What is a potential issue when collecting feces from rodents?

Collecting feces from rodents presents specific challenges, and one important issue is coprophagy, where rodents consume their own feces. This behavior is common in many rodent species and can significantly impact the overall amount of fecal material collected. When a rodent ingests its feces, it reduces the quantity of feces available for collection, which may lead to inaccurate results or data regarding the rodent’s metabolism or dietary intake.

In contexts where precise measurements are crucial, such as research on nutrient absorption or toxicology studies, coprophagy can create complications. It results in the loss of the fecal matter that would provide insights into the animal's digestive processes. Understanding this behavior is essential for proper experimental design and data interpretation.

Other potential issues, such as contamination from food sources, can affect the quality of the sample but do not pose the same direct impact on the volume of material collected. Similarly, while collecting from a metabolic cage can facilitate the process, it does not inherently involve challenges linked to the rodents’ natural behaviors. Difficulties in obtaining fresh samples may present logistical challenges but are not as critical as the implications associated with coprophagy. Thus, coprophagy stands out as a significant concern directly associated with the collection process.