Did you know - Wombats excrete square faeces

@JudyEv (323706)
Rockingham, Australia
May 24, 2016 6:43pm CST
Did you know that wombats' faeces are cubic in shape? Rachel Lovejoy (@Raelove) wrote about pork sausage patties being too small to fill a breakfast bun nicely. And wouldn't it be nice if bacon was sold in round pieces. Which led me to think about square patties and rashers – and then it seemed it was a simple jump to think about cubic faeces. Wombats are found in most states of Australia.The cubic shape of the wombat's poo comes from the long, slow, digestive process. It takes 14 to 18 days for the wombat to draw every bit of nutrient and water from its food. Horizontal ridges in the first part of the large intestine contribute to the shape and the smoother surface of the latter part allows the cubic shape to remain. Because by this point the faeces are highly compacted, they are excreted as cubes. Contrary to what you might expect, the wombat does not have a square anus. They produce 80 to 100 cubes per night (wombats are nocturnal). Wombats, like most animals, gain all sorts of information from poo. It marks out their territory and the hormonal content lets males know when females are most fertile. Poo is often deposited on tops of rocks and logs and the cube shape means that mostly it stays where it is excreted and doesn't roll away. Other wombats are less likely to miss these territorial signs and possible confrontations are avoided. Here endeth the lesson.
37 people like this
43 responses
@much2say (53699)
• Los Angeles, California
25 May 16
We've learned a bit about wombats thanks to The Wiggles when the kids were little. But they never mentioned the square poop! I just looked up them up - oh they look like over roasted marshmallows that held its shape!
7 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 May 16
Are you talking about the poo or the wombat - looking like roasted marshmallows? Possibly both.
3 people like this
@much2say (53699)
• Los Angeles, California
25 May 16
@JudyEv Oh, I meant the poo! Wombats look like mutant koala bears!
4 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
26 May 16
@much2say Wombats do a bit, don't they?
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@DianneN (246452)
• United States
25 May 16
Lessons like this I do not need. It won't make for polite dinner conversation.
6 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 May 16
Don't you ever have impolite dinner conversations? Armed with this information, you'd be a hit at one of those.
5 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 May 16
@annaroselock You're very welcome!
2 people like this
• United Kingdom
25 May 16
@JudyEv Well it was interesting to know so thank you :')
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@LadyDuck (455017)
• Switzerland
25 May 16
Italian pancetta - as a matter of fact "round bacon".
I did not know about wombat, but I know that in Italy we produce bacon in round pieces. Here is a photo.
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@LadyDuck (455017)
• Switzerland
26 May 16
@JudyEv I imagine that they were very surprised for your request, thick prosciutto is not good.
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@DaddyEvil (137251)
• United States
26 May 16
@LadyDuck Oh! Thank goodness you said that was bacon! I thought you were going to tell us some animal crapped those out and I was going to go look it up and make sure you were pulling our legs! *DE wipes the fear sweat off his forehead!*
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@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
26 May 16
When we were in Rome we couldn't buy bacon as we know it. We ended up getting prosciutto and asked for it to be cut thicker than normal but they didn't really want to do this. However it was delicious.
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@DaddyEvil (137251)
• United States
26 May 16
???? Now that is a weird fact, Judy! Square poo! How original! (Oh, my! A thought just hit me square between the eyes! Don't get upset over this, please...) Uhm... When children first encounter the square feces, do they use them as Legos? Uhm... A name brand of snap together shapes used to build all kinds of things from houses to cars to people. Whatever a child can imagine can be built using legos. (Yes, I understand the poo doesn't have an interlocking design.) I am simply curious.
4 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137251)
• United States
26 May 16
@JudyEv Uhm... I have seen rabbit pellets used as marbles, though... That's the reason I was asking about the wombat chunks. LOL! (Nope! I am not kidding!)
