# So why is poo brown?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-is-poo-brown/308729
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 17, 2005, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-is-poo-brown/308729 "2005-06-17T17:51:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2005, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-is-poo-brown/308729/21 "2005-06-19T03:18:31Z")
> [@Dob](#):
>
> ahh…I did a search for poo…or poop. Should have known Cecil wouldn’t be so vulgar 🙂 Thanks Uncle!
That’s odd… when I read that article years ago when it came out in print, I’m certain that he had used the S word, both in the question and the response. It appears edited and toned down, just like those old Looney Tunes cartoons that had all of the good parts edited out.
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### Author:  [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-is-poo-brown/308729/22 "2005-06-19T03:20:32Z")
> [@Dob](#):
>
> ahh…I did a search for poo…or poop. Should have known Cecil wouldn’t be so vulgar 🙂 Thanks Uncle!
In one of Cecil’s early books, there is an index entry that reads:
Shit, why brown
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### Author:  [@Electronic\_Chaos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electronic_Chaos)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2005, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-is-poo-brown/308729/23 "2005-06-19T04:18:33Z")
What I’m about to say would normally be considered TMI…however if you’ve read this far into the thread, you probably won’t mind.
Once I had the flu and ate almost nothing but cherry gelitan for an entire day. That night, I had a bout of the runs as one is prone to have after/during the flu. I got up and go to flush, looking down and noticing that the toilet bowl is bright red. I start freaking out thinking I’m bleeding internally. After the panic subsides I realize it was just the Jello.
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### Author:  [@Low\_Key\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Low_Key_1)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2005, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-is-poo-brown/308729/24 "2005-06-19T09:34:22Z")
> [@pravnik](#):
>
> Hyena poo is a chalky white due to the high bone content of their diet.
>
> I don’t get to work that into conversations nearly enough.
I can’t believe I just decided that I wanted to know more about this topic so decided to Google hyena feces. In case anyone wants a bunch of ‘interesting’ (mostly pretty boring) factoids on feces here is a [link](http://www.factbites.com/topics/Feces).
Interestingly (or not), the leopard tortoise will eat hyena feces because of the high calcium content which is good for their shell.
I really need to find better things to do with my time…
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### Author:  [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2005, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-is-poo-brown/308729/25 "2005-06-19T21:15:28Z")
> [@Low Key](#):
>
> Interestingly (or not), the leopard tortoise will eat hyena feces because of the high calcium content which is good for their shell.
And the circle of crap is complete
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### Author:  [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)
#### Post date: [June 19, 2005, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-is-poo-brown/308729/26 "2005-06-19T21:34:45Z")
> [@Low Key](#):
>
> I can’t believe I just decided that I wanted to know more about this topic so decided to Google hyena feces. In case anyone wants a bunch of ‘interesting’ (mostly pretty boring) factoids on feces here is a [link](http://www.factbites.com/topics/Feces).
>
> Interestingly (or not), the leopard tortoise will eat hyena feces because of the high calcium content which is good for their shell.
>
> I really need to find better things to do with my time…
Awesome! Thanks for the perfect follow up.
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2005, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-is-poo-brown/308729/27 "2005-06-20T03:25:17Z")
> [@](#):
>
> That’s odd… when I read that article years ago when it came out in print, I’m certain that he had used the S word, both in the question and the response. It appears edited and toned down, just like those old Looney Tunes cartoons that had all of the good parts edited out.
For a while, the Dope lived on AOL, which had those pesky Terms of Service, so many of the columns needed to be edited. Sometimes, when a column is reposted here on our own website, the original wording is restored, but sometimes it isn’t.
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### Author:  [@D505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D505)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2005, 6:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-is-poo-brown/308729/28 "2005-06-20T06:12:15Z")
I’m gonna try that raw beet trick, sounds like fun!
I’ll also submit that Pepto-Bismol will turn my … um… leavings… to dark green-purple. But the most memorable aspect is the violent smell. WOW. I don’t use that medicine anymore, I don’t see how others put up with it, myself. : (
-d
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### Author:  [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)
#### Post date: [June 24, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-why-is-poo-brown/308729/29 "2005-06-24T22:49:15Z")
Ever have a lot of green beer on St. Patrick’s day?
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