WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:01.800 Oh hi, welcome to smologies. 2 00:00:01.960 --> 00:00:03.120 What are smologies? 3 00:00:03.279 --> 00:00:03.560 Okay? 4 00:00:03.600 --> 00:00:07.839 So these are shorter, kid friendly versions of classic episodes. 5 00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:10.160 So we took them and we took all the swears out, 6 00:00:10.400 --> 00:00:13.160 nothing too racy. You can listen around kids, you can 7 00:00:13.199 --> 00:00:17.199 listen around your grandparents, perhaps, work colleagues, whatever. If you 8 00:00:17.199 --> 00:00:19.000 want the full length version of this episode, though, of course, 9 00:00:19.000 --> 00:00:20.280 it's going to be linked in the show notes. We 10 00:00:20.320 --> 00:00:24.079 also have more ssmologies up at alleywar dot com slash smologies. 11 00:00:24.199 --> 00:00:24.960 Okay, enjoy. 12 00:00:25.480 --> 00:00:28.000 Oh hey, it's your old internet dad here with an 13 00:00:28.039 --> 00:00:30.839 episode you've all just been chomping at the bit for. 14 00:00:31.199 --> 00:00:32.039 Will she go there? 15 00:00:32.079 --> 00:00:33.520 You wondered she went there? 16 00:00:33.719 --> 00:00:34.000 Boy? 17 00:00:34.520 --> 00:00:36.840 Howdy ditch she? But don't worry. Okay, this one it 18 00:00:36.880 --> 00:00:39.439 doesn't get too gross. I don't know what am I 19 00:00:39.439 --> 00:00:39.840 talking about. 20 00:00:39.880 --> 00:00:40.560 It's so gross. 21 00:00:40.679 --> 00:00:43.719 It's an entire episode on animal poo and sometimes ours 22 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:46.719 because we are, after all, animals. But I tried to 23 00:00:46.719 --> 00:00:50.039 just keep it as informative and as illuminating as an 24 00:00:50.200 --> 00:00:53.840 entire episode on animal excrement can be. Let's just roll 25 00:00:53.920 --> 00:00:57.079 up our sleeves and just dive right into it. Scatology 26 00:00:57.159 --> 00:01:01.560 it comes from the Greek for feces welcome. Scatology is 27 00:01:01.560 --> 00:01:05.319 a scientific study or the chemical analysis of feces, while 28 00:01:05.400 --> 00:01:10.879 coprology is scatology. What okay, So both same. So for 29 00:01:11.000 --> 00:01:14.879 this scatology episode, we talk a lot about zoo poofs, 30 00:01:15.120 --> 00:01:18.599 and in fact I got a VIP tour in which 31 00:01:18.719 --> 00:01:20.959 I saw a freezer that was kind of like a 32 00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:22.480 porta potty on Noah's art. 33 00:01:22.560 --> 00:01:27.959 The coolest thing about our labs maybe is our freezers. Yeah, 34 00:01:27.959 --> 00:01:31.640 this one might be locked, but you got a loop. 35 00:01:32.519 --> 00:01:34.439 Yeah, we keep our our freezers locked. 36 00:01:34.480 --> 00:01:38.480 So we have black Rhino, Pygmy hippo, red river hog who, 37 00:01:38.840 --> 00:01:40.760 we have our some of our octopus stuff in here. 38 00:01:40.959 --> 00:01:46.560 We have our Gravey zebra back during camels, our draft 39 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:51.319 or black bear, our Japanese macaque, pygmy Soloris, Diana monkey, 40 00:01:51.719 --> 00:01:55.560 it Tamaron polar bear. That's just what lives in this freezer. 41 00:01:55.599 --> 00:01:57.920 Now I have thirteen others. We're gonna go all around 42 00:01:57.920 --> 00:01:58.719 the zoom. We're gonna go. 43 00:01:58.640 --> 00:01:59.319 Through this one for you. 44 00:02:00.359 --> 00:02:01.439 It's a real poop party. 45 00:02:01.480 --> 00:02:01.840 I love that. 46 00:02:01.920 --> 00:02:03.680 It's like, hey, no food or drinking here. You're like, 47 00:02:03.719 --> 00:02:04.400 don't worry about it. 48 00:02:05.120 --> 00:02:08.960 So this ologist has earned the nickname Doctor poop. She 49 00:02:09.039 --> 00:02:11.599 wears it with pride. So we took a seat and 50 00:02:11.639 --> 00:02:15.759 we talked all about tiny poos, giant poos, pebble poos, 51 00:02:15.960 --> 00:02:20.520 pet poos, wombat bricks, and how and why this animal 52 00:02:20.520 --> 00:02:26.199 scientist and conservationist analyzes the feces of countless species and 53 00:02:26.759 --> 00:02:27.439 loves it. 54 00:02:27.520 --> 00:02:29.840 So please curl up for the scoop. 