[katieHaylor (OP)]

Andrew asks:

How do wombats produce cube-shaped droppings?

What do you think?

[jimbobghost]

I think you have too much time on your hands, if you are observing wombat droppings

[evan_au]

The ancestral Aborigines had to deal with an ancestral wombat - the diprotodon...
Weighing in at around 3 tons, keeping an eye on these guys would be a matter of life and death...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diprotodon

[jimbobghost]

especially if you were standing under one.

[guest45734]

I thought you were all talking sh1t, but as it turns out >

http://theconversation.com/why-do-wombats-do-cube-shaped-poo-55975

But how is cubic poo produced?
Wombat poo is cubic, not because the wombat has a square-shaped anus, but because it has a very long and slow digestive process, typically 14 to 18 days, which allows the digestive matter to become extremely dry and compacted. The wombat also has a very long digestive tract, allowing it to absorb the most nutrients and water from its food. The first part of their large intestine contains horizontal ridges that probably mould the poo into cubes, whereas the last part of the large intestine is relatively smooth, allowing the cubic shape to be maintained. The highly compacted nature of the poo means that the rectum is unable to contour the poo into the more usual tubular shape.
So, the wombat, with is nocturnal way of life, poor eyesight but excellent sense of smell, uses poo as its main way of telling who lives where and if there are any strangers in the area (thus avoiding conflict), and as a way of increasing its reproductive success. It produces cubic poo as a result of its diet and long digestion. And, the cubic poo is the perfect shape for sitting on top of rocks and logs as it doesn’t roll away. Poo can be clever, too.

[jimbobghost]

incredibly informative!
who knew there so much to know about wombat poo?
can't wait to impress my friends at our next cocktail party.

[jimbobghost]

I attempted to post a link to a similar subject on sloths, but was advised links were not acceptable.
however the link contained in a previous post was found :

how can i enable links?

[evan_au]

They don't look extremely cubic to me, but certainly flattened between segments.

This video features a home-made simulation of the wombat digestive system:

[jimbobghost]

had I realized how serious this subject was, I would not have been so snarky with my original post.
sorry.

[chris]

@jimbobghost

I attempted to post a link to a similar subject on sloths, but was advised links were not acceptable.
how can i enable links?

When you achieve sufficient posting seniority (it doesn't take too long) then you can post active links.

[jimbobghost]

thanks, got it.

[katieHaylor (OP)]

This question has now been answered, and you can listen to it here: https://www.thenakedscientists.com/podcasts/naked-scientists-podcast/scientific-shimmy-why-we-dance.

[GrizzlyBoom]

What an interesting thread lol