epizoochory

Epizoochory is a mode of seed dispersal in which seeds, fruits, or other propagules attach to the exterior surfaces of animals, such as fur, feathers, or an exoskeleton, and are carried away from the parent plant. Attachment is facilitated by structures like hooks, barbs, spines, or sticky secretions, and seeds may hitchhike passively, detaching when the animal moves through vegetation, rubs against objects, or grooms itself.

Common plant examples include burrs of burdock (Arctium), cockleburs (Xanthium), and beggar-ticks (Bidens), as well as stickseeds (Hackelia) that cling to fur or clothing. Animals that serve as vectors include mammals, birds, and other animals that encounter the fruits in habitats such as fields, pastures, and forests. The effectiveness of epizoochory depends on seed–host compatibility, the duration of attachment, and the movement patterns of the animal, which influence the dispersal distance.

Epizoochory is one form of zoochory, distinct from endozoochory, where seeds are ingested and later excreted, and from synzoochory, where animals transport seeds in their bodies or storages and may disperse them unintentionally or after caching. Ecologically, epizoochory can aid plant distribution, especially for species producing durable, hooked seeds, contributing to colonization of disturbed or open habitats and facilitating movement across barriers via mobile animal vectors.