55 00:02:29.680 --> 00:02:34.680 On this rare science with scatologist Doctor Poop aka doctor 56 00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:37.919 Rachel Santomeyerlogo. 57 00:02:44.360 --> 00:02:53.199 Alogy, milogy, knowlogies. 58 00:02:53.560 --> 00:02:55.639 If you could tell me your personal last name Rachel 59 00:02:55.680 --> 00:02:57.000 Santa Meyer, got it? 60 00:02:57.560 --> 00:03:02.000 Aka doctor Poop? How long have you been doctor Poop? 61 00:03:02.719 --> 00:03:08.039 I've been doctor Poop for thirteen years. I guess yeah. 62 00:03:08.120 --> 00:03:09.400 My parents are so proud. 63 00:03:10.840 --> 00:03:14.199 Hey, the doctor in front of anything is great. 64 00:03:14.520 --> 00:03:18.879 And then how many samples of pooh do you think 65 00:03:18.919 --> 00:03:21.520 you have in your seventeen freeze? 66 00:03:22.199 --> 00:03:25.520 In general, we do about eight to ten thousand samples 67 00:03:25.520 --> 00:03:30.680 a year. Ooh, smutch, So that's about, you know, one 68 00:03:30.759 --> 00:03:33.159 hundred and thirty thousand samples. 69 00:03:33.479 --> 00:03:34.240 Let's get gross. 70 00:03:34.479 --> 00:03:37.759 Let's zoom in and discuss what doodo really is other 71 00:03:37.800 --> 00:03:40.680 than something you usually do not want to look at closely. 72 00:03:41.080 --> 00:03:44.759 And now you've had your hands in every kind of pooh, 73 00:03:45.080 --> 00:03:48.919 I imagine from like geese to hippos to she does. 74 00:03:49.639 --> 00:03:50.759 What are some. 75 00:03:50.879 --> 00:03:54.319 Commonalities and what are some differences? Like what is stool? 76 00:03:54.560 --> 00:03:57.280 Is it mostly bacteria? Is it mostly fiber? 77 00:03:58.120 --> 00:03:58.240 Like? 78 00:03:58.319 --> 00:03:59.319 What what is it? 79 00:03:59.599 --> 00:04:02.479 Yeah, it's a combination of everything, right, is it's just 80 00:04:02.520 --> 00:04:06.039 the waste product of what we ate and what's in 81 00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:08.080 our system and so yeah, it has lots of bacteria, 82 00:04:08.120 --> 00:04:10.199 which are sort of our enemy for hormones because it 83 00:04:10.240 --> 00:04:12.080 continual us to break down the hormones if we don't 84 00:04:12.080 --> 00:04:14.719 get it in the freezer fast. When you look at 85 00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:18.560 all these different species like elephants or black rhinos which 86 00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:20.279 we have here at the zoo, it's like all fiber. 87 00:04:20.319 --> 00:04:22.399 You're like, how is there any pooh in this sample? 88 00:04:22.480 --> 00:04:24.839 Or is it just like cut up hay? You know 89 00:04:24.839 --> 00:04:26.800 it's say with the zebras and horses. You know, it's 90 00:04:26.839 --> 00:04:29.319 really like this looks just like hey, with some some 91 00:04:29.360 --> 00:04:32.399 poop smeared around it. But we can actually look at 92 00:04:32.399 --> 00:04:34.759 the poop when we get so familiar with our animals 93 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:37.639 here at the zoo, our staff can see the poop 94 00:04:37.639 --> 00:04:40.680 samples and know when the staff have accidentally mixed up 95 00:04:40.720 --> 00:04:43.879 the bags because you know, they all look like certain 96 00:04:44.560 --> 00:04:48.199 sometimes food item or not, but like talk and poo 97 00:04:48.319 --> 00:04:51.279 kind of looks like little olives. And our different females 98 00:04:51.319 --> 00:04:53.839 had like different shapes and size olives, so we knew 99 00:04:53.839 --> 00:04:55.920 when they kind of mix them up. You know, the 100 00:04:56.720 --> 00:05:00.279 camels they have like golf balls, they have golf ball poop. 101 00:05:00.439 --> 00:05:02.639 But the rhinos, of course have the bowling ball, right, 102 00:05:02.680 --> 00:05:04.759 and so we don't get we don't necessarily get the 103 00:05:04.759 --> 00:05:07.720 bowling balls. We get part of the bowling balls. But yeah, 104 00:05:07.959 --> 00:05:08.800 very fibrous. 