COPROPHAGY IN THE JAPANESE HARE (LEPUS-BRACHYURUS) - REINGESTION OF ALL THE HARD AND SOFT FECES DURING THE DAYTIME STAY IN THE FORM

The daily rhythms of formation and reingestion of hard and soft faeces were studied in Lepus brachyurus. Although the Leporidae have long be en known to reingest soft faeces, the Japanese hare also reingests a s ubstantial amount of hard faeces. All the faeces excreted during the d aytime stay in a form, comprising first hard faeces, then soft faeces and again hard faeces, were reingested. Hares repeatedly sit straight up from the squatting position to practise reingestion. A reingestion bout for hard faeces consists of repeated faeces-taking actions each f ollowed by mastication, whereas that for soft faeces includes only one faeces-taking action without mastication. If deprived of food during foraging at night, the Japanese hare reingested most of the faeces tha t were normally discarded. Evidence in literature indicates that other Leporidae also practise reingestion of hard faeces.