Contributions of digestive plasticity to the ability of white-tailed deer to cope with a low-quality diet

White-tailed deer on Anticosti Island exhibit significant digestive plasticity, enabling them to sustain high population densities despite harsh forage conditions. These deer show increased ruminal volume and digesta load (43% and 62%, respectively), greater absorption surface of ruminal papillae, and larger relative mass of forestomachs compared to mainland counterparts. Despite similar digestibility of woody forage, faster kinetic digestion may occur in Anticosti Island deer. This study highlights the adaptive role of digestive plasticity in coping with low-quality diets, providing insights into how populations adapt to dietary challenges.

Bonin, M., Tremblay, J.-P., & Côté, S. D. (2016). Contributions of digestive plasticity to the ability of white-tailed deer to cope with a low-quality diet. Journal of Mammalogy, 97(5), 1406–1413. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyw091