For cleanliness, most people reluctantly pick up their pet’s waste. However, Dr. Romane Cristescu, a self-described poo science advocate, takes great pleasure in finding brand-new animal waste.
She claims that academics might learn more about elusive species by examining the traces left behind by nature.
She said on ABC RN’s Counterpoint that “a lot of the time, we end up hunting for the symptoms of them, and frequently that is in poo or scat.”
Koalas are studied by Dr. Cristescu, a research fellow in ecology at the University of the Sunshine Coast, by looking at their feces.
She claims that by detecting the genetic material present, “poo and spews” might provide crucial details about an animal’s nutrition and general health.
She continues by saying that feces is another way animals communicate.
“Their feces contain odors indicating whether they are male or female and ready to reproduce. I’m a big lad; stay away from me, etc.,” says Dr. Cristescu.
Other species, like the hippopotamus, employ a more dispersed method while marking their area, in contrast to most mammals.
She claims that when a hippo poop, “they supposedly disperse the crap all over, up to 10 meters,” with their tail moving like a helicopter.
Repulsive Behavior of Animals
Poo, Spew and Other Gross Things Animals Do is a children’s book Dr. Cristescu co-wrote with novelist Nic Gill to spark more young people’s interest in science.
Their investigation revealed that animals occasionally have amusing self-defense mechanisms.
Dr. Cristescu tells the tale of Keri Wilk, who spotted a sperm whale in 2015 while scuba diving off the coast of Dominica in the Caribbean.
“When [Mr. Wilk] got close to a whale and began spitting tons of waste. It quickly twisted on itself till the excrement covered the entire space and caused it to vanish, “she claims.
“Unfortunately, the snorkeler was now in a sea poo rather than a lovely, clean, blue ocean.”
Following the incident, Mr. Wilk told the BBC that he believed the whale’s “poo-nado” was a kind of protection.
Some peculiar traits of animals have evolved as a result of self-defense.
Consider the bird-dropping spider as an illustration. Dr. Cristescu claims that it exploits the power of poop to evade predators.
“It appears to be unpleasant. Its name speaks for itself, “She explains that this is how it developed to avoid predators.
“It spends a lot of time on its web while waiting for food, yet in that time [it is] vulnerable to predators. Therefore, the more it resembled poop, the higher the likelihood of it surviving, “She clarifies.
Weird Mating Behaviors
Animals often act strange when searching for a mate or caring for their young. Dr. Cristescu cites lobster mating behaviors as an illustration. The female lobster has a peculiar manner of luring a mate when she is ready to mate.
She urinates on the male’s head, which is rare because her urine contains all the communication keys.
However, since her bladder lies under her brain, she urinates out of her face.