Poop In The Wild
Typically, poop is a topic that people avoid. After all, why would anyone want to talk about something so nasty? As unsightly or smelly as it may be, the act of pooping is something that every animal on this planet does. Some animals poop in very interesting, and often hilarious, ways. Let's dive in and take a closer look at six animals known for their weird poop or pooping habits.
1. Parrot Fish Have Sand Poop
Did you know that there's a creature with poop that consists of nearly all sand? That little critter is called the parrot fish. What's even more interesting is that the sand is nearly all new. That's right, the parrot fish makes its own sand!
How does this happen? This phenomenon occurs because the parrot fish's diet is high in coral. As its body breaks down the coral, it poops out sand. In fact, experts discovered that many of those beautiful white, sandy beaches that people love in Hawaii consist almost completely of parrot fish poop.
See, poop isn't all that bad. In fact, some people pay good money just to travel to Hawaii and relax in it.
2. Wombat Poop Is Square and Used to Attract a Mate
Wombats are known for having oddly shaped poop. In fact, it comes out as a perfect square. Also, wombats make plenty of these square pellets every day. On average, a wombat will poop 80 to 100 square pellets daily.
Unlike most animals, wombats use their poop in interesting ways. For example, they line the edges of their territories with it to claim it as theirs. At the same time, these poop pellets are used to attract mates. The poop indicates to female wombats that the males are on the prowl for companions. This interesting poop fact is one that most people are probably happy that humans don't share.
Why do wombats poop out squares? They have a very slow digestive tract, and their intestines have ridges. On top of that, the wombat diet is very high in fiber because they eat grass and bark. What comes out are hard and compact square poop pellets.
3. Sloths Put Themselves at Risk Every Time They Poop
It's no secret that sloths are slow, so it stands to reason that their defecation process is also pretty slow. In fact, they're said to only poop about once a week. As a result, the poop builds up in their system. Then, sloths lose about 50% of their body weight every time they relieve themselves.
While that fact is interesting enough, consider this as well. Sloths have a habit of only pooping on the ground. This is odd because they're most vulnerable on the ground, which is why they spend so much of their lives in trees. Scientists believe that sloths only poop once a week to minimize the amount of time that they spend on the ground, which helps keep them safe.
4. Pandas Poop 50 Pounds Per Day
When you think of animals that take large poops, you probably think of elephants or maybe horses. What about pandas? These animals consume a ton of food each day. In fact, the average adult panda eats between 26 and 84 pounds of food daily.
With that much intake of food, it stands to reason that pandas produce a lot of waste. How much? Close to 50 pounds per day! This is why they need full-time keepers at the zoo. Between preparing large meals, the zookeepers also clear out 50 pounds of poop per panda.
5. Capybaras Produce Two Different Types of Poop
Capybaras are one of the few types of animals on the planet that have the odd ability to produce two different types of poop. One is the typical poop that you would expect. It's black or brown, very hard and devoid of any nutritional value.
The second poop is green, soft and packed with nutrients. These are nutrients that other capybara can consume later when they need a pick-me-up. Think of it as a way to get the most nutritional value out of everything a capybara eats. If they eat something and don't require all of the nutrients, they simply poop it out for others to enjoy later.
6. Turkey Vultures Clean With Their Poop
With a name like turkey vulture, it should come as no surprise that these are interesting creatures. In fact, this animal has multiple uses for its poop. It's not uncommon to see turkey vultures pooping on their own feet. While some believe that they do this because they don't know any better, there's actually a good explanation.
First, turkey vulture poop is filled with good bacteria that can kill bad bacteria. It keeps their feet clean after they scavenge from dead animals. After all, you can't go digging through dead animals without getting some bad bacteria on your feet.
Second, the birds use their poop to cool themselves off on hot days. Again, this pooping habit wouldn't translate well in the human world.
Mainline Plumbing Gets Rid of Your Family's Poop
Another animal that poops is the human. In fact, the average person flushes the toilet five times a day. For a family of four, that's 20 toilet flushes every day! It's safe to say that keeping your home's toilet running smoothly is important. At, Mainline Plumbing Inc. we help you do just that. Whether you have a clog or your sewer line needs to be repaired, you can count on our technicians to get the job done.
Call Mainline Plumbing Inc. today at (209) 560-6652 to learn more about our plumbing services.