Coprophagia

From Free net encyclopedia

Coprophagia is the consumption of feces, from the Greek copros (feces) and phagein (eat). Many animal species have evolved to practice coprophagia; other species do not normally consume feces but may do so under unusual conditions. Only in rare cases is it practiced by humans.

1 Evolved coprophagia
2 Theories on Dogs
3 Humans
4 Coprophagia in pop culture
- 4.1 Fake coprophagia
5 References
6 External links

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Evolved coprophagia

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Coprophagous insects consume and redigest the feces of large animals; these feces contain substantial amounts of semi-digested food. (Herbivore digestive systems are especially inefficient.) Many species exist, the most famous probably being the scarab, sacred in ancient Egypt, and the most ubiquitous being the fly.

Rabbits, cavies (guinea pigs) and related species do not have the complicated ruminant digestive system. Instead they extract more nutrition from grass by giving their food a second pass through the gut. Soft caecal pellets of partially digested food are excreted and generally consumed immediately. They also produce normal droppings, which are not re-eaten.

Young elephants eat the feces of their mother to obtain the necessary bacteria for the proper digestion of the vegetation found on the savannah. When they are born, their intestines do not contain these bacteria. Without them, these elephants would be unable to get any nutritional value from plants.

Hamsters eat their own droppings; this is thought to be a source of vitamins B and K, produced by bacteria in the gut. Apes have been observed eating horse droppings for the salt. Monkeys have been observed to eat elephant droppings.

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Theories on Dogs

Coprophagia is a behavior sometimes observed, with considerable disgust, by dog owners. Hofmeister, Cumming, and Dhein (2001) write that this behavior in animals has not been well-researched, and they are (as of this writing) preparing a study. In a preliminary online paper, they write that there are various theories explaining why animals consume other animals' feces. According to various theories—none proven or disproven—dogs might do this:

To get attention from their owners.
From anxiety, stress, or having been punished for bad behaviors.
From boredom.
In an attempt to clean up in crowded conditions.
When dogs observe their owners picking up feces, and imitate this behavior (allelomimetic behavior). This is highly improbable because the behaviour has also been observed in environments where owners never picked up the dog's (or other) feces.
Because puppies taste everything and discover that feces are edible and, perhaps, tasty, especially when fed a high fat content diet.
Because dogs are, by nature, scavengers, and this is within the range of scavenger behavior.
To prevent the scent from attracting predators, especially mother dogs eating their offspring's feces.
Because the texture and temperature of fresh feces approximates that of regurgitated food, which is how canine mothers in the wild would provide solid food.
Because of the protein content of the feces (particularly cat feces), or over-feeding, leading to large concentrations of undigested matter in the feces.
Due to assorted health problems, including:
- Pancreatitis
- Intestinal infections
- Food allergies, creating mal-absorption
Because they are hungry, such as when eating routines are changed, food is withheld, or nutrients aren't properly absorbed.

Another theory proposes that carnivores sometimes eat the feces of their prey in order to ingest and exude scents which camouflage their own.

Several companies produce food additives that can be added to the troublesome animal's food to make its feces taste excessively bad.

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Humans

Coprophagia is extremely uncommon in humans. It is generally thought to be the result of the paraphilia known as coprophilia, although it is only diagnosable in extreme cases where it disturbs one's functioning. Consuming other people's feces carries the risk of contracting diseases spread through fecal matter, such as hepatitis. Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, pneumonia, and influenza vaccinations are generally recommended for those who engage in this practice[1]. Consuming one's own feces potentially involves risk, as the bowel bacteria and eggs of parasitic worms are not safe to ingest. Similar risk can apply to related sexual practices, such as anilingus or inserting an object into the mouth that has recently been in the anus (see ass to mouth). The practice of coprophagia in humans is depicted in Pier Paolo Pasolini's 1976 film Salò o le 120 giornate di Sodoma, in John Waters' 1972 film Pink Flamingos starring Divine and in Thomas Pynchon's 1973 novel Gravity's Rainbow.

Lewin (2001) reports that "... consumption of fresh, warm camel feces has been recommended by Bedouins as a remedy for bacterial dysentery; its efficacy (probably attributable to the antibiotic subtilisin from Bacillus subtilis) was confirmed by German soldiers in Africa during World War II."

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Coprophagia in pop culture

Coprophagia is commonly used in comedies.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

In American Wedding, Stifler eats dog feces in an attempt to hide a wedding ring in the droppings from the mother of the bride.
In Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, Fat Bastard's feces is being studied by Basil Exposition, and Austin mistakenly thinks it's coffee, smells it and soon after takes a drink, commenting that "it's a bit nutty".
When Cesar investigates the nonsense the mouse causes in the movie ''Mouse Hunt'', he eats mouse feces to evaluate them.
In Pink Flamingos, The drag queen Divine (Glen Milstead) chews up and swallows real dog poop.

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Fake coprophagia

This subsection deals with characters eating normal food that only looks like turd.

In Caddyshack, after the pool gets drained upon though of a floating turd, the guy smells the chocolate, and finds out that it is nothing more than a Baby Ruth candy bar; and eats it anyway, grossing out the audience.

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