Editing Placentophagy (section)

=== In rabbits ===
[[File:Oryctolagus_cuniculus_Tasmania_2.jpg|thumb|Domestic rabbit, ''Oryctolagus cuniculus,'' used as model species in study of placentophagy|alt=]]
Placentophagia in rabbits is exclusively performed by maternal figures that have recently given birth. A study shows that even when pregnant and pre-parturient female rabbits are presented with placental meal there is little participation in the behavior but all postpartum mothers ate the afterbirth. When compared with the consumption of liver, another protein source, the occurrence of placentophagia alone increases by roughly 55% in the short 1–5 day period following parturition.<ref name=":5">{{Cite journal|last1=Melo|first1=Angel I.|last2=González-Mariscal|first2=Gabriela|date=2003|title=Placentophagia in rabbits: Incidence across the reproductive cycle: Placentophagia in Rabbits|journal=Developmental Psychobiology|language=en|volume=43|issue=1|pages=37–43|doi=10.1002/dev.10118|pmid=12794777}}</ref> The liver is preferential to non-pregnant, pregnant and pre-parturient mothers consistently as opposed to post-partum mothers who chose to consume only placenta when presented with both. The same study also looked at the interest of the placenta in pregnant rabbits, they saw that in the days leading up to delivery the animals were more intrigued by the placenta when it was presented, which was shown by increasing sniffing of the placenta. The attraction was not demonstrated towards the liver. This infers that there is a tie between elements prompting both delivery and placentophagy in pregnant maternal rabbits.<ref name=":5" /> In some instances placentophagia is tied to [[cannibalism]] in rabbits. As the mother engages in the act of consuming the placenta, they accidentally ingest the neonate as well.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Clauss|first1=Marcus|last2=Lischke|first2=Andreas|last3=Botha|first3=Heike|last4=Hatt|first4=Jean-Michel|date=2016|title=Carcass consumption by domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)|journal=European Journal of Wildlife Research|language=en|volume=62|issue=1|pages=143–145|doi=10.1007/s10344-015-0980-y|s2cid=16166906|issn=1612-4642}}</ref>