BLOOD CHEMISTRY AND GASTRO‐INTESTINAL CHANGES IN THE DEVELOPING RED KANGAROO (<i>MEGALEIA RUFA,</i> DESMAREST)

Abstract

Summary The concentration of reducing sugars in peripheral blood of adult, female red kangaroos has been measured and was found to be intermediate between those of ruminant and non‐ruminant herbivores; the levels of steam volatile fatty acids resembled those of non‐ruminants. The concentration of reducing sugars in pouch‐young red kangaroos was similar to that of adults, while volatile fatty acids levels in fully suckling pouch‐young were significantly lower than in animals which were both suckling and eating solid food, or in adults; this may have been related to gastric function. Changes in the morphology and histology of the blood erythrocytes, and in the dimensions of the stomach and pH of the stomach contents in pouch‐young, occurred at an early age (&lt; 100 days), while the animals were still fully suckling.