#funfactfriday It is almost Lunar New Year!! We are coming into the Year of the Rabbit.
Did you know that Nuttall's Cottontails (shown here), Snowshoe Hares, and Jackrabbits belong to a unique group of mammals who must eat their own poop to survive? Yes, you read that right. It's called coprophagy!
The vegetation these animals eat is very nutrient-rich, but these nutrients are locked up tight in the tough cells of the leaves and grasses. When their digestive systems process the food the first time, a lot of important amino acids and vitamins are left in partially-digested food bits in their poop.. By eating those "first run" pellets of poop, their system gets another go at extracting the vital nutrients they need to stay healthy. The pellets from the second digestion do not get eaten.
...I don't know about you, but I think I'll stick with taking a multivitamin!