Food-handling and feces reingestion in Ctenomys pearsoni (Rodentia, Ctenomyidae)

The food-handling and reingestive behaviour of feces by Ctenomys pearsoni L essa and Langguth, 1983, was studied in the laboratory. All animals studied handle grasses with dexterity with one or both forepaws, and vigorously sh aked it up and down before ingestion. Reingestion of feces occur frequently during resting periods and between feeding bouts. While performing both be haviours, C. pearsoni adopt a posture that not increase its height, what co uld be considered as and adaptation to the burrow space. Some convergences and divergences in the patterns of food-handling and reingestion of feces b etween Ctenomys and other subterranean rodents genera mere remarked. We pro pose that the food-handling pattern is related to the cleaning of food; whi le the reingestion pattern might be related to water economy and to recover some particular nutrients.