MIAMI -- It's something everyone does, but not many like to talk about.

Miami Metrozoo opens its doors Friday to perhaps the most unusual exhibit ever. It's called "The Scoop on Poop."

"This is the largest land mammal poop that you'll see," said Metrozoo spokesman Ron Magill as he held a block of elephant feces in his hand. "This is just one of what would be over 100 balls that an elephant will produce in one day."

The traveling exhibit tells how animals use fecal matter to build makeshift homes, attract mates and even communicate with one another.

"What animals will do is, they place their poop to announce their existence and to say whether they are ready for breeding or not, to say that this is their territory or not," said Magill.

The exhibit mixes fact with fun, including a section that identifies what poop is called in different languages. In Spanish, for instance, the word is "caca."

People can compete in dung beetle races, examine fecal samples under a microscope, learn how poop can be used for fuel and find out things some might not want to know.

"For me, it would take 12 hours for an elephant to poop my weight," said Magill.

That's a little too much information.

"The Scoop on Poop" is open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. and will remain at Metrozoo until Jan. 10, 2007. Admission is $11.50 per person, $6.75 for children ages 3 to 12, and $10.50 for anyone 65 and older. Children under 2 get in for free.