Behaviors and nutritional importance of coprophagy in captive adult and young nutrias (Myocastor coypus)

To estimate the contribution of coprophagy to protein intake, we observed the behavior, particularly that associated with coprophagy, in adult and young captive nutrias (experiment 1), and analyzed chemical composition and amino acid composition, including diaminopimeric acid (DAP), an indication of bacterial-deprived protein, of soft feces, entire hard feces, and the black part and green part of hard feces (experiment 2). Nutrias practiced coprophagy 48 times per 24 h in adults, and 28 times in young animals, which not only had a 24-h rhythm but also had 1-h or 2-h short-term rhythms. Nutrias ingested food and drank water vigorously after sunset, following which they practiced coprophagy from midnight to morning, before lying down for much of the day. When coprophagy was prevented we sampled soft feces, produced from midnight to noon, which had high (P < 0.05) concentration of crude protein (CP), DAP on a dry matter (DM) basis and 13 amino acids on a 16 g N basis than hard feces, and had a low (P < 0.05) content of acid detergent fiber (ADF). CP was greater in the black part than the green part of hard feces (P < 0.05) although ADF was less (P < 0.05). The chemical composition of the black part of hard feces was not significantly different from that of soft feces. The dry weight of soft feces excreted in experiment 1 was 34.5 g and 9.7 g DM per 24 h in adult and young animals, respectively. Using this value, the contribution of soft feces to CP intake in adult nutrias was estimated as 16%, superior to that obtained in rabbits for a diet with similar ADF concentration. To Met and Lys intake the contribution of soft feces was 26% and 19%, respectively in adult animals. These results suggest that coprophagy is quite an effective manner for nutrias to ingest extra protein. Accepted: 10 January 1991