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为什么狗爱吃大便?
添加时间:2018-02-04 20:57:49 浏览次数: 作者:未知
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  • It's the moment every dog owner instantly regrets ever letting their dog kiss them on the mouth: Watching that very same beloved, seemingly well-trained and civilized1 pup eagerly devour2 a stinky, steaming pile of poop off the sidewalk.

    有一个时刻会让养狗的朋友后悔时常嘴对嘴亲狗——狗看似受过良好训练又有礼貌,但是也会吃下路边臭气熏天的热便便。

    Ugh, gross! But why? Why?!

    好恶心!但是狗为什么会吃便便呢?

    It;s a topic that has long perplexed3 animal researchers and veterinarians. And if you Google the topic, you're likely to get more than a dozen different explanations ranging from canine4 anxiety to illness to simply boredom5.

    这个问题困扰动物研究学者和兽医们不止一时半刻。在网上搜搜看,能发现各种不同的解释,有的说因为犬类焦虑症,有的说因为生病,有的说狗只是太无聊了。

    However, a new study led by veterinarian Benjamin Hart, director of the Center for Animal Behavior at the University of California at Davis, has managed to link the off-putting behavior to “greedy eating” (dogs that quickly ravish their food bowls, according to owners) as well as an instinct connected to canines6’ ancestral wolf pack days.

    但是加利福尼亚大学戴维斯分校区动物行为研究中心主任本杰明·哈特做了项调查,将狗这种倒胃口的行为归结为“贪吃”(养狗的人都说狗会迅速抢走饭碗),也与犬类祖先狼的遗留本能有关。

    As the Washington Post reports, Hart and his team surveyed over 3,000 dog owners. Of these subjects, 16 percent ate other dogs’ feces “frequently” (their owners had witnessed a crappy chow down session at least six times), and of those pups, 80 percent preferred fresh feces less than two days old. Well, who doesn’t?

    华盛顿邮报》报道,哈特和其团队对3000多位养狗人士进行了调查,16%的狗“常常”会吃其他狗的便便(狗主人至少见过六次这样的场景),80%的狗更喜欢两天内的新鲜便便。谁不喜欢新鲜的食物呢?

    Interestingly, the research suggested that the tendency towards coprophagia (the scientific term for poop-eating) was evident no matter a dog’s age, breed, diet, house-training status or compulsive behavior tendency. This finding has unleashed8 a new theory: Modern day dogs have inherited both their aversion to pooping where they live as well as their likelihood to eat fresh poop from their ancient wolf ancestors.

    有趣的是,这项调查显示,年龄、品种、饮食习惯、训练水平、强制行为都不会干扰狗吃便便。这就带来了一个新的理论:如今的狗狗一边在遗传对便便的厌恶,一边又会像狼祖先一样吃新鲜的便便。

    You see, wayyyy back in those wild days, wolves may’ve eaten the fresh feces of sick, lame10 or old members who accidentally let a load loose as a way to clean up inside and around their den7. Since it takes about two days for parasites11 and other pathogens to develop, eating fresh poop is not usually dangerous, and in fact, eating poop that was festering in their living quarters was actually a helpful way to avoid intestinal12 parasites such as larvae13 and worms.

    看到了吧,在很久很久很久以前,狼也会吃同类的粪便,不管对方是不是老弱病残,不管这坨便便的出现是不是为了清理狼窝。寄生虫和病原体要两天之后才会出现在粪便中,所以新鲜的粪便对食用者来说没什么危险。而且新鲜粪便会在狼的体内溃烂,能够有效避免幼虫和蠕虫寄生在肠道内。

    That said, some great minds in the canine scientific community think there may be a bit more to it. For instance, Professor James Serpell of the University of Pennsylvania and editor of the recent book The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behavior and Interactions with People, told theWashington Post he finds the wolf theory “plausible,” but he's also intrigued14 by the “greedy eaters” survey findings.

    犬类研究圈认为好处不止于此。宾夕法尼亚大学教授詹姆斯·斯贝尔(James Serpell),刚刚完成了新书《家犬:进化、行为和与人互动)》,他告诉《华盛顿邮报》,狼理论“有道理”,但是“贪吃”调查的结果也让他很感兴趣。

    He referenced a study of free-roaming wild dogs in developing countries that scavenge for food and, as a result, fill up on a sizable amount of human feces. This seems to indicate that poop could be viewed, errr digested, as a second-hand15 food source.

