SEP 03, 2015 8:59 PM PDT

Here Are Three Animals That Use Their Feces to Survive

WRITTEN BY: Anthony Bouchard


Many animals just leave droppings because it's the natural process of the digestive system, but a select few animals actually rely on their feces as a survival method.

One of three animals that do such a thing are the larvae of tortoise beetles, which actually create something called a "fecal shield," which protects the bug from predators and can even be used as a weapon against other bugs.

Another animal that uses its fecal matter to its advantage is the skipper caterpillar, which actually launches its fecal matter up to 40x its body length away from itself to try and cover up its location from predators that are naturally attracted to their feces.

The third animal discussed in the video is an orb-weaving spider, which can actually blend in with its own fecal matter to look like a splat of bird poop. As you can imagine, this means that predators are less likely to investigate the area for the spider, and the spider will survive longer because of it.

Although they may be strange ways of surviving, evolution has certainly given these animals odd fecal abilities. It's the will of mother nature.

About the Author
Other
Fascinated by scientific discoveries and media, Anthony found his way here at LabRoots, where he would be able to dabble in the two. Anthony is a technology junkie that has vast experience in computer systems and automobile mechanics, as opposite as those sound.
You May Also Like
Loading Comments...