Animal latrine

Last updated

Animal latrines (latrine areas, [1] animal toilets, defecation sites) are places where wildlife animals habitually defecate and urinate. Many kinds of animals are highly specific in this respect and have stereotyped routines, including approach and departure. [2] Many of them have communal, i.e., shared, latrines.

Contents

Animals with dedicated defecation sites

Animals with communal latrines include raccoons, Eurasian badgers, [3] elephants, [4] deer, [5] antelopes, [6] horses, [1] and (prehistorically) dicynodonts (a 240-million-year-old site was called the "world's oldest public toilet"). [4]

A regularly used toilet area or dunghill, created by many mammals, such as moles or hyraxes, is also called a midden. [7] [8]

Some lizards, such as yakka skinks ( Egernia rugosa ) [9] and thorny devils [10] use dedicated defecation sites.

European rabbits may deposit their pellets both randomly over the range and at communal latrine sites. [11]

Function and impact

Territoriality

Middens and other types of defecation sites may serve as territorial markers. [6] [7] Elaborate "dungpile rituals" are reported for adult stallions, [1] and deer bucks, [5] which are thought to serve for confrontation avoidance. In contrast, female and young animals exhibit no such behavior. [1]

Sanitation

Dedicated defecation sites are thought to be the result of sanitation-driven behavior. For example, the spider mite Stigmaeopsis miscanthi constructs woven nests, and nest members defecate at only one site inside the nest. [12] Dedicated latrine areas observed by free-roaming horses mean that grazing area is kept parasite-free. Even stabled horses seem to have vestiges of such behavior. [1]

Herbivoral livestock is at risk of parasite/pathogen exposure from feces during grazing, therefore there is an interest in research of livestock behavior in the presence of feces both of their own species, and others, including wildlife, including the dependence on defecation patterns. [13]

Ecological impact

Latrines of herbivores, such as antelopes, play an important role in ecology by providing enrichment of certain areas in nutrients. It is described that duiker and steenbok antelopes tended to defecate in exposed sites, generally on very sandy soil, while klipspringer preferred rocky outcrops, thus enriching the nutrient-deficient areas, as well as depositing plant seed there. [6]

Raccoon latrines

A common nuisance of raccoons is raccoon latrines (raccoon toilets), which may contain eggs of the roundworm Baylisascaris procyonis . Nuisance raccoon latrines may be found in attics, on flat roofs, on logs, in yards and sandboxes, etc. [14] [15] [16]

Use in research

In addition to immediate research of animal behavior and biology, animal toilets and coprolites are an instrument of research for not directly related purposes in biology, ecology, paleontology climate research, and other areas. They provide various information: plant habitats, historical information about prehistoric life and climate, etc. [4] [17]

Animal latrine associates

Some fungi are animal latrine associates. For example, Hebeloma radicosum is an ammonia fungus which associates with latrines of moles, wood mice, [8] and shrews. [18]

There is a curious association of Cucumis humifructus ("aardvark cucumber" or "aardvark pumpkin") with latrines of aardvarks. C. humifructus produces its fruit underground, the aardvark burrows for them, and then deposits its seeds in dunghills near its habitat. The distribution of C. humifructus tends to match that of aardvark latrines. [19]

Some insects (e.g., termites and dung beetles) [6] feed on animal excrement and hence are natural associates of dung sites.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aardvark</span> Burrowing mammal native to Africa

Aardvarks are medium-sized, burrowing, nocturnal mammals native to Africa. They have a long snout, similar to that of a pig, which is used to sniff out food.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Overgrazing</span> When plants are grazed for extended periods without sufficient recovery time

Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient recovery periods. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature reserves. It can also be caused by immobile, travel restricted populations of native or non-native wild animals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antelope</span> Term referring to an even-toed ruminant

The term antelope refers to numerous extant or recently extinct species of the ruminant artiodactyl family Bovidae that are indigenous to most of Africa, India, the Middle East, Central Asia, and a small area of Eastern Europe. Antelopes do not form a monophyletic group, as some antelopes are more closely related to other bovid groups, like bovines, goats, and sheep, than to other antelopes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nest</span> Place of refuge for animals

A nest is a structure built for certain animals to hold eggs or young. Although nests are most closely associated with birds, members of all classes of vertebrates and some invertebrates construct nests. They may be composed of organic material such as twigs, grass, and leaves, or may be a simple depression in the ground, or a hole in a rock, tree, or building. Human-made materials, such as string, plastic, cloth, or paper, may also be used. Nests can be found in all types of habitat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanitation</span> Public health conditions related to clean water and proper excreta and sewage disposal

Sanitation refers to public health conditions related to clean drinking water and treatment and disposal of human excreta and sewage. Preventing human contact with feces is part of sanitation, as is hand washing with soap. Sanitation systems aim to protect human health by providing a clean environment that will stop the transmission of disease, especially through the fecal–oral route. For example, diarrhea, a main cause of malnutrition and stunted growth in children, can be reduced through adequate sanitation. There are many other diseases which are easily transmitted in communities that have low levels of sanitation, such as ascariasis, cholera, hepatitis, polio, schistosomiasis, and trachoma, to name just a few.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal husbandry</span> Management of farm animals

Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, management, production, nutrition, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, starting with the Neolithic Revolution when animals were first domesticated, from around 13,000 BC onwards, predating farming of the first crops. By the time of early civilisations such as ancient Egypt, cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs were being raised on farms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Midden</span> Old dump for domestic waste

A midden is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, mollusc shells, potsherds, lithics, and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pit latrine</span> Toilet that collects human waste in a hole in the ground

A pit latrine, also known as pit toilet, is a type of toilet that collects human waste in a hole in the ground. Urine and feces enter the pit through a drop hole in the floor, which might be connected to a toilet seat or squatting pan for user comfort. Pit latrines can be built to function without water or they can have a water seal. When properly built and maintained, pit latrines can decrease the spread of disease by reducing the amount of human feces in the environment from open defecation. This decreases the transfer of pathogens between feces and food by flies. These pathogens are major causes of infectious diarrhea and intestinal worm infections. Infectious diarrhea resulted in about 700,000 deaths in children under five years old in 2011 and 250 million lost school days. Pit latrines are a low-cost method of separating feces from people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saiga antelope</span> Species of antelope

The saiga antelope, or saiga, is a species of antelope which during antiquity inhabited a vast area of the Eurasian steppe, spanning the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains in the northwest and Caucasus in the southwest into Mongolia in the northeast and Dzungaria in the southeast. During the Pleistocene, it ranged across the mammoth steppe from the British Isles to Beringia. Today, the dominant subspecies only occurs in Kalmykia and Astrakhan Oblast of Russia and in the Ural, Ustyurt and Betpak-Dala regions of Kazakhstan. A portion of the Ustyurt population migrates south to Uzbekistan and occasionally to Turkmenistan in winter. It is regionally extinct in Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, China and southwestern Mongolia. The Mongolian subspecies occurs only in western Mongolia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dibatag</span> Genus of mammals

The dibatag, or Clarke's gazelle, is a medium-sized slender antelope native to Ethiopia and Somalia. Though not a true gazelle, it is similarly marked, with long legs and neck. It is often confused with the gerenuk due to their striking resemblance. The typical head-and-body length is about 103 to 117 cm. They stand up to about 80 to 90 cm. Male dibatag weigh between 20 and 35 kg, whereas females range from 22 and 29 kg. The length of the curved horns, present only on males, is typically between 10 and 25 cm. The upper parts are gray to fawn, while the dorsal and lateral areas are cinnamon to rufous. The underparts, rump and the insides of the legs are all white. While markings are visible on the face, there are none on the flanks or the buttocks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern woodrat</span> Species of rodent

The eastern woodrat, also known as the Florida woodrat or bush rat, is a pack rat native to the central and Eastern United States. It constructs large dens that may serve as nests for many generations and stores food in outlying caches for the winter. While widespread and not uncommon, it has declined or disappeared in several areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allegheny woodrat</span> Species of rodent

The Allegheny woodrat, is a species of "pack rat" in the genus Neotoma. Once believed to be a subspecies of the eastern woodrat, extensive DNA analysis has proven it to be a distinct species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nuisance wildlife management</span> Process of selective removal of problem individuals or populations of specific species of wildlife

Nuisance wildlife management is the selective removal of problem individuals or populations of specific species of wildlife. Other terms for the field include wildlife damage management, wildlife control, and animal damage control. Some wild animal species may get used to human presence, causing property damage or risking the transfer of diseases (zoonoses) to humans or pets. Many wildlife species coexist with humans very successfully, such as commensal rodents which have become more or less dependent on humans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dung midden</span>

Dung middens, also known as dung hills, are piles of dung that mammals periodically return to and build up. They are used as a form of territorial marker. A range of animals are known to use them including steenbok, hyrax, and rhinoceros. Other animals are attracted to middens for a variety of purposes, including finding food and locating mates. Some species, such as the dung beetle genus Dicranocara of the Richtersveld in South western Africa spend their whole lifecycle in close association with dung middens. Dung middens are also used in the field of Paleobotany, which relies on the fact that each ecosystem is characterized by certain plants, which in turn act as a proxy for climate. Dung middens are useful as they often contain pollen which means fossilized dung middens can be used in paleobotany to learn about past climates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mokala National Park</span> Reserve in the Plooysburg area south-west of Kimberley in the Northern Cape, South Africa

Mokala National Park is a reserve established in the Plooysburg area south-west of Kimberley in the Northern Cape, South Africa on 19 June 2007. The size of the park is 26,485 hectares. Mokala is the Setswana name for the magnificent camel thorn, a tree species typical of the arid western interior and common in the area. There is currently 70 km of accessible roads in the national park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pack rat</span> Genus of rodents

A pack rat or packrat, also called a woodrat or trade rat, are any species in the North and Central American rodent genus Neotoma. Pack rats have a rat-like appearance, with long tails, large ears, and large, black eyes. Pack rats are noticeably larger than deer mice, harvest mice, and grasshopper mice, and are usually somewhat larger than cotton rats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toilet</span> Piece of hardware for the collection or disposal of human excreta

A toilet is a piece of sanitary hardware that collects human urine and feces, and sometimes toilet paper, usually for disposal. Flush toilets use water, while dry or non-flush toilets do not. They can be designed for a sitting position popular in Europe and North America with a toilet seat, with additional considerations for those with disabilities, or for a squatting posture more popular in Asia, known as a squat toilet. In urban areas, flush toilets are usually connected to a sewer system; in isolated areas, to a septic tank. The waste is known as blackwater and the combined effluent, including other sources, is sewage. Dry toilets are connected to a pit, removable container, composting chamber, or other storage and treatment device, including urine diversion with a urine-diverting toilet.