105 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:12.000 This imagery will stay on my mind for a while. 106 00:05:12.199 --> 00:05:16.480 And then you know, the the apes and the primates. 107 00:05:16.480 --> 00:05:18.040 You know, that's just a whole other story. 108 00:05:18.079 --> 00:05:19.879 But is that more like human? 109 00:05:20.199 --> 00:05:22.560 Yeah, it's more like human. It's definitely more Well, I 110 00:05:22.600 --> 00:05:25.000 can't say that because the male black rhino feces is 111 00:05:25.040 --> 00:05:28.519 pretty stinky. They use a lot of pheromones and odor 112 00:05:28.560 --> 00:05:33.000 cues for communication because they're solitary animals. So but yeah, 113 00:05:33.639 --> 00:05:35.480 I think one of the worst samples I've had in 114 00:05:35.480 --> 00:05:37.639 my lab was actually my own dog's poop. You just 115 00:05:37.959 --> 00:05:41.639 really wow, you're just like, you know, the doors get closed, 116 00:05:41.759 --> 00:05:44.360 you know from the staff that work on their computers 117 00:05:44.439 --> 00:05:47.720 versus the fecal lab staff, you know, or when we 118 00:05:47.759 --> 00:05:50.160 do the polar bear, it's a lot of like fish 119 00:05:50.240 --> 00:05:51.720 and stuff that is pretty stinky. 120 00:05:52.040 --> 00:05:55.879 Okay, So in a herd of giraffes or a pride 121 00:05:55.959 --> 00:06:00.839 of lions, or a party of orangutangs, I don't know. 122 00:06:00.879 --> 00:06:02.360 I'm just gonna hope that a group of a range 123 00:06:02.439 --> 00:06:06.240 tanks is called a party. Actually, hold on, Okay, I 124 00:06:06.279 --> 00:06:09.240 just looked it up and it's a congress of orangutangs, 125 00:06:09.360 --> 00:06:11.600 which wow, I wish our congresses worked like that. 126 00:06:11.800 --> 00:06:13.360 But anyway, I know you. 127 00:06:13.360 --> 00:06:18.399 Mentioned a little bit about bowling ball rhino poo, which 128 00:06:18.480 --> 00:06:20.519 is I'm still boggled by. Does it really come out 129 00:06:20.560 --> 00:06:21.199 like a bowling ball? 130 00:06:21.240 --> 00:06:23.680 It does, yes. And then I don't know if you've 131 00:06:23.720 --> 00:06:25.639 ever seen a dog do this where they scrape their 132 00:06:25.680 --> 00:06:28.120 back legs after they go to the bathroom. Yes, that's 133 00:06:28.160 --> 00:06:32.079 a sign of territoriality. They're marking their territory, and rhinos 134 00:06:32.120 --> 00:06:36.720 do that. But they purposely step in their feces and 135 00:06:36.759 --> 00:06:39.759 then they walk away because that's how they mark their territory. 136 00:06:39.959 --> 00:06:43.240 They have these little latrines called mittens where they come by, 137 00:06:43.519 --> 00:06:46.560 they defecate, they stop in it, they scrape in it 138 00:06:46.560 --> 00:06:48.120 and they walk away rude. 139 00:06:48.600 --> 00:06:52.199 Wow. Wow wow. I don't know what your phone's data 140 00:06:52.240 --> 00:06:54.399 plan is, but if you get a hot second, feel 141 00:06:54.439 --> 00:06:57.639 free to google rhino pooping and you will find we 142 00:06:57.680 --> 00:07:00.800 are in good company with hundreds of thousands of people. So. 143 00:07:01.040 --> 00:07:05.759 One video by YouTuber zagif zelion Off shows the moment 144 00:07:06.160 --> 00:07:09.600 that a San Diego zoo rhino turns its posterior to 145 00:07:09.639 --> 00:07:14.120 the crowd, lifts a tail, and averts its floopy pink 146 00:07:14.279 --> 00:07:25.879 poop shoot ooops, letting rumble fourth a dozen wet cannon 147 00:07:25.959 --> 00:07:30.519 balls of mashed and digested Hey, a little liquid trickle 148 00:07:30.560 --> 00:07:32.800 at the end, kind of like a delicate bough. And 149 00:07:33.839 --> 00:07:39.680 when it comes to smells, why are some so distinct. 150 00:07:41.079 --> 00:07:43.800 It's because of what they eat. Yeah, yeah, so I 151 00:07:43.800 --> 00:07:45.800 don't know what I'm feeding my one dog and me. 152 00:07:45.959 --> 00:07:50.480 Also just be the bacteria and they're gut microbes that 153 00:07:50.519 --> 00:07:55.839 are causing this smell. But yes, there, it's definitely related 154 00:07:55.879 --> 00:07:56.959 to food and bacteria. 