    他举例说,发展中国家的流浪狗在寻找食物时,也会吃掉相当多人类的便便。看起来好像便便是狗寻找食物的第二选择。

    Today, dogs (and cats) “are fed diets that are relatively16 rich in fats and protein, not all of which may be completely digested, making their feces potentially attractive as a second hand food source,” Serpell told the Washington Post.

    斯贝尔说,现在的狗(和猫)“都用富含脂肪和蛋白的食物喂养,但是这些食物不一定能全部消化,所以他们的便便就会成为诱狗的食物来源”。

    So, there you have it. Poop-eating is probably a normal, evolutionary17 dog trait.

    现在明白了吧,吃便便可能是狗正常进化中的特性。

    But, take heart: Hart and his team are working on a solution. They’re currently looking at clinical trials of new methods and products that dissuade18 your pup from chomping19 down on their own or others’ droppings.

    但是切记:哈特和团队一直在寻找解决方法,试图通过新方法和新产品的临床手段阻止宠物狗食用便便。

    The best thing to do, for now, is keep your dog on a short leash9 and make sure to pick up your own lawn.

    眼下最好的办法是给狗拴上短链,确保自家草坪里没有潜在第二食物源。

     11级    英文科普 


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    1 civilized ['sivilaizd] UwRzDg   第7级
    a.有教养的,文雅的
    参考例句:
    • Racism is abhorrent to a civilized society. 文明社会憎恶种族主义。
    • rising crime in our so-called civilized societies 在我们所谓文明社会中日益增多的犯罪行为
    2 devour [dɪˈvaʊə(r)] hlezt   第7级
    vt.吞没;贪婪地注视或谛听,贪读;使着迷
    参考例句:
    • Larger fish devour the smaller ones. 大鱼吃小鱼。
    • Beauty is but a flower which wrinkle will devour. 美只不过是一朵花,终会被皱纹所吞噬。
    3 perplexed [pəˈplekst] A3Rz0   第11级
    adj.不知所措的;困惑的
    参考例句:
    • The farmer felt the cow, went away, returned, sorely perplexed, always afraid of being cheated. 那农民摸摸那头牛,走了又回来,犹豫不决,总怕上当受骗。
    • The child was perplexed by the intricate plot of the story. 这孩子被那头绪纷繁的故事弄得迷惑不解。
    4 canine [ˈkeɪnaɪn] Lceyb   第9级
    adj.犬的,犬科的
    参考例句:
    • The fox is a canine animal. 狐狸是犬科动物。
    • Herbivorous animals have very small canine teeth, or none. 食草动物的犬牙很小或者没有。
    5 boredom [ˈbɔ:dəm] ynByy   第8级
    n.厌烦,厌倦,乏味,无聊
    参考例句:
    • Unemployment can drive you mad with boredom. 失业会让你无聊得发疯。
    • A walkman can relieve the boredom of running. 跑步时带着随身听就不那么乏味了。
    6 canines ['kænaɪnz] a19dc7100e8d5dd734b7ad167656d5d1   第9级
    n.犬齿( canine的名词复数 );犬牙;犬科动物
    参考例句:
    • For example, the teeth are more primitive. There are large canines and unusually shaped incisors. 譬如,牙齿更为原始,有大的犬齿和非常合适的门齿。 来自辞典例句
    • Well-to-canines can attend doggy daycare centers while their owners work. 富人家的狗在主人上班的时候可以去狗狗托管中心。 来自互联网
    7 den [den] 5w9xk   第9级
    n.兽穴;秘密地方;安静的小房间,私室
    参考例句:
    • There is a big fox den on the back hill. 后山有一个很大的狐狸窝。
    • The only way to catch tiger cubs is to go into tiger's den. 不入虎穴焉得虎子。
    8 unleashed [ˌʌnˈli:ʃt] unleashed   第7级
    v.把(感情、力量等)释放出来,发泄( unleash的过去式和过去分词 )
    参考例句:
    • The government's proposals unleashed a storm of protest in the press. 政府的提案引发了新闻界的抗议浪潮。
