Coprophagy in moose

Coprophagy, the eating of feces, has been documented in a wide range of species but appears to be rare or difficult to detect in deer (Cervidae). Here, we report the first observation of coprophagy in moose Alces alces, which was recorded using camera collars on free-ranging moose in Norway. The footage shows an instance of allocoprophagy by an adult female moose in spring (May). We summarize the current knowledge about coprophagy in deer and briefly discuss potential drivers and possible implications for disease transmission. Further research is needed to determine if coprophagy occurs frequently in moose and whether this behavior is positive (e.g., increased intake of nutrients) or negative (increased infection by parasites or pathogens).Any software capable of playing mp4-video files (e.g., Windows Media Player, Quicktime Player, VLC Player),Funding provided by: NaturvårdsverketCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004357Award Number: 2020-00108Funding provided by: NaturvårdsverketCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100004357Award Number: 2021-00032Funding provided by: Svenska JägareförbundetCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100009588Award Number: 5909/2021Funding provided by: Svenska Forskningsrådet FormasCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001862Award Number: 2020-01341Funding provided by: Norges ForskningsrådCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100005416Award Number: Project no 248194Funding provided by: FramsenteretCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100022349Award Number: Funding provided by: MiljødirektoratetCrossref Funder Registry ID: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100008776Award Number:The video footage showing allocoprophagy in a female moose was recorded using a video collar (VERTEX Plus, Vectronic Aerospace GmbH, Germany) on 20th of May, 2018 at 04:30 PM in the county of Trøndelag (N 63° 15.942' E 11° 51.273')