The discussion of waste or “poop” is one that many wish to avoid, mostly because, well, poop isn’t very pleasant, right? You may even be looking for some creative way to clean your pet’s poop. Well, as it turns out, there are some very interesting and sometimes even hilarious facts about animal poop that is worth a little discussion. Let’s explore some of the interesting animal poop facts that’ll leave you quite amused!
1. Cow Manure
Cow manure has had quite many uses over the course of human history, one of which is still used today. You can actually burn cow poop, either over a campfire or even on a grill, to keep mosquitos and flies away. While there are quite a number of different poops that can serve this purpose, cow poop is preferred for several reasons. One of those reasons is that cow dung doesn’t breed bacteria like most other animal feces; it’s actually quite safe to handle. The other reason is that when it dries, it is easy to transport and becomes quite odorless. It may sound gross, but it’s a method that has been used for thousands of years.
2. Monkeys Throw Poop
Monkeys have a bit of a bad habit: They like to throw their poop at things (and sometimes at people). They originally developed this behavior as a defense mechanism, because who wants to get animal feces flung at them? No one, that’s who, not even predators in the wild. The problem, though, is that over time, the monkeys began flinging poop as a way to cure their boredom. You see, despite their gross behaviors, monkeys are highly intelligent, with some species being so smart that they can even fly space shuttles, paint artwork, and even drive cars, which puts them even ahead of the curve for some humans.
3. Pigeons
Architects have a lot on their plate. They are responsible for designing buildings that must stand up to the test of time, and stand up to the weight of many humans entering the building without it collapsing. One thing that architects must take into account is the weight of animal droppings or more specifically, pigeon poop on the rooftop of skyscrapers. Pigeon poop, when in mass, can weigh quite a lot, even thousands of pounds. When an architect lays out the plans for their new building, the possibility of a thousand pounds of pigeon poop adding to the top-heaviness of their structure must be taken into account.
4. Poop Coffee
The most expensive coffee in the world is actually the product of animal poop. That’s right, a high-class beverage is made from poop. An animal called the Civet will eat the beans of coffee, but they won’t be digested as normal food will. Instead, they are passed in the Civet’s poop, and this fecal matter is collected, processed, and sold as a very expensive coffee bean for making what some consider to be the finest cup of Joe in the world.
5. Rats Poop Everywhere
Wild rats are generally unwelcome in civilized areas of the world, and with good reason. Now, don’t get us wrong here, rats can make wonderful pets. They’re smarter than most folks give them credit for, and they can even be trained. Wild rats, however, can carry many diseases and cause a lot of trouble in human cities. One major concern is that they poop all over the place. The reason for this is that they have an automatic response to being startled or scared. That response is to poop. They’ll poop at the slightest little disturbance of their habitat. This is fine in the fields or the forest, but in an urban landscape, it just causes too many problems.
6. Bees
A common misconception about honey is that it is bee poop, but the truth is that honey is actually bee vomit. It may be just as gross when we really dwell on it, but let’s face it, honey is delicious and good for you. So with that said, what comes out when bees poop? Well, it’s actually just a mixture of the sugary nectar that they most commonly eat. It’s not something that humans would want to consume, but it’s not too far off from being something along the lines of honey. In fact, some bee poop is present in the all natural honey that you find at your grocery store.
7. House Flies
House flies are in a constant state of pooping. Food goes in, is nearly instantly digested, and goes right back out. Grossly enough, they are also in a nearly constant state of vomiting, since their frontal excrements are a way of pre-digesting food before they consume it. If a fly lands on your arm, then it has already pooped and vomited on you. Gross, right?
8. Dog Mess
Dog poop, while natural, is actually an environmental pollutant in human civilization. It carries all sorts of nasty little things, such as tapeworms and other parasites. So even though dog poop occurs naturally, we should still dispose of it in urban areas.
9. Termites
Termite nests, after they’ve been fully constructed, wind up being a mount of continuously compounding poop. The termites will eat away at the woody substance and poop it out right on the spot. It’s a bit nasty to think about an entire homemade of poop, but that’s what it winds up being.
10. Cats
Cats have been known to poop outside of the litterbox just to show you how angry they are with you. While pooping outside of the litterbox can sometimes indicate a health issue and should be looked into, sometimes it’s just because the little guy is mad and that’s a way of asserting dominance. He’s showing you who’s boss, knowing that you’ll clean it up.