Geophagy Zoopharmacognosy

many animals eat soil or clay, behaviour known geophagy. clay primary ingredient of kaolin. has been proposed primates, can logically extended other animals, there 4 hypotheses relating geophagy in alleviating gastrointestinal disorders or upsets:

furthermore, 2 hypotheses pertain geophagy in supplementing minerals and/or elements:

tapirs, forest elephants, colobus monkeys, mountain gorillas , chimpanzees seek out , eat clay, absorbs intestinal bacteria , toxins , alleviates stomach upset , diarrhoea. cattle eat clay-rich termite mound soil, deactivates ingested pathogens or fruit toxins.