<i>Hebeloma radicosum</i> Species of fungus

Hebeloma radicosum, commonly known as the rooting poison pie, is a species of agaric fungus in the family Hymenogastraceae. Fruit bodies (mushrooms) can be identified by the tapering root-like stipe base, as well as the almond-like odor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pail closet</span> Room used to dispose of human excreta

A pail closet or pail privy or dirt closet was a room used for the disposal of human excreta, under the "pail system" of waste removal. The "closet" was a small outhouse (privy) which contained a seat, underneath which a portable receptacle was placed. This bucket (pail), into which the user would defecate, was removed and emptied by the local authority on a regular basis. The contents, known euphemistically as night soil, would either be incinerated or composted into fertiliser.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Puhú</span> Historical native American village in California, US

Puhú was a major residential village in the Santa Ana Mountains shared by the Tongva, Acjachemen, Payómkawichum, and Serrano near Santiago Peak. The village resided approximately 600m above sea level in the upper areas of the Black Star Canyon. The village was at its height from the years 1220–1770. The village retained its multi-seasonal occupancy and economic and political systems up until its destruction and a communal massacre in 1832.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 McGreevy, Paul, ed. (2012). Equine Behavior: A Guide for Veterinarians and Equine Scientists (2nd ed.). Elsevier. p. 211. ISBN   978-0702043376.
  2. ↑ "Mammalogy", ISBN   0763762997, p. 562
  3. ↑ "On the Fruit Consumption of Eurasian Badger (Meles meles) (Mammalia: Mustelidae) during the Autumn Season in Sredna Gora Mountains (Bulgaria)" . Retrieved 2014-01-03.
  4. 1 2 3 "Giant prehistoric toilet unearthed", James Morgan, science reporter, BBC News , 28 November 2013
  5. 1 2 George B. Schaller, "The Deer and the Tiger", p. 164
  6. 1 2 3 4 "The role of small antelope in ecosystem functioning in the Matobo hills, Zimbabwe" Archived December 30, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  7. 1 2 Chase, B.M.; Meadows, M.E.; Scott, L.; Thomas, D.S.G.; Marais, E.; Sealy, J.; Reimer, P.J. (2009). "A record of rapid Holocene climate change preserved in hyrax middens from southwestern Africa". Geology. 37 (8): 703–706. Bibcode:2009Geo....37..703C. doi:10.1130/G30053A.1.
  8. 1 2 Sagara N, Senn-Irlet B, Marstad P (2006). "Establishment of the case of Hebeloma radicosum growth on the latrine of the wood mouse". Mycoscience. 47 (5): 263–8. doi:10.1007/s10267-006-0303-y. S2CID   85310185.
  9. ↑ Lee Curtis (2012). Queensland's Threatened Animals. Csiro Publishing. p. 224. ISBN   9780643104570 . Retrieved 2014-01-03.
  10. ↑ Dewey, Tanya. "ADW: Moloch horridus: INFORMATION". Animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu. Retrieved 2014-01-03.
  11. ↑ Sneddon I.A. Latrine use by the European rabbit (Oryctolagus-Cuniculus). J Mammal 1991;72:769–775 doi : 10.2307/1381841
  12. ↑ Yukie Sato, Yutaka Saito, "Nest Sanitation in Social Spider Mites: Interspecific Differences in Defecation Behavior", doi : 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2005.01184.x
  13. ↑ "Livestock grazing behavior and inter- versus intraspecific disease risk via the fecal–oral route"
  14. ↑ "Inspecting for Raccoon Damage". Archived from the original on 2013-12-30. Retrieved 2013-12-30.
  15. ↑ "Nuisance Animals Around The Home". Archived from the original on 2013-10-23. Retrieved 2013-12-30.
  16. ↑ "Raccoon Latrines: Identification and Clean-up", a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention webpage
  17. ↑ "50,000 Year Old Animal Toilet Offers Clues To Climate Change History", International Business Times, February 19, 2013
  18. ↑ Sagara N, Ooyama J, Koyama M (2008). "New causal animal for the growth of Hebeloma radicosum (Agaricales): shrew, Sorex sp (Mammalia, Insectivora)". Mycoscience. 49 (3): 207–10. doi:10.1007/s10267-008-0407-7. S2CID   83999856.
  19. ↑ Jeremy Hollmann (1997). "Information Needed About the Aardvark Cucumber (Cucumis humofructus)". BGCNews. 2 (8). Archived from the original on 2015-02-11. Retrieved 2014-06-01.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.