A Really Poopy Quiz

Answer: Dung beetle

The dung beetle is a type of scarab beetle that makes great use of what other animals leave behind. There are quite a few different varieties. While some use fecal matter for food, some only live in it. It is a great example of Mother Nature recycling.

Source: Wikipedia

Answer: Perfume

This substance is called hyraceum. The older the feces, the harder it becomes. This can take hundreds and sometimes thousands of years. Its fragrance is highly sought after in the world of perfume. It is described as having a mixture of scents, such as civet, tobacco, musk and agar wood. It is also thought to be an anticonvulsant.

Answer: Seed dispersal

The fecal matter of frugivores spreads plant seeds far and wide. This manner of dispersal is very effective as seeds that fall directly below the fruit plant are very unlikely to germinate and survive. Also seeds dispersed in this manner are also provided with their own fertilizer.

Answer: True

Some animals will eat their own feces in an attempt to garner further nutrition from hard to digest foods. It is not an uncommon practice. With elephants, the baby will eat the mother's fecal matter so that it can obtain certain bacteria required to digest vegetation. Elephants are not born with these bacteria and must obtain it from their mothers in this manner.

Answer: Bats

Guano usually comes from cave-dwelling bats, but some seabirds and seals droppings are also called guano. Because of its high levels of nitrates, guano is mined in many island countries around the world and is an important part of their economies. The harvesting of guano must be done with great care as many cave dwelling bats are very sensitive to any change in their environment.

Answer: Fossilized feces

A coprolite is simply fossilized feces. By examining coprolites that are found with animal fossils, scientists are able to ascertain the animal's diet, health, and sometimes the shape of the animal's digestive tract.

Answer: Divination

Many of the Tatar peoples practice Kumalak, which is a form of divination using sheep dung. This form of fortune-telling has been practiced for hundreds of years by Turkic peoples in the areas of Siberia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan as well as Mongolia. It involves using 41 pieces of sheep dung and separating them into piles. Each piece of dung is touched to the client's forehead which is believed to open the clients "third eye".

This allows the client to perceive the future and to open spiritual passages to contact ancestors.

Answer: Otter

The feces of many animals have special names used only for that animal. Spraint is an example of this. It is the word used for otter feces. Scientists study it to glean health, diet, and population count of animals in a given area. Spraint tends to be round and slimy and is known for its terrible odor.

Answer: True

Called the Bristol Stool Scale, and sometimes the Meyers Scale, this system was first published in 1997 in the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology. The scale breaks down human waste into seven types that depend on shape and hardness.

Answer: The coffee seeds are harvested from civet droppings

Kopi Luwak is known as one of the most expensive coffees in the world. The beans are eaten by civets which are small furry mammals the size of house cats. After digestion, the beans are expelled in the animal's fecal matter. The beans are then harvested and cleaned.

The beans are roasted and brewed using water. This coffee can be found in Java, Sumatra, and other islands in the Indonesian archipelago.

Answer: The Great Elephant Poo Poo Paper Company Ltd.

As surprising as it might seem, The Great Elephant Poo-Poo Paper Company Ltd. is a real business. On its website, the company has had an online "Poo-tique", that provides the shopper with many products including stationery, paper flowers, greeting cards, note books etc.

The company advises that one normal-size elephant turd makes 25 large sheets of paper. Oh, the things you learn on Funtrivia!

Answer: Nightingale Poop

The Japanese cosmetic treatment known as a Geisha facial involves the application of nightingale droppings (poop). Sometimes called a poo facial, this treatment has been featured on such television shows as "The Oprah Winfrey Show" (ABC), "The Today Show" (NBC), and "The Early Show" (CBS).

Answer: Human

Meconium is a human baby's first bowel movement. It contains the materials ingested while the baby was still in the mother's uterus. There are two other major differences between meconium and the subsequent bowel movements of all humans. The first is that meconium is sterile, and the second is that it has no odor. These conditions quickly change as any parent can tell you!

Answer: Floating on top of the water

Whale poop tends to be very fluffy and foamy in nature and floats on the top of the water. It is very important to the life cycle in the ocean as phytoplankton find it to be a very important food source. You might want to look at that beach foam next time you go for a swim.

Answer: False

This is an urban legend that can be found numerous places online. Under normal circumstances, with a healthy diet, most animals will not become constipated. Also, because I felt it was important for you to know, the average elephant bowel movement is about 70 lbs., or 32 kilos.