    • The full force of his rage was unleashed against me. 他把所有的怒气都发泄在我身上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
    9 leash [li:ʃ] M9rz1   第12级
    n.牵狗的皮带,束缚;v.用皮带系住
    参考例句:
    • I reached for the leash, but the dog got in between. 我伸手去拿系狗绳,但被狗挡住了路。
    • The dog strains at the leash, eager to be off. 狗拼命地扯拉皮带,想挣脱开去。
    10 lame [leɪm] r9gzj   第7级
    adj.跛的,(辩解、论据等)无说服力的;vi.变跛;vt.使跛;使成残废
    参考例句:
    • The lame man needs a stick when he walks. 那跛脚男子走路时需借助拐棍。
    • I don't believe his story. It'sounds a bit lame. 我不信他讲的那一套。他的话听起来有些靠不住。
    11 parasites ['pærəsaɪts] a8076647ef34cfbbf9d3cb418df78a08   第7级
    寄生物( parasite的名词复数 ); 靠他人为生的人; 诸虫
    参考例句:
    • These symptoms may be referable to virus infection rather than parasites. 这些症状也许是由病毒感染引起的,而与寄生虫无关。
    • Kangaroos harbor a vast range of parasites. 袋鼠身上有各种各样的寄生虫。
    12 intestinal [ˌɪntes'taɪnl] DbHzX   第9级
    adj.肠的;肠壁;肠道细菌
    参考例句:
    • A few other conditions are in high intestinal obstruction. 其它少数情况是高位肠梗阻。 来自辞典例句
    • This complication has occasionally occurred following the use of intestinal antiseptics. 这种并发症偶而发生在使用肠道抗菌剂上。 来自辞典例句
    13 larvae [ˈlɑ:vi:] w2CxP   第11级
    n.幼虫
    参考例句:
    • Larvae are parasitic on sheep. 幼虫寄生在绵羊的身上。
    • The larvae prey upon small aphids. 这种幼虫以小蚜虫为食。
    14 intrigued [ɪnˈtri:gd] 7acc2a75074482e2b408c60187e27c73   第7级
    adj.好奇的,被迷住了的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的过去式);激起…的兴趣或好奇心;“intrigue”的过去式和过去分词
    参考例句:
    • You've really intrigued me—tell me more! 你说的真有意思—再给我讲一些吧!
    • He was intrigued by her story. 他被她的故事迷住了。
    15 second-hand [ˈsekəndˈhænd] second-hand   第8级
    adj.用过的,旧的,二手的
    参考例句:
    • I got this book by chance at a second-hand bookshop. 我赶巧在一家旧书店里买到这本书。
    • They will put all these second-hand goods up for sale. 他们将把这些旧货全部公开出售。
    16 relatively [ˈrelətɪvli] bkqzS3   第8级
    adv.比较...地,相对地
    参考例句:
    • The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia. 兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
    • The operation was relatively painless. 手术相对来说不痛。
    17 evolutionary [ˌi:vəˈlu:ʃənri] Ctqz7m   第9级
    adj.进化的;演化的,演变的;[生]进化论的
    参考例句:
    • Life has its own evolutionary process. 生命有其自身的进化过程。
    • These are fascinating questions to be resolved by the evolutionary studies of plants. 这些十分吸引人的问题将在研究植物进化过程中得以解决。
    18 dissuade [dɪˈsweɪd] ksPxy   第9级
    vt.劝阻,阻止
    参考例句:
    • You'd better dissuade him from doing that. 你最好劝阻他别那样干。
    • I tried to dissuade her from investing her money in stocks and shares. 我曾设法劝她不要投资于股票交易。
    19 chomping [tʃɔmpɪŋ] 77141b3117534187e56113c95cb76b7f   第11级
    v.切齿,格格地咬牙,咬响牙齿( chomp的现在分词 )
    参考例句:
    • Elizabeth and Lawrence are chomping at the bit to go on vacation. 伊莉莎白和劳伦斯迫不及待要去度假了。 来自互联网
    • She was chomping away on a bagel. 她在嘎蹦嘎嘣地啃着一个硬面包圈。 来自互联网

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