this post was submitted on 13 Feb 2024
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I have many rabbits near me. I also have many rabbit poops. I have never observed rabbits eating poop in the wild. Are your rabbits special?
Rabbits have two kinds of poop: the hard little Cocoa Pebble looking ones and the soft glossy cluster-of-grapes looking ones. The former have been fully digested, the latter are designed to be eaten again to extract more nutrients.
I have to assume your are serious. that's disgusting. TIL. btw, are there any other animals you know of that do similar? do they always eat their shits or just when fresh food is scarce? I love that you used the word “designed”. what a glorious Lord that designed an animal and declared “you shall be gifted the ability to eat the same thing twice; second time not as nice”
It's always, it's a solution to the high-fiber low-nutrient herbivorous diet they have. Larger herbivores tend to have longer digestive tracts, rabbits use cecotropes. Designed was just shorthand for it being a regular function of their body and not some fluke of desperation.