Why Do Wombats Have Cube-Shaped Poop?

Wombats, one of Australia's unique animal species, are squat and surprisingly strong creatures that snuffle around the Australian bush. Oh, and their poop is cube-shaped. Whaaat? Continue reading to find out why on Earth wombats poop out little cubes. If you're after more animal stories, watch these pandas frolic in the snow.

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via Science Mag

Scientists have been baffled about the reason why wombats have such unnaturally shaped poop - until just a few days ago.
It turns out that wombat's poop is shaped in the last 17% of its intestines, which are curved into angles and corners. The last part of the intestinal tract is stiffer than the rest of it, meaning that there is more force to shape the poop. This, plus the fact that wombat poop is very dry, means that as the poop is pushed around the corners of the intestines, it retains its shape.
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via Science News

In discovering the reason why wombats poop out cubes, scientists also figured out that the more cube-shaped the poop, the healthier the wombat. So next time you're walking through the bush, keep an eye out for those little cubes that mean a healthy wombat is nearby.

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science news science beaches australia australian science tu45lsi8 funny animals

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