Friday, October 5, 2018

Golden Showers

Gizmodo has an article on animals feasting on human urine for its mineral value, largely salt. I don't find that particularly unusual, especially for herbivores which have difficulty in meeting salt needs.

What the article completely omits is animals taking advantage of the salt that is spread on icy roads and ends up soaking into the shoulders of many cold country highways. In WY I've seen mountain goats using the roadside as a salt lick, as recently as this past spring. It turns out our pee isn't the only way we salt down the countryside.