The exceptionally rectangular droppings of wombats are the result of a uniquely evolved gastrointestinal system — not a cube-shaped anus (that was the previous theory).
Research published in the Royal Society of Chemistry’s peer-reviewed journal
But it’s also the way in which their intestines are structured. When humans poop, food travels through the gut over the course of a day or two. A wombat, on the other hand, can take four times as long to extract all of the nutritional and water content, which makes their poop much dryer than humans.
But why might an animal need square poop to begin with? Wildlife experts suspect that it could be a social or communicative tool that helps wombats thrive and survive in their native southeastern Tasmanian habitat. Wombats will relieve themselves in large piles of poop known as “latrines” that help to mark the entrances to their underground burrows in much the same way as a street sign helps us find our neighbors.
Because of its square shape, wombat poop would be less likely to roll off and away from a latrine, further helping the animals communicate where they live and provide directions for visiting friends.
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