Cecal and fecal bacterial flora of the Mongolian gerbil and the chinchilla.

ECU Author/Contributor (non-ECU co-authors, if there are any, appear on document)

Robert S. Fulghum (Creator)

John M. Worthington (Creator)

Institution

East Carolina University (ECU )

Web Site: http://www.ecu.edu/lib/

Abstract: The Mongolian gerbil is being increasingly used as a laboratory animal and as a pet. Both chinchillas and gerbils are used as animal models for otitis media and other otic research. Previously only incomplete information was available regarding the indigenous bacterial flora of the lower intestinal tracts of these coprophagic animals. Using the strict anaerobic methodology of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute Anaerobe Laboratory we studied the predominant bacterial flora of the cecum and fecal pellets of the gerbil and the chinchilla and the bacterial flora of digesta pellets in the proximal colon. We found species of the following anaerobic genera in high dilutions of gerbil fecal pellets: Bifidobacterium Clostridium Propionibacterium Lactobacillus and Bacteroides. Only lactobacilli were found in high dilutions of digesta from the upper colon although the cecum yielded Peptostreptococcus Bifidobacterium Clostridium Lactobacillus Propionibacterium and Bacteroides species from high dilutions of cecal contents. The facultatively anaerobic and aerobic flora isolated consisted of species of Bacillus Streptococcus Staphylococcus Acinetobacter Alcaligenes Escherichia Pasteurella and Pseudomonas plus several unidentifiable organisms. Species of Bifidobacterium Bacteroides Eubacterium and anaerobic Lactobacillus were isolated from chinchillas. Originally published Applied and Environmental Microbiology Vol. 54 No. 5 May 1988

Additional Information

Publication

Other

Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 54:5(May 1988) p. 1210-1215.

Language: English

Date: 2011

Keywords

Mongolian gerbil, chinchilla, bacterial flora

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