Plasticity in length of hindgut segments of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

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Abstract
Plasticity in lengths of small intestines, caeca, and large intestines was examined in free-ranging adult white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) from Tennessee, U.S.A. Using cube root of body mass as a covariate, relative lengths of caeca and large intestines varied significantly among seasons, with segments being shortest in fall and longest in summer. The greatest single season increase for caeca (32%) and large intestines (25%) was from fall to winter. Lengths of hindgut segments of lactating and nonlactating females from summer were not statistically different. Analysis of intestinal segments during winter from three sites representing a gradient in forage quality (fiber content) also showed no statistical difference. Seasonal changes in lengths of intestines appear to reflect historical differences in food quantity and quality between fall and winter, increases in metabolism in spring and summer, and changing nutritional needs of the animal across all seasons. The lack of variation in hindgut segments within seasons suggests that intestinal length is under stronger genetic than environmental control.