Osteophagy is the practice whereby herbivores consume bones. This practice usually occurs place in a nutrient-deficient environment. The animals consume the bones in order to obtain such necessary elements as phosphorus and calcium.

• An example of animals exhibiting this practice are giraffes, who in Africa are known to seek out elephant graveyards in order to consume their bones.

[edit] See also

• Geophagy

[edit] References

• Campbell, Biology, 7^th ed. (Benjamin-Cummings, New York, NY 2006) ISBN 0-471-52229-5

v • d • e Feeding behaviours Carnivores adult Hematophagy · Insectivore · Lepidophagy · Man-eater · Molluscivore · Mucophagy · Myrmecophagy · Ophiophagy · Piscivore · Spongivore reproductive Oophagy · Ovophagy · Paedophagy · Placentophagy · Breastfeeding · Weaning cannibalistic Cannibalism · Human cannibalism · Self-cannibalism · Sexual cannibalism Herbivores Folivore · Frugivore · Graminivore · Granivore · Nectarivore · Palynivore · Xylophagy · Osteophagy Others Phagocytosis · Bacterivore · Coprophagia · Detritivore · Fungivore · Geophagy · Omnivore Methods Apex predator · Bottom feeding · Browsing  · Hypercarnivore · Filter feeding · Grazing · Kleptoparasitism · Scavenging · Trophallaxis Predation · Antipredator adaptation · Carnivorous plant · Carnivorous fungus · Carnivorous protist · Category:Eating behaviors