Final answer:
Herbivores and pseudo-ruminants such as rabbits, camels, and alpacas have an enlarged cecum and large intestine to efficiently digest plant material, due to the challenges of breaking down cellulose. Their digestive systems include structures and processes that enable maximum nutrient absorption from a plant-based diet.
Step-by-step explanation:
Animals such as rabbits and pseudo-ruminants like camels and alpacas have evolved digestive systems adapted to diets rich in plant materials. Unlike carnivores, these herbivores and pseudo-ruminants possess an enlarged cecum and large intestine, which enable more efficient fermentation and digestion of cellulose, a polymeric sugar found in plant cell walls.
The cecum provides a large surface area and contains many microorganisms necessary for breaking down cellulose. Meanwhile, the large intestine has the role of absorbing water from undigested material and processing waste material.
For instance, the rabbit has a monogastric digestive system with an enlarged cecum and small intestine, which permits extensive digestion of plant material. Rabbits practice cecotrophy, which involves re-digesting soft feces, to maximize nutrient absorption. Pseudo-ruminants similarly have a large cecum but also a three-chamber stomach, unlike true ruminants, that aids in the digestion of large amounts of roughage.