Why wombat poop is shaped like a cube

[Clive_T]

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2021/01/28/why-wombat-poop-is-shaped-like-a-cube.html

…

[RickMycroft]

Wombat shits bricks, leaves.

[Papasan]

That’s on my bucket list.

[AnthonyI]

Australian charcoal?

[Papasan]

I hear it smells like sh!t?

[tyroney]

So groovy colons?

[IQslump]

Actually, they can produce poop in a round form, they just like the attention.

[FGD135]

Song About Wombat Poop

[aLynHall]

My glance at the headline had me clicking to learn about womp rat poop. I thought I’d missed something in the Mandalorian.

[deedub]

You ever see a Playdoh Fun Factory? That’s how they do it.

[Tamsin_Bailey]

Never gamble with a wombat, they’re too good at craps.

[derioderio]

I’m not going to go through the paywall to read the full article, but at least the synopsis in the post doesn’t answer the question in the title. It explains how the wombat’s poop becomes cubic, but not why: i.e. what is the evolutionary advantage for having cubic poop?

[johnnyFresh]

I was guessing square arseholes. Not too far off.

[IQslump]

Cubes are more efficient for shipping; it’s in their contract with Hershey’s.

[chgoliz]

@derioderio

I’m not going to go through the paywall to read the full article, but at least the synopsis in the post doesn’t answer the question in the title. It explains how the wombat’s poop becomes cubic, but not why : i.e. what is the evolutionary advantage for having cubic poop?

That just leaves one mystery: why wombats evolved cubic poop in the first place. Hu speculates that because the animals climb up on rocks and logs to mark their territory, the flat-sided feces aren’t as likely to roll off from these high perches.

[Brainspore]

[Akimbo_NOT]

the flat-sided feces aren’t as likely to roll off from these high perches.

Said the Valley Wombats: “Thanks guys!”

[TomPoston]

@Papasan

smells like sh!t

Shit³

[Papasan]

Or Shit squared [2]…

[Albie_from_oz]

Colloquially known as “Bushman’s dice”.