Caecal Pellets
www.wikipedia.org
Caecal pellets are mostly digested food that rabbits defecate and
subsequently re-ingest; a process known as refection, a form of
coprophagia.
Do rabbits really eat their own droppings?
Usually a rabbit will eat the pellets straight from their anus, and as
such, many people do not know of this aspect
of a rabbit's diet. They are often referred to as "night pellets"
or "night droppings", since the rabbits tend to eat them a few
hours after their evening meal.
Why do rabbits eat their own droppings?
Caecal pellets are soft, smelly, clumpy feces, and are a rabbit's
only supply of Vitamin B12. Due to the design of the rabbit's
digestive system, they cannot extract some vitamins and minerals
directly from their food. At the end of their digestive system is
an area called the caecum where cellulose and other plant fibers
are broken down and ferment. After they have been broken down and
passed, a rabbit's digestive system can finally extract the
vitamins from them.
Occasionally, the rabbit may leave these pellets lying about
their cage; while smelly, this behavior is harmless. If their
caecal pellets are consistently wet and runny, this may indicate
either too little fiber, or too many starches in their diet. This
probably means that they need to be fed additional hay.
See Also:
Index of All Rabbit Care & Bunny
Fun Stuff
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