This scatological discovery is “shaping up” to be great for the animal world!
Scientists have revealed the mystery behind why wombats poop in bizarre, cube-shaped pellets that bind it to the animal’s very long, rigid gut, according to a new study.
New research shows that short-legged marsupials have distinct dumps, resembling pieces of charcoal for grilling, as their intestines extend up to 33 feet long – about 10 times their body length, according to a report published Thursday in the journal Soft Matter.
It takes four days for the 3-meter-long creator to expel waste from his 33-meter intestines, creating box-shaped feces as their muscles contract and dry out in parts of the colon, according to a study by researchers at the University of Tasmania.
“Vombats with a bare nose are famous for producing distinct, cube-shaped pouri. This ability to form relatively uniform and clean feces is unique to the animal kingdom, ”said Dr. Scott Carver, a wildlife ecologist at the University of Tasmania, in a statement.
“Rhythmic contractions help form the sharp corners of the cubes … Our research has found that these cubes are formed in the last 17 percent of the colon’s intestine,” he added.
Carver overturned previous theories that wombat poo is the result of the animal having a square-shaped anal sphincter or that creatures model their own feces, calling them “complete nonsense.”
“There were wonderful colorful hypotheses, but no one tested them,” he said.
A previous study noted that wombats, including children’s wombats, use tactically placed dumps to communicate with each other.
The study sparked online attention on Friday, with many wondering: What is a wombat? The animals live in Australia and Tasmania, generally weigh between 45 and 75 kilograms and feed on grass and roots.