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Which animal farts the most?
Live Science • • science
Key Points:
- Flatology, the study of animal flatulence, helps scientists understand diet and digestion, but quantifying fart frequency per animal is challenging, so researchers use methane emissions as a proxy.
- Livestock, especially cows, are major methane emitters, producing about 117 teragrams annually, but most methane from these animals is released via burping, not flatulence, due to fermentation occurring in the front of their digestive systems.
- Hindgut fermenters like horses and termites are top candidates for methane emissions through flatulence, with horses producing about 18 kg per year, though data is limited and other species like rhinos or nutria may emit more relative to body weight.
- Methane from animal flatulence contributes minimally to global methane increases and climate change; livestock burping is a more significant source, and natural methane emissions from termites are largely offset by soil bacteria.
- Scientists are developing new technologies to measure intestinal gases in animals and are exploring ways to reduce methane emissions from cattle, such as dietary supplements like seaweed.
