I have been told, a while back, that wombats turds have a square cross-section. The reason for this was that wombats live in hilly places, and use their feces to mark their territory; square feces won’t roll away. For a few years, I gleefully used the fun fact, “Wombats have square turds, so they won’t roll away” to amaze and astound my friends. Lately, though, I’ve been wondering if this is true, since I really don’t know anything about wombats. Is this true? Are there any (other) animals with square turds?
Drop bears.
This site says wombats have “distinctive square droppings,” but doesn’t say why.
Thanks, scr4. One of the reasons I was doubtful about this fact was because I was searching for a confirmation of the “why” and couldn’t even find a site that mentioned droppings at all. Since square droppings seem to be a notable feature (at least to me), the omission seemed odd.
astro: What’s a “drop bear”?
You would have to conclude that it’s because of their distinctive square rectum.
I disagree. It would be more logical to conclude that the wombat has a distinctive square sphincter, the better to extrude the correct shape droppings, much like the Playdoh Fun Factory. In fact, I think the “wombat turd” angle is an excellent marketing ploy that Hasbro has yet to exploit.
I’d be interested to see a diagram or photo of the plumbing that creates a square turd. In the interest of stamping out ignorance, and all that. So far I have been unsuccessful. Anyone care to help?
Perhaps the least well understood but deadliest of native Australian fauna.
I actually came across Wombats several times, and even had the occasion to go to a preserve outside of Sydney where they nurse injured animals back to health. Not one person ever mentioned anything to us the whole time we were there about square turds which, I would think, would be the type of thing someone would mention to tourists…especially Americans who are such big fans of toilet humor.
I also had the pleasure of walking around a number of the wombat pens and while I don’t have the greatest sense of detail, I don’t know, something tells me a rectanglar turd with a square cross section would stand out.
I’m inclined to claim urban legend status on this one. It would seem to me that it would be more likely for a wombat to evolve a turd with sticky properties than evolve a shape that resists rolling. Even better, why not a wombat that always shits perpendicular to the hillside?
Oh, and I STILL don’t get the Drop Bear jokes…it this one of those snipe/ jack-a-lope type jokes?
You know, the first couple times I read this, I thought you meant that the wombats nursed other animals back to health. I was preparing to be amazed until I figured out what you actually meant.
But the site scr4 references mentions it, and the site looks pretty legit (unlike, uh, other sites).
I wasn’t able to find anything on square droppings myself, but scr4’s site looks respectable.
If anyone’s interested further perhaps a visit to a university library for this reference:
Hume, 1992. Digestive tract morphology and digestion in the wombats (Marsupiala: Vombatidae); Journal of Comparative Physiology B. Vol. 162:552-560.
…would turn up definitive info (sorry, but I don’t have the time & energy to persue this myself now), and maybe pictures for stolichnaya.
Disagree if you must.
“(1)…It is, like other muscles, always in a state of tonic contraction, and having no antagonistic muscle it keeps the anal canal and orifice closed. (2) It can be put into a condition of greater contraction under the influence of the will, so as more firmly to occlude the anal aperture, in expiratory efforts unconnected with defecation. (3) Taking its fixed point at the coccyx, it helps to fix the central point of the perineum, so that the Bulbocavernosus may act from this fixed point” -Grey’s anatomy
Furthermore, the fecal material exiting past the Sphincter last contacts the Superficial Fascia before dropping.
“Superficial Fascia.—The superficial fascia of this region consists of two layers, superficial and deep. 12
The superficial layer is thick, loose, areolar in texture, and contains in its meshes much adipose tissue, the amount of which varies in different subjects. In front, it is continuous with the dartos tunic of the scrotum; behind, with the subcutaneous areolar tissue surrounding the anus; and, on either side, with the same fascia on the inner sides of the thighs. In the middle line, it is adherent to the skin on the raphé and to the deep layer of the superficial fascia. 13
The deep layer of superficial fascia (fascia of Colles) (Fig. 405) is thin, aponeurotic in structure, and of considerable strength, serving to bind down the muscles of the root of the penis. It is continuous, in front, with the dartos tunic, the deep fascia of the penis, the fascia of the spermatic cord, and Scarpa’s fascia upon the anterior wall of the abdomen; on either side it is firmly attached to the margins of the rami of the pubis and ischium, lateral to the crus penis and as far back as the tuberosity of the ischium; posteriorly, it curves around the Transversi perinæi superficiales to join the lower margin of the inferior fascia of the urogenital diaphragm. In the middle line, it is connected with the superficial fascia and with the median septum of the Bulbocavernosus. This fascia not only covers the muscles in this region, but at its back part sends upward a vertical septum from its deep surface, which separates the posterior portion of the subjacent space into two.” - Grey’s anatomy.
I agree that Hasbro is missing the boat on a fun toy for the kiddies. But be careful. When the universe begins to contract, no telling how the stuff that came out through the jello molds will go back in.
That is way more than I ever wanted to know about the sewage plant. But thanks tc.
No, drop bears are legit. They’re just very rare (hence the status of legend). Occasionally there’s a sighting, or worse - an attack. I’m actually quite disgusted (but not too surprised) that the Australian Tourist Board doesn’t forewarn people about the dangers before they visit.
They don’t have square turds, however. Just fangs.
I live in Australia and I’ve never heard of drop bears. They sound like yet another fictitious Antipodean beast like bunyips and yowies.
AS for the wombats living in hilly country, that may be true in some places. However, wombats are a recognised traffic hazard on the Nullabor Plain - not too many hills there!