Coprophagy in Rabbits: Autoingestion of Hard Feces

Ebino, Koichi Y.; Shutoh, Yasufumi; Takahashi, Kazuaki W.

doi:10.1538/expanim1978.42.4_611

Cited by 12 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…2006) and excrete faeces as dry pellets, in contrast to most other mammals; rabbits excrete faecal pellets but exhibit coprophagia to fully digest and absorb the water content e.g. (Ebino et al. 1993).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Rodents are unable to vomit (a mechanism activated via 5-HT 3 receptors in other species; (Malik et al 2006) and excrete faeces as dry pellets, in contrast to most other mammals; rabbits excrete faecal pellets but exhibit coprophagia to fully digest and absorb the water content e.g. (Ebino et al 1993). These differences in GI physiology could be related to the loss of the 5-HT 3C and 5-HT 3E genes within the rodent lineage.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characterisation of 5‐HT_3C, 5‐HT_3D and 5‐HT_3E receptor subunits: evolution, distribution and function

Holbrook

Gill

Zebda

et al. 2008

Journal of Neurochemistry

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The 5‐HT3 receptor is a member of the ‘Cys‐loop’ family of ligand‐gated ion channels that mediate fast excitatory and inhibitory transmission in the nervous system. Current evidence points towards native 5‐HT3 receptors originating from homomeric assemblies of 5‐HT3A or heteromeric assembly of 5‐HT3A and 5‐HT3B. Novel genes encoding 5‐HT3C, 5‐HT3D, and 5‐HT3E have recently been described but the functional importance of these proteins is unknown. In the present study, in silico analysis (confirmed by partial cloning) indicated that 5‐HT3C, 5‐HT3D, and 5‐HT3E are not human–specific as previously reported: they are conserved in multiple mammalian species but are absent in rodents. Expression profiles of the novel human genes indicated high levels in the gastrointestinal tract but also in the brain, Dorsal Root Ganglion (DRG) and other tissues. Following the demonstration that these subunits are expressed at the cell membrane, the functional properties of the recombinant human subunits were investigated using patch clamp electrophysiology. 5‐HT3C, 5‐HT3D, and 5‐HT3E were all non‐functional when expressed alone. Co‐transfection studies to determine potential novel heteromeric receptor interactions with 5‐HT3A demonstrated that the expression or function of the receptor was modified by 5‐HT3C and 5‐HT3E, but not 5‐HT3D. The lack of distinct effects on current rectification, kinetics or pharmacology of 5‐HT3A receptors does not however provide unequivocal evidence to support a direct contribution of 5‐HT3C or 5‐HT3E to the lining of the ion channel pore of novel heteromeric receptors. The functional and pharmacological contributions of these novel subunits to human biology and diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome for which 5‐HT3 receptor antagonists have major clinical usage, therefore remains to be fully determined.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterisation of 5‐HT_3C, 5‐HT_3D and 5‐HT_3E receptor subunits: evolution, distribution and function

Holbrook

Gill

Zebda

et al. 2008

Journal of Neurochemistry

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“…Several hypotheses about the importance of the consumption of feces to mammals have been presented (Barnes et al 1965, Hintz 1969, Ebino et al 1993, Crowell-Davis et al 1995, Marinier and Alexander 1995, but the phenomenon of coprophagy among mammalian carnivores has not been adequately studied. Intraspecific coprophagy among carnivores may be important in mate selection and territory defense (Rich and Hurst 1998).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scat removal: a source of bias in feces-related studies

