title: The stomach of the sambar deer (Cervus unicolor unicolor).
abstract: In New Zealand, the sambar deer is reported to feed on a variety of grasses and browse material. In the specimens studied, the average volume of the sambar rumen was about 151. Thick, non-papillated pillars divided the rumen into a saccus dorsalis and a saccus ventralis. The lining of the rumen was covered with papillae; those in the roof area were short and poorly developed. The omasum was a well-developed organ with 47-71 (mean 57) laminae. These were covered with short and poorly developed papillae. It is concluded that these sambar deer stomachs were typical of a grass-roughage feeder. This contrasts with the previous classification of the sambar deer as an intermediate feeder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Stafford
mesh_terms: D000018:Abomasum / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D000818:Animals; D003670:Deer / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D007422:Intestines / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D008297:Male; D009520:New Zealand; D009851:Omasum / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012159:Reticulum / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D012417:Rumen / Q000033:anatomy & histology*