If you've visited Liberty Science Center in the last few weeks, you may have met our newborn naked mole rat babies!

But as cute as they are, there's one thing about naked mole rat babies – referred to as "pups" – that you might find kind of gross: they eat poop. Specifically, the poop of the adult mole rats in their colony.

There's a very important reason why they need to eat poop. This form of poop, known as a cecotrope, is a special kind of pellet produced by naked mole rats that is rich in nutrients and microbes necessary for them to digest their food and survive.

Scientists are actually fascinated by naked mole rat poop for a lot of reasons. A 2015 study found that when mole rats in a colony fed on the queen's feces, they became more caring toward her offspring. This was due to the resulting oestrogen boost that came from the poop.

Of course, naked mole rat poop isn't the only kind of poop that's interesting to scientists. There's a lot we can learn from animal feces – for example, paleontologists regularly study dinosaur poop, which is known as "coprolites." This dinosaur dung gives scientists a window into the diets of these prehistoric creatures.

Learn more about the fascinating lives of naked mole rats on your next visit to LSC! They can be found on the third floor in our Eat and Be Eaten gallery.