Ruminant? Definition & Rocky Mountain Ruminants

Ruminant is a term that describes many animals, both wild and domestic. Here is what that means and which Rocky Mountain animals are ruminants.

I recently came across this term when I was looking into elk. Elk are one of the Rocky Mountain animals that mate in the fall. They also happen to be one of the many animals that are ruminants. I’d heard of that term before, but not spent much time thinking about it. After some research and reading I’m ready to share with you what that means and some Rocky Mountain ruminants.

What Does Ruminant Mean?

The basic definition is to chew again something that has already been swallowed.

Many animals are herbivores. Some of these herbivores are ruminants. This means they have four stomachs that help them digest the plant material they eat. Doing so helps them to get the maximum amount of nutrients from their food.

The largest of their stomachs is the rumen.

These animals chew their food and swallow it. Later they regurgitate it to chew it some more and add saliva to it. This is when they are chewing their cud. Next, they swallow it again and complete digesting it.

This process of regurgitating their food helps these ruminants to break down the food particles into very small size. This allows their body to absorb it better than if it was larger.

Are All Herbivores Ruminants?

No. Most, but not all herbivores are ruminants. Some of the non-ruminants include horses, rabbits, and rhinos. These animals all eat only plants, but they don’t have a 4 part stomach and don’t regurgitate their cud.