3 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 May 16
@DaddyEvil I know a lady who made bracelets out of goat poo - and sold them! Gross I know but what I'd really like to know is how long the pebbles stayed solid.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
26 May 16
We don't have wombats in WA but I shouldn't imagine children would use them as Lego. They do use rabbit pellets as Chinese checkers though - just kidding!
2 people like this
@TheHorse (203765)
• Walnut Creek, California
25 May 16
That would be a first for me. When hiking I (and the kids I work with) always try to figure out what kind of animals have been there when we see poo. I don't think I've ever seen anything square or rectangular.
4 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137251)
• United States
26 May 16
@TheHorse What do you and the kids use for uhhh... necessities while hiking? I found a gif that you might like? I think it would be fabulously soft, probably softer than Charmin! Would you like to see this too, @JudyEv ?(covering my giggles with my hand!)
See Ted Huard's Animated Gif on Photobucket. Click to play
3 people like this
• Laguna Woods, California
27 May 16
@DaddyEvil - Ha Ha Ha!
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@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
26 May 16
From my research it seems it's only wombats that have an unusual shape. Roo poo (lovely phrase) is slightly elongated rather than perfectly round.
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@PainsOnSlate (21854)
• Canada
25 May 16
Your segue from food to poo made me laugh out loud . As I was reading this I pictured the children walking through the woods and seeing the poo thinking someone dropped candy..... I learned something new today! Thank you for the info and the laugh.
4 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137251)
• United States
27 May 16
@painsonslate LOL! You might like to go check out a couple of links I dropped onto Judy's thread... I dropped one in @Lucky15's box and one in @TheHorse's box on this thread. IDK if you will laugh at either one of them, but I sure did! (I am almost sure you will laugh, though!)
3 people like this
• Canada
27 May 16
@DaddyEvil Thanks for the heads up!
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 May 16
Poo fascinates kids doesn't it? I'm always pleased if I can con someone into a laugh!
3 people like this
@PatZAnthony (14752)
• Charlotte, North Carolina
25 May 16
Why would we ever need to know the shape? Oh-I know-for a Jeopardy question/answer!
3 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 May 16
I just wanted to help the process of filling everyone's minds with totally useless information. :) And maybe one day at a quiz night, you'll be the only person to know this.
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
25 May 16
cube poops? That is the oddest thing I have ever heard, wild!
3 people like this
• Centralia, Missouri
26 May 16
@JudyEv this still makes me giggle!
3 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
27 May 16
@Jessicalynnt Giggling is good. Did you read @DaddyEvil's contribution? Apparently polar bears yell when they poo. More giggles!
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@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
26 May 16
You don't need to learn anything else today. That's it!
2 people like this
• United States
25 May 16
well now, i didn't know ya was such a wombat poo 'xpert! lol, most interestin' indeed. heck they go more oft than the horses! i'm still tryin' to figure where yer mindset was, goin' from food to what comes 'fter. big hugs!!
4 people like this
• United States
26 May 16
@JudyEv there's no tellin', eh? still, quite'n informative piece. :D
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@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
26 May 16
I think it was the 'shape' mentions that led me to 'square'. Who knows??
3 people like this
@xFiacre (12538)
• Ireland
25 May 16
@judyev I wonder do the sharp edges cause problems - like shi**ing bricks!
4 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137251)
• United States
28 May 16
@pgntwo how sore do they make you feel if you swallow one and have to sh*t it in the wee small hours, pgn? I'm hoping you try this and let us know!
2 people like this
@pgntwo (22412)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
27 May 16
@JudyEv Lego, or Duplo, can be damned sore if stepped on with bare feet in the wee small hours...
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@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 May 16
I haven't heard that it's a problem for the wombat. And after all, they're only shi**ing little bricks!
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@pgntwo (22412)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
27 May 16
Which begs the question of what muscles the wombat has that permit the poo to emerge as cuboids without causing the animal pain... This reminds me of the reason that hens' eggs emerge pointy-end last when being laid... it stops the hole slamming shut with a bang!