155 00:07:57.800 --> 00:08:00.439 And now when you're doing your lab work, I've seen 156 00:08:00.480 --> 00:08:04.240 pictures of you. You're you're swabbing, you're cutting things, You're 157 00:08:04.480 --> 00:08:08.160 you're stirring them with what looks like a tiny immersion blender. 158 00:08:09.399 --> 00:08:12.600 I call it a special test tube blender. Yes, a homogenizer. 159 00:08:12.879 --> 00:08:15.439 A homogenizer is the word, yes, is the science word 160 00:08:15.439 --> 00:08:16.879 for it. But it's really like if you were going 161 00:08:16.920 --> 00:08:18.480 to froth up like a lot exactly. 162 00:08:18.560 --> 00:08:20.759 I tell people that's our field methods. I said, do 163 00:08:20.879 --> 00:08:23.079 not use this to make mixed drinks. This is just 164 00:08:23.319 --> 00:08:26.319 for feces. Let's keep it separate. Yes, totally. 165 00:08:26.759 --> 00:08:29.959 What's your pure l routine? Do you have a hand 166 00:08:30.040 --> 00:08:33.279 sanitizer preference or is it like do you become desensitized 167 00:08:33.320 --> 00:08:34.080 like Boo's pooh. 168 00:08:34.279 --> 00:08:35.399 Fine, you have to. 169 00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:39.879 Be careful because there are diseases and feces, parasites, viruses, 170 00:08:40.039 --> 00:08:43.960 and so we had to periodically remind people that this 171 00:08:44.159 --> 00:08:46.159 is feces and you have to be careful, and so 172 00:08:46.240 --> 00:08:49.600 we have we have lots of protocols. You never, even 173 00:08:49.600 --> 00:08:51.840 in your office eat anything that's hit the ground. There's 174 00:08:51.879 --> 00:08:56.679 no five second roll around us, for sure. But yeah, 175 00:08:56.840 --> 00:08:59.080 we have a dirty lab and we keep feces in 176 00:08:59.120 --> 00:09:01.679 a certain place and it has to be either blocked 177 00:09:01.720 --> 00:09:04.360 in a bag to be in another place, but or 178 00:09:04.440 --> 00:09:06.480 it's in this in the fecal lab. So we have 179 00:09:06.600 --> 00:09:09.600 these strict rules to make sure that we don't have 180 00:09:09.679 --> 00:09:13.480 any contamination, any spread of diseases and stuff. So it's 181 00:09:13.519 --> 00:09:16.519 really important actually because you know, it still is poop 182 00:09:16.600 --> 00:09:18.919 though we're pretty desensitized to it. 183 00:09:19.000 --> 00:09:21.879 Do you think that's where the kind of wiring for 184 00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:26.360 shame around number two happens because it's easy to be 185 00:09:26.440 --> 00:09:29.519 like I gotta go be, but you would never announce that, Like, 186 00:09:29.879 --> 00:09:32.840 are there certain animals? Does it happen more with primates 187 00:09:32.879 --> 00:09:35.320 or social animals that seem more embarrassed. 188 00:09:35.679 --> 00:09:39.279 I don't know about embarrassed, but you know they're what 189 00:09:39.360 --> 00:09:42.200 I call the elusive poopers, like cats who bury their 190 00:09:42.200 --> 00:09:45.039 feces right, they hide their feces, unlike you know, some 191 00:09:45.759 --> 00:09:48.039 ungulates like deer that may walk and poop at the 192 00:09:48.080 --> 00:09:50.720 same time. So you know, it just kind of really 193 00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:52.080 depends on the species. 194 00:09:52.200 --> 00:09:52.559 Mm hmm. 195 00:09:53.080 --> 00:09:53.519 Ps. 196 00:09:53.559 --> 00:09:57.320 I asked the Internet why humans are ashamed of their 197 00:09:57.360 --> 00:10:01.799 own poops and got back everything from are innate desired 198 00:10:01.799 --> 00:10:05.399 to avoid parasites because even deer and sheep and cows 199 00:10:05.519 --> 00:10:09.679 do not graze where they PLoP. To the Bible, so 200 00:10:09.840 --> 00:10:13.440 Deuteronomy twenty three to twelve, anyone quote you must have 201 00:10:13.519 --> 00:10:16.840 a place outside the camp to go and relieve yourself. 