Question

Which of the following is not a ruminant?
(A)Cow
(B)Buffalo
(C)Dog
(D)Goat

Answer 1

Hint: Ruminant animals show a specialized digestion process known as foregut fermentation that makes them different from other mammals. These animals are called ruminants for their rumination process after fermentation.

Complete answer:
Out of the options mentioned in the question, the dog is not a ruminant animal.
Ruminant animals refer to herbivorous animals that get nutrition from plant-based food and show a specialized process of fermenting the food prior to digestion, mostly by microbial actions. This process occurs in the initial part of the digestive tract and therefore is known as foregut fermentation. The fermented product is known as cud that later gets rechewed again for further breakdown and this is known as rumination.

Additional Information:
The term "ruminant" comes from the word ruminant of Latin origin that has the meaning "to chew over again". Some examples of ruminant animals are goats, sheep, giraffes, deer, cows, buffalo, antelopes, etc.
The digestive system of a ruminant is slightly different from that of non-ruminant animals in the fact that they have 4 compartments in the stomach named rumen, reticulum, omasum, and abomasum. They differ from non-ruminant also in the structure of their teeth as they grow continuously.

So, the correct answer is "Dog".

Note: Cow, buffalo, and goat- all possess a ruminant type of digestive system as well as feeding behavior. But the dog is not a herbivorous animal and does not show rumination or foregut fermentation. Unlike ruminant animals, it doesn't have 4 compartments. Therefore, dogs are not considered to be ruminant animals.