Dictionary > Coprophagia

Coprophagia

Definition
noun
The eating of feces
Supplement
Coprophagia refers to the eating of feces or excrement. It is also referred to as coprophagy. Etymologically, the term is a combination of the words copros (meaning feces) and phagein (meaning to eat). The eating of feces may also include the eating of the feces of other individuals or other species. The consumption of one’s own excrement is referred to as autocoprophagy whereas the eating of others is called allocoprophagy.
Humans eating excrement are often associated with mental illnesses (e.g. schizophrenia and pica). Pica is a psychological disorder characterized by having an appetite for non-food materials (e.g. hair, paper, soap, soil, and feces). Humans are mostly repulsed by feces not only because of the odor but also because they can make humans sick. Feces have bacteria (e.g. coliform bacteria) that when consumed often cause diseases and diarrhea.
In other animals, coprophagy is a normal behavior. Rabbits and hares, for instance, eat their feces as a way to digest more efficiently a plant-based diet. Dung beetle, fly, and termites are examples of coprophagous insects. Termites feed on one another’s feces to obtain symbionts (hindgut protists, e.g. genus Pseudotrichonympha) that help them digest the cellulose component of wood.
Word origin: copro– (“feces”) +‎ –phagy (“to feed on”)
Synonym(s):

  • rhypophagy
  • scatophagy
  • coprophagy

See also:

  • feces
  • Related form(s):

    • coprophagous (adjective, of, pertaining to, or relating to coprophagy)


    You will also like...

    Plant Water Regulation
    Plant Water Regulation

    Plants need to regulate water in order to stay upright and structurally stable. Find out the different evolutionary adap..

    "Cronopio dentiacutus", a prehistoric mammal (an illustration)
    Mammalian Ancestors

    Mammals are a diverse group of organisms, where most of them develop their offspring within the uterus of the mother. Ov..

    Hominid
    The Hominids

    The hominid family diversified from the apes around 6 to 8 million years ago. Since then, the evolutionary path has prov..

    An artistic depiction of Dunkleosteus fish
    Fish

    The sea was teeming with life. Eventually, through reproduction and continued variation, fish came about. There are over..

    Still freshwater and plants
    Still Freshwater & Plants

    Plants in lentic habitats have features not found in terrestrial plants. They acquired these features as they adapt to t..

    Population Regulation in an Ecosystem
    Population Regulation in an Ecosystem

    With regard to the population size of a species and what factors may affect them, two factors have been defined. They ar..

    Related Articles...

    No related articles found

    See all Related Topics