202 00:10:17.080 --> 00:10:19.600 And you must have a digging tool in your equipment 203 00:10:19.840 --> 00:10:22.039 so that when you relieve yourself, you can dig a 204 00:10:22.080 --> 00:10:25.399 hole and cover up your excrement. So yes, even God 205 00:10:25.720 --> 00:10:29.159 politely asked that you drop all deuces downwind and away 206 00:10:29.159 --> 00:10:30.120 from the camp kitchen. 207 00:10:30.159 --> 00:10:31.960 Okay, I have so many questions. 208 00:10:31.720 --> 00:10:33.960 From listeners that I'm holding off asking some of them 209 00:10:33.960 --> 00:10:35.759 because I know listeners want to ask them. So can 210 00:10:35.799 --> 00:10:36.960 I ask you Patreon questions? 211 00:10:37.039 --> 00:10:37.240 Sure? 212 00:10:37.279 --> 00:10:40.679 Okay, good, okay, But before your burning poop questions, a 213 00:10:40.759 --> 00:10:43.399 quick break. So each episode we donate to a charity 214 00:10:43.440 --> 00:10:46.039 of the ologists choosing, and the Lincoln Park Zoo of 215 00:10:46.120 --> 00:10:51.120 Chicago funds so much great conservation work and remains free 216 00:10:51.159 --> 00:10:52.679 to all visitors. 217 00:10:52.279 --> 00:10:52.960 Which rules. 218 00:10:53.200 --> 00:10:55.879 So Rachel aka Doctor Poop would like a donation to 219 00:10:55.879 --> 00:10:58.759 go to them. It's really beautiful campus, so do take 220 00:10:58.799 --> 00:11:01.960 a stroll around next time in the Windy City. So 221 00:11:02.039 --> 00:11:04.519 that donation was made possible by sponsors of the show, 222 00:11:04.559 --> 00:11:08.480 who you may hear about. Now, okay, let's get to 223 00:11:08.480 --> 00:11:09.080 your questions. 224 00:11:09.200 --> 00:11:10.440 The most popular. 225 00:11:10.120 --> 00:11:12.000 Question, I would say we got it was asked by 226 00:11:12.200 --> 00:11:17.240 Joe Weenenoffer, sid Rachel Weiss, Haley Hullings Paul Hancock, Jeffrey Doyle, 227 00:11:17.360 --> 00:11:20.679 Madeline Winter, Schmidty Thompson, Toby James, and then first time 228 00:11:20.759 --> 00:11:25.879 question askers Karen Elliott, Bennett Gerber, Kyle Torres and JJ Pierce. 229 00:11:27.159 --> 00:11:31.639 Everyone wants to know. Karen ELLIOT'SWARDZ says wombat poop square? 230 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:32.399 What was that about? 231 00:11:32.639 --> 00:11:33.039 How? 232 00:11:33.240 --> 00:11:34.039 Why? What? 233 00:11:34.600 --> 00:11:37.120 And Paul Hancock said, how do they make a square 234 00:11:37.159 --> 00:11:39.399 poop with what I assume is a round bum hoole? 235 00:11:41.360 --> 00:11:42.000 Wow? 236 00:11:42.480 --> 00:11:44.240 You know, I actually had no idea that it was 237 00:11:44.279 --> 00:11:47.559 square because we don't have a lot of Australian species here. 238 00:11:48.200 --> 00:11:49.519 Yeah, it's so weird. 239 00:11:49.600 --> 00:11:51.799 I think something must have gone viral on the internet 240 00:11:51.840 --> 00:11:53.879 like a few months ago, because I did not know 241 00:11:53.919 --> 00:11:55.200 the pooh square. 242 00:11:55.559 --> 00:11:57.960 Wow, I'll look it up. Yeah, isn't that crazy? 243 00:11:58.039 --> 00:11:58.200 Yeah? 244 00:11:58.240 --> 00:12:01.080 That is crazy because ouch, the corners. 245 00:12:00.840 --> 00:12:04.120 I know, I know they can't. 246 00:12:04.200 --> 00:12:06.639 And it doesn't like form when it hits the ground 247 00:12:06.679 --> 00:12:08.279 and be like, I. 248 00:12:08.639 --> 00:12:11.879 Don't know, I don't know, but I thought people were joshing, 249 00:12:12.080 --> 00:12:14.600 but apparently they're not. Of course, I'm gonna have your 250 00:12:14.600 --> 00:12:17.759 backside with an explanation. Here at Georgia Tech, scientist doctor 251 00:12:17.799 --> 00:12:22.240 Patricia Yang, a fellow scatologist lead authored on a paper 252 00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:26.200 titled how do wombats make cubed pooh? So they took 253 00:12:26.440 --> 00:12:30.720 the intestines of two wombats who died from vehicular womba 254 00:12:30.759 --> 00:12:34.879 side and as another author, David Who told