Number Two: Everything You Want to Know But Haven't Asked September 20, 2012 | By Laura Newcomer, Greatist.com Greatist.com Going, er, #2 might be a rather uncomfortable topic for most of us, but turns out it's actually pretty interesting. For instance, who knew the skipper caterpillar is just an inch and a half long but can shoot its poop a distance of six feet? Or that a goose defecates an average of once every twelve minutes? In contrast, sloths go only about once a week. Poop and poop habits are pretty varied in the non-human animal world, and the same is true for people. Despite being a universal act, this part of "going to the bathroom" is rarely discussed. Greatist wants to change that -- so read on for some straight talk about poopin'. How often should I go? Everybody is different, and there is no set "normal" when it comes to passing stools. That said, the normal range spans three times a day to once every three days, meaning the average person poops approximately once a day -- about 1 ounce of stool for each 12 pounds of her or his body weight. That means a person weighing 160 pounds produces an average of just under a pound of poop each day. Going four-plus times a day or having watery, thin, or loose stools qualifies as diarrhea, a common condition that usually isn't serious (except in severe cases or in elderly, young, or sick people, whose bodies might not