Coprophagy in female mice during pregnancy and lactation.

Abstract

Coprophagy in female mice was observed predominantly in the reproductive stage. Female mice exhibited coprophagy more frequently during pregnancy and ingested larger amounts of feces during pregnancy and lactation than when they were not pregnant. Feces were found to be rich in vitamin B12 and folic acid. However, there were no marked fluctuations in the levels of either vitamin in the feces during pregnancy or lactation as compared with levels when animals were not pregnant. Acceleration of coprophagy during pregnancy and lactation seemed to correlate with the increased nutritional requirements of females during the reproductive stage.