Science News quote, 255 00:12:34.919 --> 00:12:38.480 we opened up those intestines like it was Christmas. So 256 00:12:38.759 --> 00:12:42.159 they found by blowing up balloons that in the last 257 00:12:42.200 --> 00:12:45.240 eight percent of the intestines water is absorbed and the 258 00:12:45.320 --> 00:12:48.279 lumps get dry and are shifted around in a way 259 00:12:48.279 --> 00:12:51.360 to compress one side and then the other, and then boop, 260 00:12:51.840 --> 00:12:55.759 very dry square peg shoots out of a round hole. 261 00:12:56.000 --> 00:12:58.399 They can pop out up to one hundred of these 262 00:12:58.440 --> 00:13:02.080 two centimeter suckers night, and they stack them up in 263 00:13:02.200 --> 00:13:05.159 piles to communicate to other wombats. 264 00:13:05.399 --> 00:13:06.240 What is life? 265 00:13:06.440 --> 00:13:07.200 A lot of people? 266 00:13:07.279 --> 00:13:10.960 Meghan King, Grace Lauren, Joe Farantino, Logan k Don Swart, 267 00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:14.840 Ryan Clark, and Emily Crook. First time question askers Emily 268 00:13:15.080 --> 00:13:20.240 and Joe They want to know why dogs love to 269 00:13:20.279 --> 00:13:24.879 snack on poo Why, Meghan King says, why do dogs 270 00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:27.600 enjoy eating cat poops so much? They treat them like 271 00:13:27.639 --> 00:13:32.159 I treat non perellas like candies. Also, non parrellas are 272 00:13:32.200 --> 00:13:35.720 those flattened chocolate kisses with sprinkles on one side, even 273 00:13:35.759 --> 00:13:38.679 though actually the little round sprinkles are the non perellas 274 00:13:38.840 --> 00:13:41.519 and in French that means without equal. But they look 275 00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:46.720 like a pile of colorful, hardshelled deer droppings on a microscale. 276 00:13:46.840 --> 00:13:50.519 But yes, why do dogs eat cat turds like they're candy? 277 00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:53.039 Do they know something we don't? 278 00:13:54.120 --> 00:13:56.960 Well, first of all, cat poo is really stinky, and 279 00:13:57.200 --> 00:13:59.240 there are you know, pretty much they're supposed to be 280 00:13:59.240 --> 00:14:02.759 straight carnivores, right, and so they I mean, it's all 281 00:14:02.799 --> 00:14:05.559 it's all about what they're eating, right, So and it 282 00:14:05.639 --> 00:14:09.320 smells so good, so you know, to their dog, of course, 283 00:14:10.440 --> 00:14:12.200 I think it's just I think it's just older. And 284 00:14:12.240 --> 00:14:15.039 then you know, dogs maybe like to be a little 285 00:14:15.080 --> 00:14:21.480 bad sometimes. But there is some evolutionary history to feces eating, 286 00:14:21.759 --> 00:14:26.799 especially with a female with her litter, because they they 287 00:14:26.879 --> 00:14:30.720 want to conceal their litter, so they'll actually eat the feces. 288 00:14:30.799 --> 00:14:35.840 And then when before the pups can really do anything 289 00:14:35.879 --> 00:14:38.799 on their own, they lick their heine right to cause 290 00:14:38.840 --> 00:14:41.399 them to urinate and defecate, and then the moms eat it. 291 00:14:42.000 --> 00:14:44.519 So it's really it's really I don't know if more 292 00:14:44.600 --> 00:14:48.720 females do it than male dogs, but they there is 293 00:14:48.759 --> 00:14:53.159 a reason why they would eat feces. Now the other species, 294 00:14:53.240 --> 00:14:56.120 like my dogs eat worset poop, they eat rabbit poop, 295 00:14:56.200 --> 00:14:58.360 they eat dog poop. They I mean, it's terrible. I 296 00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:02.279 just you know, it's just really gross, especially when they burp, 297 00:15:02.639 --> 00:15:06.440 you know, and they're just like, oh, but anyway, so 298 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:10.360 there is a reason why, you know, the history of it, 299 00:15:10.399 --> 00:15:12.600 they at least history of it. So it's to conceal 300 00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:14.240 