Doug Allan / Emperor penguin males incubating eggs huddle for warmth at -40 degrees centigrade, winter, Antarctica. Green is excrement on snow. {Aptenodytes forsteri}

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) adult male in spring plumage feeding on dung flies at farm midden heap, Hertfordshire, UK, April

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava flavissima) adult male in spring plumage feeding on dung flies at farm midden heap, Hertfordshire, UK, April. Did you know? Yellow wagtails commonly used to nest in wat...

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) adult male in spring plumage feeding on dung flies at farm midden heap, Hertfordshire, UK, April

Wild Wonders of Europe / Geslin / Kestrel (Falco tinninculus) perched in roosting hole in stone building in the Vatican garden, Rome, Italy, March 2010

Stephen Dalton / House mouse (Mus musculus) in biscuit packet, UK, controlled conditions

Wild Wonders of Europe / Möllers / Field of Meadow saffron crocus (Colchicum autumnale) one growing in cow dung, Mohacs, Béda-Karapancsa, Duna Drava NP, Hungary, September 2008

Wild Wonders of Europe / Ruiz / Fallen leaves, pine needles animal fecal pellets in woodland on Stribrne Steny (459m) Hrensko, Ceske Svycarsko / Bohemian Switzerland National Park, Czech Republic, November 2008

Andy Sands / Common house fly (Musca domestica) on cow dung, captive

Hanne & Jens Eriksen / Osprey defecating {Pandion haliaetus} Qalhat, Oman

Adrian Davies / Red deer droppings {Cervus elaphus} UK

Jose B. Ruiz / Spanish ibex droppings {Capra pyrenaica} Avila, Spain

Dave Watts / Droppings of Spanish lynx {Lynx pardina} Spain

Kim Taylor / Green Dung Beetle (Garreta nitens) rolling a dung ball. Namibia, Africa.

Andrew Parkinson / Flightless dung beetle {Circellium bacchus) female rolling buffalo dung to lay egg in S Africa

Andrew Parkinson / Flightless dung beetle {Circellium bacchus} female rolling buffalo dung ball to lay egg in , Addo Elephant park, South Africa

Rolf Nussbaumer / Dung beetle rolling dung ball {Canthon sp} Texas, USA.

Richard Steel / 2020VISION / Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris) perched on branch of a Rowan tree (Sorbus aucuparia), with berries, Clwyd, Wales, UK, November. Did you know? Fieldfares have an unusual way of defending their nests - by bo...

Nick Upton / Male Yellow dung flies (Scathophaga stercoraria) waiting on sheep dung for females to arrive, with Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) and a lake in the background, Wiltshire, UK, March.

Niall Benvie / Otter (Lutra lutra) scat. Gannochy, Scotland, February.

Staffan Widstrand / Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) defecating whilst standing on ice, Svalbard, Norway

Suzi Eszterhas / Brown throated Three-toed Sloth (Bradypus variegatus) faeces on ground, they defecate at the bottom of trees, one of the only times they come to the ground, Aviarios Sloth Sanctuary, Costa Rica

Ross Hoddinott / 2020VISION / Poorly maintained river banks, eroded by cattle, muddy and the polluting water, with cow pats on the river bank, River Ottery, North Petherwin, Launceston, Cornwall, UK. April 2012.

Staffan Widstrand / Elephant dung beetles (Dynastinae) St Lucia wetlands National Park, South Africa

Juergen Freund / Spectacled flying fox (Pteropus conspicillatus) enclosure, healthy abundant earthworms happy in fruitbat poo, Tolga Bat Hospital, North Queensland, Australia, November 2012

Mark Carwardine / Blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) faeces floating on surface, Baja California, Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California), Mexico, Endangered species

Christophe Courteau / Faeces of wild Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) on forest floor. Undigested seeds are spread throughout the forest by the Apes. Kibale National Park, Uganda

Christophe Courteau / Faeces of wild Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) on forest floor. Undigested seeds are spread throughout the forest by the Apes. Kibale National Park, Uganda

Andy Trowbridge / Great Grey Owl (Strix nebulosa) adult and chicks on nest. Adult is cleaning nest of faeces. Nest 'frame' is manmade. Ostersund, Sweden. June.

