10 animals for which feces are a means of survival and protection (12 photos)

We all survive as best we can. Some animals, for example, have adapted to use their own and others' excrement to survive. They use them for camouflage, protection from predators, to saturate the body with necessary nutrients, regulate their body temperature and for other useful purposes. Let's see which animals thrive in their habitat thanks to these processes.





1. Shoebill bird



Shoebill is an unusual bird of the pelican order that lives in Africa. These large birds can grow up to 1-1.5 m. Their iconic feature is a huge beak, with which the birds can easily grab and eat large prey: lungfish, eels, tilapia, snakes and even baby crocodiles. Shoebills are adapted to survive in high African temperatures, and to do this they have a secret “cooling” mechanism. When these birds excrete liquid feces, it coats their long legs and evaporates, cooling the skin. This is how shoebills can withstand high temperatures.

2. Pikas





Pikas are mammals from the order Lagomorpha, living in the mountains of North America and Asia. One species of these animals, the black-lipped pika, lives on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in northwestern China, where winter temperatures can reach -29°C. How do these little ones live in the cold? They adapted to low temperatures by slowing down their metabolism by 30%. In addition, since there are no plants in winter, they feed on yak droppings to provide the body with the necessary nutrients.

3. Cassowaries



Cassowaries are flightless birds native to the tropical forests and wetlands of Australia, New Guinea and surrounding islands. They are considered the most dangerous birds in the world - due to their huge claws, which can easily cut even large prey. They also have another superpower - cassowaries can eat toxic fruits and seeds that would poison other animals. It's all down to their stomach enzymes, unusually active livers and short digestive tracts. These birds consume the fruits of 238 different plant species, and most of the seeds are not completely digested. Therefore, cassowary excrement is also beneficial for the environment and is an excellent fertilizer. Thanks to them, seeds are distributed over long distances throughout tropical forests.

4. Shield carriers



Shield beetles are beetles measuring 5-12 mm in length. Many species of these amazing beetles have the ability to change their shell from glossy to matte, or from one color to another in a few seconds. For example, the golden beetle may change its color to red or golden orange, and even add black spots. Their main defense against predators is a durable exoskeleton.

Another unusual feature is that these beetles use their feces to create an umbrella-like structure for protection from predators. Such an umbrella is pictured below. The larva can even change the position of the umbrella as needed if a predator approaches. Everyone survives as best they can!



5. Vulture



Vultures are found in Southern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and parts of North Africa. These birds mainly feed on carrion. But due to the insufficient content of carotenoids in their body, the diet of vultures also includes cow, sheep and goat droppings. Thanks to it, they receive the necessary nutrients, which, by the way, color their beak and skin yellowish. Such a bright color can help males impress the female, or intimidate competitors.

6. Opossums



These marsupials live in South and North America. They have a varied diet: fruits, snakes, mice, rats, ticks, cockroaches and even poisonous snakes. Opossums have a short lifespan, typically living 2-4 years. In nature and urban environments, they can be hunted by owls, coyotes, bobcats, foxes and domestic dogs. To protect themselves, they developed one clever method. These animals play dead, defecate, and secrete green mucus with a strong odor from their anal glands. When predators approach the opossum, they think it is dead and lose interest in it. And after a while the possum itself “comes to life” and goes about its business.

7. Baleen whales



All baleen whales feed on krill. And whale feces are one of the richest iron substances in the ocean. When these whales eat and digest krill, their feces are spread throughout the ocean and can rise to the surface of the water. Due to photosynthesis, tiny phytoplankton appear there, which the krill then feed on. It turns out to be a whole circle of life. Thus, baleen whales both fertilize the ocean and contribute to the appearance of phytoplankton.

8. Koalas



Koalas live in the eucalyptus forests of south-eastern and eastern Australia, and consume more than 450g of eucalyptus leaves daily. Although eucalyptus leaves contain toxic compounds, koalas have a strong digestive system that digests it all. The eucalyptus toxins are then excreted in the koalas' urine and feces. These bears have been accustomed to such a system since childhood. At 30 weeks of age, they begin to eat their mother's excrement, which consists of pulp and semi-digested eucalyptus leaves. This process allows the koala to obtain the necessary gut bacteria needed to further digest the eucalyptus. Without this they would not have survived.

9. Swallow flower beetle



Swallow flower beetles are found throughout mainland Australia, and on some islands further north. These birds feed on nectar, pollen, insects and spiders, but their main food is the berries of mistletoe, an evergreen shrubby plant. Flower beetles do not have a part of the stomach designed for grinding food, so within 25 minutes after eating, the birds defecate the sticky seeds of the mistletoe berries intact. Mistletoe is a semi-parasitic shrub, so this helps the plant spread to other places. Thus, flower beetles take an important part in seed dispersal.

10. Hell's Vampire Squid



The Hell Vampire Squid or Hell Vampire (yes, that's what it's called) is a deep-sea cephalopod that shares characteristics with both squid and octopus. They live at depths of 609 to 914 meters in temperate and tropical waters of the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian Oceans. At such depths it is not so easy to find prey - but the vampire has adapted to survival. Unlike their relatives, they do not feed on living organisms. They eat decaying organic materials, carrion - including the bodies of crustaceans, zooplankton feces, fish scales, and the remains of jellyfish. For this reason, the vampire squid is called the “garbage disposer of the ocean.”