Coprophagy in young laboratory rat.

Coprophagy (ingestion of maternal faeces) was found in young laboratory rats between the ages of 16 and 28 days. The degree of this activity during the given period was not constant; a multiple increase on about the 25th day was followed by an abrupt drop and complete cessation coincided with the time of spontaneous weaning. Coprophagy did not appear in prematurely weaned young (at 16 days) which were given faeces and was protracted in undernourished young whose weaning time was prolonged. Young weaned rats without having ingested maternal faeces displayed relative hyperphagy for solid food. This early hyperphagy had later consequences for the feeding behaviour of adult males, which looked for food and consumed it more intensively in a new environment and also hoarded it. Defensive behaviour was not affected.