose was at 0.00705 M and the sheep were too variable for determination. 2. Deer preferred saccharin over a wide range of concentrations but to a much lesser degree than for the two sugars. Sheep were variable in response. The average sensitivity levels of deer and sheep for saccharin were at 0.0298 mM and 0.1024 mM, respectively. 3. Deer strongly preferred sodium acetate but not sodium chloride. Sheep were variable in response to both salts. The average sensitivity levels of deer and sheep for sodium chloride were at 0.1516 M and 0.2352 M, respectively. The average sensitivity levels of deer and sheep for sodium acetate were at 0.0085 M and 0.0353 M, respectively. 4. Deer exhibited a wide range of fairly strong preference for acetic acid, but not for butyric and hydrochloric acid. Sheep demonstrated distinct rejection trends for all three acids. Test results with sodium acetate and acetic acid verified the strong preference of deer for the acetate radical. The average sensitivity levels of deer and sheep for acetic acid were at 0.0011 M and 0.1049 M, respectively. The average sensitivity levels of deer and sheep for butyric acid were at 0.0100 M and 0.0014 M, respectively. The average sensitivity levels of deer and sheep for hydrochloric acid were at 0.0258 M and 0.0021 M, respectively. Deer clearly rejected the volatile fatty acids (acetic and butyric acid) at a higher pH than hydrochloric acid which has a less objectionable smell. 5. Definite sex differences were observed in the bitter taste response of deer. Bucks demonstrated a marked preference for bitter solutions while the does and sheep rejected them. The average sensitivity levels of deer and sheep for quinine sulfate were at 0.0386 mM and 0.1596 mM, respectively. The average sensitivity levels of deer and sheep for quinine monohydrochloride were at 0.0283 mM and 0.0204 mM, respectively. 6. Among glucose, sodium chloride, acetic acid and the quinine compounds, the quinine compounds are the most effective taste stimulants (i. e., accepted at the lowest concentration). Acetic acid is next in effectiveness, followed by sodium chloride and glucose, respectively. 7. Based on the sum of sensitivity levels of deer, sheep, goats and calves in a sensitivity series for each of the primary taste modalities, goats appear to be the most sensitive, followed by deer, calves and finally by sheep. 8. Species differences in taste responses appear to be a product of the evolutionary process. 9. Future studies of more ruminant species are requisite to a basic understanding of taste responses and all of their applied ramifications.