caecotrophy

== English == === Alternative forms === cecotrophy === Etymology === From caecum + -trophy. === Noun === caecotrophy (uncountable) (biology) In certain mammals, especially rabbits and other lagomorphs, the consumption of food pellets which are naturally produced by means of digestion, retention in the caecum, and expulsion through the anus. Hypernym: coprophagy 2008, A. Belenguer et al., "Alternative methodologies to estimate ingestion of caecotrophes in growing rabbits," Livestock Science, vol. 115, no.1, p. 13, The second group (T-2: 6 rabbits) was also fed the labelled diet but only during the last ten days of the fattening period when animals were fitted a neck collar to prevent caecotrophy. ==== Related terms ==== caecotroph caecotrophagic caecotrophic === See also === reingestion