Loic Poidevin / Indian rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) juvenile defacating, Kaziranga National Park, Assam, India

Philippe Clement / Horse / Equine roundworms (Parascaris equorum) in horse dung, France

Philippe Clement / Horse / Equine roundworms (Parascaris equorum) in horse dung, France

Georgette Douwma / Sea cucumber (Thelenota anax) defecating. The most massive holothurian in the Indo-Pacific, reaching 1 meter in length. Andaman Sea, Thailand.

Georgette Douwma / Edible sea cucumber (Holothuria edulis) extruding sand, Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia

Andy Sands / Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) On sheep dung, Wales, UK, June

Edwin Giesbers / Alpine marmot (Marmota marmota) faeces, Hohe Tauern National Park, Austria, July

Eric Baccega / Muskox (Ovibos moschatus) droppings on tundra, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, June 2012.

Eric Baccega / Muskox (Ovibos moschatus) droppings on tundra, Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada, June 2012.

Wild Wonders of Europe / Möllers / European bison / Wisent (Bison bonasus) faeces with a wildlife biologist behind taking a sample for DNA and parasitic analysis, Bukowiec, Poland, September 2011 Model released

Dave Watts / Seeds contained in faeces of Southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) sprouting on rainforest floor, World Heritage National Park rainforest of the Wet Tropics, north Queensland, Australia

Dave Watts / Seeds contained in faeces of Southern cassowary (Casuarius casuarius) sprouting on rainforest floor, World Heritage National Park rainforest of the Wet Tropics, north Queensland, Australia

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Pied wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) adult male in spring plumage feeding on dung flies at farm midden heap, Hertfordshire, UK, April

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava flavissima) adult male in spring plumage feeding on dung flies at farm midden heap, Hertfordshire, UK, April

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava flavissima) adult male in spring plumage feeding on dung flies at farm midden heap, Hertfordshire, UK, April

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) adult female feeding on dung flies at farm midden heap, Hertfordshire, UK, April

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava flavissima) adult male in spring plumage feeding on dung flies at farm midden heap, Hertfordshire, UK, April

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Pied wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) adult male in spring plumage feeding on dung flies at farm midden heap, Hertfordshire, UK, April

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Northern wheatear (Oenanthe oenanthe) adult male in spring plumage feeding on dung flies at farm midden heap, Yellow wagtail in the background, Hertfordshire, UK, April

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Pied wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) adult male in spring plumage feeding on dung flies at farm midden heap, Hertfordshire, UK, April

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava flavissima) adult male in spring plumage feeding on dung flies at farm midden heap, Hertfordshire, UK, April

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Pied wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) adult male in spring plumage feeding on dung flies at farm midden heap, Hertfordshire, UK, April

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Pied wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) adult male in spring plumage feeding on dung flies at farm midden heap, Hertfordshire, UK, April

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava flavissima) adult male in spring plumage feeding on dung flies at farm midden heap, Hertfordshire, UK, April

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Pied wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) adult male in spring plumage feeding on dung flies at farm midden heap, Hertfordshire, UK, April

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Pied wagtail (Motacilla alba yarrellii) adult male in spring plumage feeding on dung flies at farm midden heap, Hertfordshire, UK, April

Chris Gomersall / 2020VISION / Yellow wagtail (Motacilla flava flavissima) adult male in spring plumage feeding on dung flies at farm midden heap, Hertfordshire, UK, April

Roland Seitre / Sloth Moth (Cryptoses choloepi) against sloth fur. This moth lives in the sloth fur until the animal defecates, when it lays eggs in the faeces. Aviarios del Caribe, Cahuita, Costa Rica.

Sandesh Kadur / Common emigrant butterflies (Catopsilia pomona) gather on old tiger scat to absorb nutrients. The rains bring about an explosion of butterflies all over the Western Ghats. Western Ghats, Southern Indi...

Tony Heald / African lion (Panthera leo) two cubs playing with very large elephant dung, Etosha National Park, Namibia October

Tony Heald / African lion (Panthera leo) cub with very large elephant dung, Etosha National Park, Namibia October

Dr. Axel Gebauer / A Tibetan herder and member of Red Panda Network Nepal showing Red panda (Ailurus fulgens) dropping place, latrine on a rock in the Kangchendzonga Landscape of mixed fir and rhododendron forest at 4,...

