www.cuniculture.info     Biology of the rabbit - Chapter 4 - "Digestive systeml and digestion"

 

Comparative definition of Caecotrophy and Coprophagy
Caecotrophy
Coprophagy
For an animal, to practice caecotrophy means : For an animal, to practice coprophagy means :
  • produce two types of faeces on the same day
  • to systematically ingest one of the two types of excrements (very little modified digestive content) and to systematically reject the other type (true excrements)
  • produce only one type of excrement during the day
  • to ingest part of this excreta systematically or occasionally (its own excrements or those of an other animal)

Caecotrophy is practiced by all Lagomorphs (Rabbits, Hares, ...) and by some Rodents (Castor, ...).

The nutritional and digestive result of this practice is different according to the nutrient taken in consideration : real improvement of proteins digestion but very little influence on the digestion of cellulose and fibers in general.

The caecotrophy of Lagomorphs is as natural and physiological practice for these species, as rumination is normal for cattle or sheep.

No one has ever described a rabbit practicing coprophagy, which would mean to consume part of its hard faeces.

 

 Coprophagy is normally practiced by certain animal species either in a fairly systematic way (rat, pig, etc.), or temporarily (bitch consuming the droppings of her puppies), or in a pathological situation (dog, horse, etc.)

This practice is favored by situations of nutritional deficiency or physiological deficiency (lack of amylase production, etc.).

Interspecific coprophagy is also practiced by some animals such as dung beetles, but that is another story.
For the rabbit, the nutritional benefit of caecotrophy lies mainly in the recovery of good quality bacterial proteins and vitamins, particularly vitamins of the B group and vitamin C By this practice, the animal recovers some nutrients incompletely digested or nutients processed in the distal part of the digestive tract (after the zone of high absorption), such as some votatil fatty acids

 

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