Cecotropes (also caecotropes, cecotrophs, caecotrophs, cecal pellets, soft feces, or night feces) are a nutrient-filled package created in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that is expelled and eaten by many animals (such as rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, hamsters, and chinchillas) to obtain more nutrients out of their food. When food passes through ...

Dec 20, 2023 · Cecotropes are special droppings that rabbits consume directly from the anus before digestion.

Dec 20, 2020 · Caecotrophy is a fascinating digestive strategy which some small mammals use in order to gain extra nutrients. Caecotrophs are a type of soft faecal pellet which some animals will consume. The process of eating these is known as caecotrophy. It is sometimes also described as pseudo-rumination.

Through this special mechanism, these animals can extract additional nutrition from the foods they eat. This special, and completely normal, digestive process has been referred to as 'cecotrophy', 'hindgut fermentation' or 'pseudorumination'. What are cecotropes?

Caecotrophs (caecals) The first sort is caecotrophs (caecals), you should see them only occasionally. If you see a lot of them, if your rabbit leaves them lying around or if they are stuck to his fur, then you need to do some investigating.

This article will cover everything you could ever want to know about caecotrophs. We’ll be discussing what caecotrophs are, the journey from nugget to caecotroph and how you rabbit’s caecotrophs can give you a better insight into their overall health.

Mar 13, 2024 · Caecotrophy involves animals consuming cecotropes for nutrient absorption, while coprophagy refers to consuming feces generally. Caecotrophy is a specific behavior observed in some herbivores like rabbits, where they consume …

Aug 29, 2023 · (biology) In certain mammals, especially rabbits and some rodents, a cake or pellet of food which is produced by means of digestion and expulsion through the anus.

2 days ago · Rabbits and some other small mammals take soft faecal pellets directly from the anus at night and store them in the stomach to be mixed with food taken during the day, probably obtaining metabolites essential for digestion that are produced in the caecum. The animals will die if they are prevented from ingesting these pellets. Compare coprophagy.

Jan 30, 2025 · Caecotrophs look like a small, dark, and often smelly bunch of grapes. They are typically quite soft, with a characteristic mucous coating that gives them a slightly glistening appearance. These unique droppings are not to be confused with diarrhoea, which would be very loose or watery throughout.