Coprophagy is called not quite a common phenomenon, which consists in eating excrement. Probably everyone has ever seen a dog devouring feces - not a very pleasant sight. Why is this happening?
What is coprophagy?
Literally, a coprophage is an organism that feeds on feces, most often mammals. The word is of Greek origin. “Interrogation” translates as “feces” or “litter,” and “phagos” means “devourer.”
The causes of coprophagy can be various: it often develops against the background of a lack of animal nutrients and trace elements in the body of animals. In some individuals, under certain conditions, this is the norm. There are species of insects that are natural coprophages.
Some worms, certain types of insects and ticks belong to the group of natural coprophages, for which the described phenomenon is just a way of feeding. For some representatives, food is litter itself, and microorganisms that are rapidly developing in it.
Food method "coprophagy" - what is it?
Some butterflies, ants, and bees eat the sweet stool of aphids, mealybugs, and the like. Their secretions are almost a third composed of various types of sugars and are also called “honey dew”.
Autocoprophagy stands out as a separate concept: it is typical for arthropods devouring excrement exclusively of its kind. Waste from the life of the uterus and drones absorb the working bees of the hive. The larvae of a particular wax moth can digest up to several times the wax contained in their own excrement.
Coprophage is an organism that is actively involved in the natural cycle of substances. Their representatives contribute to a more intense destruction of organics, the return of nutrients to the soil, and significantly increase the fertility of the land. Their use for nature is obvious.
Coprophage Specialization
Coprophagus is an organism that uses elements that have already passed through the intestines. Some representatives of the fauna are distinguished by a fairly clear specialization in the type of excrement used for food. Some dung beetles, for example, only absorb cow feces, while others only absorb horse feces.
Food, bypassing the digestive tract, is not completely released from nutrients. Poorly soluble and assimilable particles remain almost unchanged. It is for this reason that many true coprophages are equipped with a long intestine that promotes more intensive digestion of food, which is feces.
Many species of rodents also sometimes eat their feces, thus increasing the digestibility of food, which is not completely digested for the first time. In captivity, almost all rodents exhibit coprophagy due to poor dietary balance.
Coprophagy in pets
In relation to pets, the meaning of the word "coprophagous" may be slightly different. This phenomenon is more common in dogs, somewhat less often in cats. It does not go beyond the norm if a bitch eats the feces of her puppies from birth to about a month of age, thereby ensuring cleanliness in the nest.
A natural behavior, although not entirely normal, is the use of unclean animals by feces. In the absence of the usual food, this helps her not to stay hungry. Inexperienced dog owners who do not know what a coprophage are, are panicky scared, catching a pet for such an unsightly occupation. Such a habit looks extremely disgusting in their eyes.
Some pets prefer the excrement of herbivores, others prefer cats, while others love the frozen feces of their fellow tribesmen. Do not shy away and human. There are several different theories that explain these disorders: metabolic problems, boredom, pancreatic insufficiency, some infections, and more.
People and coprophagy
In humans, this phenomenon is usually associated with various mental problems. This can be auto-aggressive behavior, bulimia against the background of dementia, iron deficiency or encephalopathy of various etilogies. In some cases, it may have the character of a particular sexual perversion.
Coprophagy in the form of a kind of fetishism can be attributed to the form of coprophilia. Eating feces or coercion to this process can be considered as a certain element of sadomasochistic perversions. Coprophagy of this kind is not an obvious sign of a mental disorder.
But coprophage is not necessarily a deviation. Eating excrement is often observed in infants and young children. Most often, this process is one-time in nature and takes the form of an experimental action.
Interesting fact. A well-known elite variety of expensive coffee is made from beans that have passed through the intestines of palm civet. They are collected together with excrement, cleaned, washed and dried. The effect of intestinal mammalian enzymes gives it a special, exclusive touch. A cup of such a drink can cost about $ 50.