3 people like this
@pgntwo (22412)
• Derry, Northern Ireland
28 May 16
@JudyEv I read that, was news to me... But things tend to move more slowly in the cold anyway...
3 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 May 16
@pgntwo You've lost me. I don't know this joke. :)
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@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 May 16
The cuboids aren't that big. Maybe they yell like the polar bears do - check @DaddyEvil's links if you don't know what I'm talking about!
3 people like this
@norcal (4890)
• Franklinton, North Carolina
24 May 16
Hmm.. OK, I never knew that.
3 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 May 16
Your education is now more complete than it once was.
2 people like this
@Lucky15 (37346)
• Philippines
25 May 16
It is one interesting animal. With their poo, never thought that there is something like that ;)
3 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137251)
• United States
26 May 16
@JudyEv I checked and the wombat is, indeed, the only animal with square poo! I did find something else that was funny, though, @Lucky15 and @pgntwo Try this link:
Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet.
5 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 May 16
Maybe it is unique in having square poo.
2 people like this
@Lucky15 (37346)
• Philippines
25 May 16
@JudyEv they are indeed unique ;)
4 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
25 May 16
Good to know........... I think lol.
3 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137251)
• United States
27 May 16
@fishtiger58 You might like to go through this thread from the top! I have added a few links that make interesting (and funny) reading! Just sayin'!
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
26 May 16
You never know. One day you might need it in a quiz! :) And then you'll thank me!
3 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
29 May 16
@JudyEv @DaddyEvil Thanks Judy lol I shall thank you if ever I have the opportunity to divulge my current knowledge about Wombats. Thanks Evil I will give those a look.
2 people like this
• South Africa
26 May 16
I love how people think they cute, when actually they will maul your face off. xD
2 people like this
• South Africa
29 May 16
@JudyEv Hehe ^^ It is their self defense mechanism to lure the prey in with adorable looks
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 May 16
@XtremeGaming Yes, I guess that's it. :)
@gudheart (12659)
25 May 16
That is interesting, never knew that! Thanks for the poo lesson!!
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 May 16
Glad to be of assistance.
1 person likes this
• United Kingdom
25 May 16
2 people like this
@Inlemay (17714)
• South Africa
27 May 16
well now that is fascinating information - I have never seen a wombat - but I have a postcard from one of my Exchange students with a wombat.
2 people like this
@Inlemay (17714)
• South Africa
29 May 16
@JudyEv its strange as well
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@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
28 May 16
Glad you found it fascinating! There are some wonderful things to learn isn't there?
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@DeborahDiane (39965)
• Laguna Woods, California
25 May 16
That was fascinating. I don't think I have ever given much thought to animal poo before!
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@DaddyEvil (137251)
• United States
27 May 16
Would you like to give more thought to poo, @DeborahDiane? LOL! I dropped two links onto Judy's thread, somewhere. They are really cute if you want to get a giggle or two. LOL!
1 person likes this
• Laguna Woods, California
27 May 16
@DaddyEvil - Thanks! I check out your links!
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@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 May 16
There is a lot to be learnt from poo!
2 people like this
@miniam (9154)
• Bern, Switzerland
25 May 16
You always have really informative posts,thanks so much.I have never heard of Wombats,the image above looks like a mouse or a rabit(lol)maybe those are the English words i know but it really lok like a rabbit.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
25 May 16
It seems everyone knows about the kangaroo and the koala but the wombat is equally interesting. It is more like a small pig in size - much bigger than a rabbit.
2 people like this
@miniam (9154)
• Bern, Switzerland
25 May 16
@JudyEv Thanks for clearing things up.
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25 May 16
Does that mean they have square bum holes? :)
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137251)
• United States
28 May 16
@JudyEv (323706)
• Rockingham, Australia
26 May 16
No. The poo is so dry it is still square when it is excreted.
1 person likes this