Coprophagy

In gerbils, herbaceous foodstuffs are broken down by microbial action in the cecum, which is a large organ in the gerbil. To assimilate the microbial byproducts of digestion, the gerbil may eat its own feces, a habit known as coprophagy. Stomach digestion and intestinal absorption of this fecal material yields nutrients that are essential to the gerbil. Coprophagy is minimal if animals are fed a nutritionally balanced diet.