5. Digestive system of rabbit

Earlier in this topic, we have studied the processes of digestion. Now, we will learn about the digestive system of rabbits.

 

Alimentary canal, starts from the mouth and ends at the anus. The mesentery keeps it suspended in the body cavity. The mouth, vestibule, buccal cavity, pharynx, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine, caecum, and large intestine make up the alimentary canal.

Mouth

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Vestibule

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Buccal cavity

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pharynx

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Oesophagus

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Stomach

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Small intestine

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Large intestine

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Rectum

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Anus

The mouth is a transverse slit-like aperture bounded by the upper and lower lips, which are soft and muscular.

The mouth opens into a narrow vertical space called the vestibule, located between the lips, cheeks, and jaw gums. Mucous secreting glands are found on its mucous membrane.

The vestibule leads to the buccal cavity, which is large and spacious. A muscular tongue occupies the floor of the buccal cavity. Teeth are housed in the jaws. The mucous membranelines the buccal cavity.

The buccal cavity indistinguishably passes posteriorly into the pharynx, which is a small and narrow cavity. The pharynx connects the buccal cavity to the oesophagus.

It is a long, narrow, distensible muscular tube that runs through the neck and thorax and can be expanded. It opens into the stomach, which is located in the abdominal cavity, after piercing the diaphragm.

The tube-like structure oesophagus connects the throat to the stomach. A large, curved sac-like structure is located behind the diaphragm, slightly towards the left side in the abdominal cavity is called stomach.

 

The stomach leads into the intestine. The intestine of a rabbit is coiled and lengthy, measuring almost \(1.2\) metres in length, and can be divided into small and large intestines.

 

The duodenum, jejunum, and ileum make up the small intestine.

 

 

The caecum is a thin-walled sac located at the junction of the small and large intestines. It contains bacteria that aid in cellulose digestion.

 

Note: The digestive tract of a rabbit is very similar to that of a horse. Both are “hind-gut fermenters,” which means they have an organ called the “caecum” that acts similarly to a cow’s rumen but is located at the end of the digestive tract rather than at the beginning.

 

  

 

The small intestineopens into the large intestine. The proximal colon and the distal rectum are the two parts of it.

The rectum finally opens outside by the anus. It is located towards the tail’s base. An anal sphincter guards the anus.

Digestive glands are glands that secrete digestive juices to aid in food digestion.