Scatophagy
/skəˈtɒfədʒi/noun
The eating of feces, especially as a natural behavior in certain animals.
Did you know?Scatophagy is not merely pathological: rabbits practice a specialized form called cecotrophy, re-consuming nutrient-rich droppings as part of normal digestion.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*bʰeg-
“To eat or consume; the reconstructed root behind Greek phagein”
Ancient Greek
Greek
σκῶρ, genitive σκατός (skōr, skatos)
“Dung or feces; the source of the scat- element”
Ancient Greek
Greek
φαγεῖν (phagein)
“To eat or consume; the source of the -phagy element”
19th Century
New Latin
scatophagia
“The eating of feces, formed from Greek skatós “dung” and phagein “to eat””
19th–20th Century
English
scatophagy
“The ingestion of feces, used chiefly in zoology, biology, and medical writing”
Modern English
English
scatophagy
“Feces-eating behavior, particularly when describing animals”