they're dead. 301 00:15:14.679 --> 00:15:18.039 And then other patrons have the question and I will 302 00:15:18.159 --> 00:15:21.279 list their names later. Okay, now is later, and first 303 00:15:21.320 --> 00:15:25.200 time question askers Kyle Wilkinson and Ashley Curtin and Elliott 304 00:15:25.200 --> 00:15:28.240 Warden want to know why do some species of animals 305 00:15:28.320 --> 00:15:31.919 eat their own like twice, like lagomorphs like rabbits, and 306 00:15:32.360 --> 00:15:34.440 certain animals are like, let's have it a gown. 307 00:15:34.639 --> 00:15:37.519 Yeah, So rabbits have two types of feces they have 308 00:15:38.240 --> 00:15:42.960 they defecate out vitamins and minerals, and so they had 309 00:15:43.000 --> 00:15:46.120 to actually eat that in order to absorb it. I'm 310 00:15:46.159 --> 00:15:47.840 not sure if they have to. I don't know the 311 00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:50.639 whole biology behind it. If they have to actually like 312 00:15:50.720 --> 00:15:52.799 their body has to break it down a little bit 313 00:15:52.799 --> 00:15:55.240 before they can actually ingest it, so they. 314 00:15:55.039 --> 00:15:55.639 Have to eat. 315 00:15:56.080 --> 00:15:58.360 They have to eat it. Then then they have another 316 00:15:58.440 --> 00:16:00.480 kind of defecation, which is like the waste product. 317 00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:01.440 Man. 318 00:16:01.480 --> 00:16:04.960 I wonder if they're excited because they are their own 319 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:08.039 vending machine, or if they're like, why do we have 320 00:16:08.120 --> 00:16:10.559 to eat your own? Why no one else has the 321 00:16:10.559 --> 00:16:12.399 eat their own other than some of us, Like, I 322 00:16:12.440 --> 00:16:13.399 wonder this good thing? 323 00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:17.879 We're so cute. I mean, you know, I don't know 324 00:16:17.919 --> 00:16:22.039 why why that would be. And except for their digestive 325 00:16:22.080 --> 00:16:25.159 system maybe is not as efficient or you know, able 326 00:16:25.200 --> 00:16:27.559 to absorb some of those nutrients. Yeah, so they have 327 00:16:27.639 --> 00:16:28.679 to you know, eat it. 328 00:16:28.840 --> 00:16:32.559 Yeah, boop, it's leftovers. Yeah, am odd. 329 00:16:32.559 --> 00:16:34.440 First time question asker wants to know how full of 330 00:16:34.480 --> 00:16:37.440 poop are we exactly? At any given point in time? 331 00:16:37.519 --> 00:16:39.879 Do you think, Wow, how much poop is in us? 332 00:16:40.039 --> 00:16:42.360 I can't remember how long the intestence is, like one 333 00:16:42.440 --> 00:16:45.440 hundred and twenty feet or something ridiculous. And so if 334 00:16:45.480 --> 00:16:49.399 you're not eating a lot of table, you know, they 335 00:16:49.440 --> 00:16:50.519 could be in there for a while. 336 00:16:50.559 --> 00:16:54.159 I think, so, Yeah, isn't it crazy to think whenever 337 00:16:54.200 --> 00:16:56.120 you're just like sitting in to get a party that 338 00:16:56.159 --> 00:16:58.240 there's a ton of poo there. 339 00:16:57.960 --> 00:16:59.279 But it's just in bodies. 340 00:16:59.639 --> 00:17:01.879 Just I try not to think about it, especially you know, 341 00:17:02.200 --> 00:17:03.919 on the airplane when you're all stuck. 342 00:17:04.119 --> 00:17:06.240 Oh, yeah, I was on an airplane this morning. 343 00:17:06.319 --> 00:17:08.279 Yes, oh thought about that. 344 00:17:08.480 --> 00:17:11.160 M m ps. I looked this up and for every 345 00:17:11.279 --> 00:17:14.119 one hundred pounds of body weight, you make about a 346 00:17:14.160 --> 00:17:16.559 half pound of solid waste a day. 347 00:17:16.799 --> 00:17:17.000 Oh. 348 00:17:17.119 --> 00:17:20.799 Sidgapujar wants to know does any animal have nice smelling poop? 349 00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:29.200 Actually, yes, yeah, the giant panda has poo that smells 350 00:17:29.240 --> 00:17:32.720 like tea. They're eating bamboo. It literally smells like tea. 351 00:17:32.759 --> 00:17:36.799 When you know, here we were, we freeze dry poop sometimes, 352 00:17:37.160 --> 00:17:43.359 and some lucky scientists was freezed drying his giant panda 353 00:17:43.400 --> 00:17:46.240 poo while I was freeze drying my fishing catpoo. Look, 354 00:17:46.920 --> 00:17:51.240 so yes, uh, giant panda smells like tea. 355 00:17:51.720 --> 00:17:54.279 Casey Newhaven wants to know what's up with corn and 356 00:17:54.319 --> 00:17:58.960 why don't we properly digest it? And uh so another 357 00:17:58.960 --> 00:18:01.160 person had the same question, which is hilarious. 