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Scientists Solve Mystery Of Why Wombats Have Cube Shaped Poo

Scientists Solve Mystery Of Why Wombats Have Cube Shaped Poo

The square-shaped stuff is said to be a way to assist communication

Rebecca Shepherd

Rebecca Shepherd

You might not know (until now, that is) but when wombats use the toilet, they produce cube-shaped faeces. This is something that's always been a mystery... until now.

The square form is believed to begin within the final 17 percent of the intestine, meaning it doesn't make the shape upon exit as was originally thought to be the case.

Here it is...
PA

Now, research published in a scientific journal - which is aptly named Soft Matter - explains that the shape may be to do with communication and not wanting it to roll away. Clever little devils.

Dr Scott Carver, one of the authors of the research paper, said there were a few hypotheses that hadn't been tested.

He explained that there was speculation that the animals had square-shaped anus sphincters (nice) and he also called another suggestion 'complete nonsense' which claims that wombats pat the poo into shape following deposition.

PA

When Carver was asked why wombats have this feature he said that a theory was to do with their strong sense of smell meaning that they communicate via the faeces and the cube shape prevents it from rolling away.

If you fancied learning more about animal crap, did you know penguins can shoot poo out of their rectums? Well now ya do.

They can also shoot it out with such ferocity that the little guys can send their faeces more than four feet away.

Who? Me?
PA

Researchers in Japan found that the rectal pressure stored up in the flightless birds reaches 28 kilopascals and can send their droppings around 1.2 metres away, with the stinky business travelling at around 4.5 mph.

The study was led by Hiroyuki Tajima of Kochi University and Fumiya Fujisawa of Katsurahama Aquarium, and set out to find how far Humboldt penguins could fire their poo.

The paper says: "The flying distance of penguin's faeces reaches about 0.4 metres [1.3 feet] even on the ground."

However, with these penguins typically nesting on rocks more than six-foot high, it means their droppings could pose a threat to zookeepers below.

And the paper warned staff to be extra cautious when approaching these animals, for fear that they could be struck.

The study adds: "We found that penguin keepers should keep a distance of longer than 1.34 metres [4.4 feet] from penguins trying to eject faeces in the Katsurahama aquarium."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Community, Animals