Livingston

Gipson

Ballard

et al. 2005

Wildlife Society Bulletin

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Consumption of feces (coprophagy) may alter findings of dietary studies and population estimates based on fecal analyses, but its magnitude is poorly understood. We investigated seasonal incidence of scat removal on Fort Riley, Kansas, from January through December 2000. We placed feces from captive bobcats (Lynx rufus), captive coyotes (Canis latrans), and free‐ranging coyotes randomly on tracking stations in forest and prairie landscapes to determine rates of scat removal by local wildlife. Rates of removal of feces from captive bobcats, captive coyotes, and free‐ranging coyotes varied from 7% during spring to 50% during summer. We identified opossums (Didelphis virginiana) as the most common species present at stations where scat removal occurred. Feces may be an important seasonal source of food for opossums and may provide seasonal dietary supplements for other species. Other factors responsible for disturbance of feces included a woodrat (Neotoma floridana) caching coyote feces, removal of captive coyote feces by free‐ranging coyotes accompanied by deposition of fresh feces, a bobcat burying a captive bobcat sample and depositing fresh feces, and rain storms. Dietary studies based on fecal analyses could be biased by scat removal, assuming that contents in feces are representative of the proportion of foods consumed.

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“…Although reingestion of hard faeces has been casually observed (Eden, 1940b;Southern, 1942;Hörnicke & Björnhag, 1980;Hirakawa, 1983), it had not been believed that they were normally reingested until their frequent reingestion was first reported in the Domestic Rabbit by Ebino, Shutoh & Takahashi (1993). Later, the regular reingestion of hard faeces was observed in the Japanese Hare (Lepus brachyurus) and the Mountain Hare (L. timidus) (Hirakawa, 1994(Hirakawa, , 1997.…”

Section: Hard Faeces Reingestion and Its Rhythmmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coprophagy in leporids and other mammalian herbivores

2001

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Leporids have long been known to reingest soft faeces. However, it was recently found that they regularly reingest hard faeces, too. During the daytime, both soft and hard faeces are defecated and all of the faeces are reingested. Excreted at night are the hard faeces, which are normally discarded but reingested in starvation. The separation mechanism in the proximal colon, which diverts fine particles into the caecum and thus only passes large food particles, produces hard faeces. When the mechanism ceases acting, fermented caecal materials are excreted as soft faeces. The reingestion of soft faeces, rich in vitamins and microbial proteins, is physiologically imperative. Hard faeces are basically a refuse, but their thorough mastication at reingestion reduces poorly digestible large particles to fine ones good for fermentation. The regular reingestion of daytime hard faeces thus promotes food digestibility. The temporary use of night-time hard faeces allows leporids to do without food for some time. It thus gives leporids behavioural flexibility and thereby an ecological advantage. Reingestion is also known in other small-to medium-sized herbivores, which are all caecal fermenters. Morphological differentiation between faeces is reported only in larger species, but all ingested faeces are found to be richer in nutrients than discarded ones. Thus a separation mechanism is probably present in all reingesting species. Reingestion activity is deeply related to other behavioural and physiological traits of small mammalian herbivores, hence its study is important to understanding of their ecology and biology. Leporids are the largest of the reingesting species except for the semi-aquatic Coypu, and reingestion by leporids is certainly the most sophisticated. This development of a reingestion-involved digestive system has probably brought them to their present niche, as terrestrial medium-sized generalist mammalian herbivores, and consequently made their characteristic hide-and-run lifeforms by exposing them to a strong predation pressure.

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Coprophagy in Rabbits: Autoingestion of Hard Feces

Cited by 12 publications

References 4 publications

Characterisation of 5‐HT_3C, 5‐HT_3D and 5‐HT_3E receptor subunits: evolution, distribution and function

Characterisation of 5‐HT_3C, 5‐HT_3D and 5‐HT_3E receptor subunits: evolution, distribution and function

Scat removal: a source of bias in feces-related studies

Coprophagy in leporids and other mammalian herbivores

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Coprophagy in Rabbits: Autoingestion of Hard Feces

Cited by 12 publications

References 4 publications

Characterisation of 5‐HT3C, 5‐HT3D and 5‐HT3E receptor subunits: evolution, distribution and function

Characterisation of 5‐HT3C, 5‐HT3D and 5‐HT3E receptor subunits: evolution, distribution and function

Scat removal: a source of bias in feces-related studies

Coprophagy in leporids and other mammalian herbivores

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Characterisation of 5‐HT_3C, 5‐HT_3D and 5‐HT_3E receptor subunits: evolution, distribution and function

Characterisation of 5‐HT_3C, 5‐HT_3D and 5‐HT_3E receptor subunits: evolution, distribution and function