358 00:18:02.079 --> 00:18:04.400 Yeah, a lot of a lot of species. I don't 359 00:18:04.400 --> 00:18:07.640 know if it's just like the fiber the cellular nature 360 00:18:07.680 --> 00:18:11.680 of corn that makes it not as digestible without being processed, 361 00:18:12.480 --> 00:18:14.559 but we use it to mark a lot of feces, 362 00:18:14.640 --> 00:18:17.519 and not a lot of animals can digest corn. 363 00:18:17.440 --> 00:18:20.640 So really Yeah, Melissa Cross had that question too. So 364 00:18:20.799 --> 00:18:24.160 it's so if you see kernels, there's nothing wrong with you. 365 00:18:24.400 --> 00:18:25.720 Yeah, there's nothing wrong with you at all. 366 00:18:25.880 --> 00:18:26.279 Maybe. 367 00:18:26.440 --> 00:18:26.960 Yeah. 368 00:18:27.440 --> 00:18:30.400 This next one was asked by Isabel b Holper and Wing, 369 00:18:30.720 --> 00:18:36.240 Christina Weaver Joe Weinhoffer, like, why do animals have such 370 00:18:36.240 --> 00:18:40.519 different shapes? Why do rabbits poop pebbles? And uh and 371 00:18:40.720 --> 00:18:43.400 others are bigger ones, Like what's going on there? 372 00:18:43.480 --> 00:18:43.680 Oh? 373 00:18:43.720 --> 00:18:45.599 You know, I've been asked that question before. I should 374 00:18:45.720 --> 00:18:47.359 should have looked it up. But yeah, they all have 375 00:18:47.519 --> 00:18:50.839 their different shapes, and like I said, we even individuals 376 00:18:50.880 --> 00:18:53.440 have their own special kind of shapes, you know, like 377 00:18:53.559 --> 00:18:58.200 horses kind of have the kidney bean shape and then 378 00:18:58.240 --> 00:19:01.359 there's pellets and it must be related to their diet. 379 00:19:02.119 --> 00:19:04.599 They cause thems to do that and the passage rate 380 00:19:04.720 --> 00:19:05.680 through the gut system. 381 00:19:05.839 --> 00:19:08.519 Yeah, okay, I look this up in One theory of 382 00:19:08.599 --> 00:19:11.680 pebble poos is that the more likely an animal is 383 00:19:11.720 --> 00:19:14.240 to be prey, the more risky it is to go 384 00:19:14.279 --> 00:19:16.799 take a drink of water, and the more water their 385 00:19:16.839 --> 00:19:21.240 body wants to conserve, producing number twos that are separate 386 00:19:21.400 --> 00:19:22.960 heart lumps like nuts. 387 00:19:23.119 --> 00:19:23.759 Is that nuts? 388 00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:27.720 Okay? Last questions, I always ask what do you love 389 00:19:27.799 --> 00:19:30.880 about your job as a feces researcher the. 390 00:19:30.799 --> 00:19:36.400 Most, the most job. It's really it's really that I 391 00:19:36.400 --> 00:19:40.119 can say I'm making a difference. We're making a difference 392 00:19:40.160 --> 00:19:44.480 with conserving wildlife, whether it's you know, small amphibians that 393 00:19:44.519 --> 00:19:47.440 don't get a lot of attension or ferrets. You know, 394 00:19:47.519 --> 00:19:49.359 this is, like I said, one of the rarest mammals 395 00:19:49.359 --> 00:19:51.799 we have here in North America, and you know I 396 00:19:51.839 --> 00:19:53.759 work on a couple of those, and it's just like 397 00:19:53.880 --> 00:19:57.359 we we are figuring out, we're finding out why they're 398 00:19:57.359 --> 00:20:01.759 having issues breeding or you know, even the year at 399 00:20:01.759 --> 00:20:04.680 the zoo when our animals are just you know, it's 400 00:20:04.799 --> 00:20:07.480 very difficult to put them together. Working with the managers 401 00:20:08.200 --> 00:20:11.079