Dr. Axel Gebauer / Red panda (Ailurus fulgens) dropping place, latrine on a rock in the Kangchendzonga Landscape of mixed fir and rhododendron forest at 4,000 m, triangle of Sikkim, West Bengal and Nepal

Hermann Brehm / White rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum) defecating at midden, Solio GR, Kenya

Laurie Campbell / Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) droppings on grassland, Berwickshire, Scotland, June

Brent Stephenson / Gentoo Penguin (Pygoscelis papua) defecating away from the nest. Port Lockroy, Antarctic Peninsula, Antarctica, January.

Nick Upton / Male Chalkhill blue butterfly (Polyommatus coridon), a Near Threatened species in the UK, extracting salts from animal dung, chalk grassland meadow, Wiltshire, UK, July

Mary McDonald / Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) scat with berries in droppings. Gambier Bay, Baranof Island, southeast Alaska, USA, August.

Simon Colmer / Blue duiker faeces (Cephalophus monticola) Entebbe, Uganda

Nick Upton / Pair of Dung beetles (Gymnopleurus sp) co-operating to roll a ball of dung up a slope, Lesbos (Lesvos), Greece, May.

Ernie Janes / Common Yellow Dung Fly (Scathophaga stercoraria) pair mating on dung, UK, April

Philippe Clement / Badger (Meles meles) faeces near its set. Luxembourg, Europe, April.

Philippe Clement / Badger (Meles meles) faeces near its set. Luxembourg, Europe, April.

Andrew Parkinson / European river otter (Lutra lutra) adult checks a spraint left by a neighbouring otter, Isle of Mull, Scotland, UK

Pete Oxford / Faecal pellet of Galapagos Giant Tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra) Wolf Volcano, Isabela Island, Galapagos

Laurent Geslin / Mass of Yellow Dung Flies (Scathophaga stercoraria) feeding on cow dung with cows in the background, Switzerland, April

Ernie Janes / Green bottle flies (Eudasyphora cyanella) feeding on cow dung, Norfolk, UK, August

Ernie Janes / Green bottle flies (Eudasyphora cyanella) feeding on cow dung, Norfolk, UK, August

Andy Rouse / Barn Owl (Tyto alba) pellets under nestbox (sign of occupancy) UK

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Purple Saxifrage (Saxifraga oppositifolia) with Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) droppings that will fertilise it for many years. Svalbard, Norway, June.

Bryan and Cherry Alexander / Polar bear (Ursus maritimus) defecating near a seal it has partially eaten. Nelson Oya, Svalbard, Norway, June.

Niall Benvie / 2020VISION / Mammal droppings on the mossy ground, Assynt, Assynt Uplands, Scotland, UK, January

Nature Production / Dung-ball beetle / Scarab Beetle (Scarabeus semipunctatus) larva in a dung ball, Kenya

Nature Production / Cross section of dung ball showing male Scarab beetle (Copris acutidens) growing inside, ready to emerge.

Nature Production / Scarab beetle (Copris acutidens) female protecting dung balls in the nest, larvae are in the dung balls

Nature Production / Cross section of Scarab beetle (Copris acutidens) larva in a dung ball, Japan

Simon Colmer / Faeces / scat of either Stoat (Mustela erminea) or Weasel (Mustela nivalis) Wales, UK

Troels Jacobsen/Arcticphoto / Leopard Seal (Hydrurga loptonyx) resting on ice floes. The faeces is coloured from eating krill. Antarctica.

Frederique Olivier / Gentoo penguin (Pygoscelis papua) with chick begging for food, Macquarie Island, Southern Atlantic, Australian Antarctica, November

Sharon Heald / White rhinoceros [Ceratotherium simum] using midden, Etosha National Park, Namibia, August

Tony Heald / African lion [Panthera leo] male at waterhole, playing with elephant dung, Etosha National Park, Namibia, August

Tony Phelps / Addo flightless dung beetles (Circellium bacchus) in elephant dung, Addo Elephant NP, Eastern Cape, South Africa, November

Pete Oxford / Jaguar (Panthera onca) scat on rainforest floor, Iwokrama Reserve, Guyana

Philippe Clement / Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) on sea cliff ledge, Fowlsheugh RSPB reserve, NE Scotland, UK, May

Ernie Janes / Dog mess bin overflowing, Cley Beach, Norfolk, UK, September 2009

Kevin Schafer / Three-toed / Brown throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus) depositing faeces on forest floor, Manuel Antonio National Park, Costa Rica