This scatological discovery is “molded” to become big for the animal world!
Scientists have unraveled the mystery behind why wombats defecate bizarre, cube-shaped pellets and link them to the animal’s super-long and rigid gut, according to a new study.
New research shows that the short-legged marsupials get several dumps, resembling pieces of barbecue charcoal, because their intestines stretch up to 10 meters in length – about 10 times their body length, according to a report published Thursday in the journal Soft Matter.
According to the study by researchers at the University of Tasmania, it takes four days for the 1-meter-long beast to expel waste from its 10-meter intestines, creating boxy-shaped feces when their muscles contract and it dries in parts of the fat. intestine.
“Naked-nosed wombats are known for producing distinctive cube-shaped cats. This ability to form relatively uniform, clean-cut feces is unique in the animal kingdom, ”said Dr. Scott Carver, a wildlife ecologist from the University of Tasmania, said in a statement.
“The rhythmic contractions help form the sharp corners of the cubes … Our research found that these cubes form in the last 17 percent of the colon,” he added.
Carver penned previous theories that wombat poo is the result of the animal having a square anal sphincter, or the creatures themselves making up their feces, calling the concepts “ complete nonsense. ”
“There were wonderfully colorful hypotheses, but no one had tested it,” he said.
A previous study found that wombats, including baby wombats, use tactically placed dumps to communicate with each other.
The research drew attention online Friday, with many wondering, what is a wombat? The animals live in Australia and Tasmania, generally weigh between 45 and 75 pounds, and feed on grass and roots.