Hey dedicated defecators, Jules here for DNews!

嘿，各位，今天由我－Jules 主持 DNews ！

If you own a dog, or a rabbit, or a dung beetle (no judgment),

如果你有養狗，或者是兔子，或者是蜣螂（不予置評），

then you might have noticed that unlike most humans, they love to eat poop.

那麼你可能發現了，不像大多數的人類，它們愛吃便便。

Their own poop, the poop of other animals, it's like the world is their poop buffet.

它們自己的便便，其他動物的便便，這就像整個世界都是它們的便便自助餐。

And as a responsible pet owner, you may be inclined to put a stop to this behavior,

作為一個有責任感的寵物主人，你可能傾向於叫停這樣的行為，

but it turns out: that would make YOU the poopy-head.

但是事實卻是：這樣做將會讓你自己成為「屎腦袋」。

The term for when animals eat excrement is “Coprophagia”,

形容動物吃排泄物的專有名詞是「食糞癖」，

“kopros” coming from the greek term for ‘poop’,

“ kopros” 這個詞根在希臘語是「便便」的意思，

and “phagia” being the greek suffix for ‘eating’.

“phagia”是希臘語後綴意思是「吃」。

Poop-eating.

吃便便。

And plenty of animals do this, the most common being rodents, and lagomorphs,

並且有很多動物都這樣做，最常這樣做動物有嚙齒動物，兔類動物，

which are rabbits, hares, and pika.

也就是兔子、野兔和鼠兔。

Interestingly, both rodents and lagomorphs share a common ancestor,

有意思的是，嚙齒動物和兔類動物有著共同的祖先，

which may explain their similar habits.

這也就可以解釋為什麼它們有這個相似的習性了。

In fact, this poop-eating habit is necessary for these animals to survive.

其實，吃便便這樣的習慣對這些動物來說是生存必需的。

See, rodents and lagomorphs have really inefficient digestive systems;

你看，嚙齒動物和兔類動物有著低效率的消化系統；

the absorption of food happens in the lower gastrointestinal tract, and very little is actually absorbed.

吸收食物是在下胃腸道進行的，事實上只有很少很少被吸收。

So, to make sure the necessary nutrients get into their system,

所以，為了確保必需的營養物質進入它們體內系統，

these animals simply run them through the digestive system again,

這些動物就只不過讓這些營養物質再次進入消化系統，

by eating what they excrete.

通過吃它們的排泄物。

Interestingly, lagomorphs produce two different types of poop, one that is hard and inedible (they leave that alone),

有意思的是，兔類動物會產生兩種不同的便便，一種是硬的且不能食用的（它們忽略這種便便），

and the other is soft and nutrient rich, called “cecotropes”

另外一種是軟的並且很有營養的，被稱「盲腸便」

or “night feces”.

或者是「夜晚糞便」。

Cecotropes are produced in a different part of the digestive tract,

盲腸便是在不同的消化道產生的，

and are coated with mucus so they survive the trip.

並且外面包裹著黏液，所以它們可以在腸道中存活。

And even though it still exits the anus, it is not technically considered “feces”,

並且盡管它仍然存在於肛門，學術上已不被認為是「排泄物」，

and so technically it's not coprophagia.

因此學術上這就不是「食便癖」。

Either way, these animals are eating something that came out of their butt.

不管怎樣，這些動物吃的這些都是出自它們的屁股。

But rabbits, rodents, and hares are not the only ones ordering poop for pickup.

但是兔子、嚙齒動物以及野兔不是僅有的吃便便的動物。

The dung beetle, as you can probably imagine, also eat, well, dung.

蜣螂，正如你所想，同樣，也是吃，呃，糞便。

They actually extract nutrients, specifically nitrogen, from animal excrement,

事實上它們從動物的排泄物中提取營養物質，尤其是氮，

and sometimes use the pile as a nest for their offspring.

並且有時用這些作為它們後代的巢穴。

Piglets, foals, nonhuman primates and dogs also eat poop, although less regularly.

小豬、小馬駒、非人靈長類以及狗都是吃便便的，雖然不常吃。

The young of some of these mammals, foals and dogs for example, eat their mother's poop

這些哺乳動物中較年輕的，例如小馬和狗，吃它們媽媽的便便

in order to populate their gut bacteria, which is necessary for breaking down food in the stomach.

以形成它們的腸道細菌，這些細菌在分解胃內的食物時十分必要。

Moreover, mother dogs will often lick their puppies anus and genitals to stimulate defecation.

除此之外，狗媽媽會經常添狗寶寶的肛門和生殖器來刺激排便。

Then, for quick cleanup, the mother dog will just eat whatever comes out.

隨後，為了盡快清洗乾淨，狗媽媽會吃掉排出來的任何東西。

I mean, it's faster than carrying one of those poop bag dispensers.

也就是，這比拿著一個裝便便的袋子要更加快捷。

This habit of eating mom's poop, or having mom eat your poop tends to end after the animal is weaned,

吃媽媽便便的這種習慣，或者媽媽吃寶寶便便的習慣會在寶寶斷奶之後結束，

but some animals seems to acquire a taste for it, and they keep up the habit.

但是有些動物似乎是習慣了這樣的味道，它們就會保持這樣的習慣。

According to veterinarians, dogs eating poop, whether it is their own, or a stranger's,

據獸醫稱，狗吃便便，不論是它們自己的或是陌生狗的，

is natural and generally not harmful.

都是自然並且總體無害的。

In rare cases, it can potentially transmit a disease or cause vomiting and diarrhea.

在某些特例，這有可能會傳播疾病或者引起嘔吐和腹瀉。

And, if they jump up to give you a kiss, it's a definitely gross.

並且，如果它們跳起來親你，這必定是很噁心的。

Now, as for humans, eating poop isn't quite so carefree.

現在，對人類來說，吃便便不太能被人接受。

Coprophagia is usually associated with mental illness, and human poop, especially someone else's,

食便癖通常會和心理疾病聯繫起來，而且人類的糞便，尤其是其他人的，

can contain bacteria such as shigella, campylobacter, salmonella and E.coli.

會有細菌如志賀氏桿菌、灣區桿菌、沙門氏菌和大腸桿菌。

Those can make you VERY sick.

這些細菌可以讓你患上重病。

Long story short: rabbits, rats, and dogs eating poop: usually fine and healthy.

長話短說：兔子、老鼠和狗吃便便：通常是好的並且健康的。

Humans eating poop: Nope.

人類吃便便：不行。

Nope nope nope.

不行，不行，堅決不行。

If you're into animal poop or just animals that start with P, you might like the show Panda Republic.

如果你對動物便便感興趣，你可能會喜歡 Panda Republic 這個表演。

Now you can watch that and all the other Animal Planet shows on Animal Planet Go.

現在你可以在Animal Planet Go 上觀看這個以及所有其他動物的表演。

Check out the link in the description or download it from your app store.

查看簡介中的連結或者從應用程序商店下載。

So if your dog eats poop, should you let your dog lick your face?

如果你的狗吃便便，你應該讓它舔你的臉嗎？

Or will you get a whole bunch of weird diseases?

你會得一大堆奇怪的疾病嗎？

You can find out right here.

你可以在這裏找到答案。

And what other weird animal habits do you want to know about?

動物其他怪癖你還有甚麼想知道的呢？

Let us know in the comments, don't forget to subscribe,

留下評論告訴我們，記得訂閱我們，

and make sure to come back here for more DNews everyday!

一定要記得每天關注我們來獲取更多的 DNews！