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Next time you鈥檙e tempted to turn your nose up at the sight of your pet rabbit tucking into fresh droppings, think again. Coprophagy apparently brings a whole host of benefits. You can find out for yourself next week at Walter Rothschild Zoological Museum, Tring, UK, and in Nicola Davies鈥檚 linked book^*.

So what exactly is so good about eating faeces? Rabbits and other small herbivores munch their own soft faeces direct from the anus because they provide an essential source of nutrients, such as B vitamins produced by their own gut flora, or that could not be extracted from the food first time round, a process known as caecotrophy. French primatologists recently pointed out that chimpanzees are also nutritional coprophagists because they re-ingest the hard seeds of the velvet tamarind fruit (Dialium).

And coprophagy is extraordinarily common. This month, zoologist Alberto Pilati of Miami University in Ohio gave the first evidence of coprophagy in freshwater zooplankton. He and his colleagues showed that it is vital for nutrient recycling (Freshwater Biology, vol 49, issue 7, p913).

Any other surprises? Yes, indeed. The garish yellow face of the Egyptian vulture is part of its appeal for its mate. To keep its complexion bright this vulture feasts on the faeces of cows, goats and sheep, all rich in carotenoids.

Without coprophagy we鈥檇 be knee-deep in guano. In April 1967, Australia had to bring in dung beetles to rescue its cattle pastures from surging amounts of dung. But dung beetles could be an even bigger hit in the city. Warringah Council in Sydney, has released dung beetles with a taste for dog faeces to roam streets and parks in an inspired civic clean-up. Let鈥檚 hope it works.