Wombat: The pouched digger with cube-shaped droppings

The wombat is a roly-poly little bruiser that looks gentle but is a champion digger. It hides two secrets that make people curious: why does its pouch open backwards, and why are its droppings square? Let's meet this fascinating Australian resident.

Its body

The wombat is stocky, with short, powerful limbs and strong claws that make digging very efficient. Its pouch opens backwards — and that matters: while it digs, soil cannot fall into the pouch and bury the joey. It can graze on grasses and roots for three to eight hours a night, so its belly is always round.

Two curious secrets

How do cube-shaped droppings form? Researchers found the wombat's intestine has uneven stiffness, which shapes the contents into cubes near the end. Cubes do not roll away, which is handy for stacking droppings on rocks as territory markers.

What are the tunnels for? Wombat tunnel networks can reach 30 metres. They are not only the wombat's own home — during bushfires, other small animals have been found sheltering inside wombat burrows.

Where it is found

Wombats live in south-eastern Australia and Tasmania. It is a marsupial, and its baby grows in the pouch. Its range is shrinking, and it needs protection.

A note for grown-ups

"Cube-shaped droppings" is guaranteed to make a child laugh. Use the moment to explain that when scientists study animals, even droppings are an important clue. Staying curious and willing to observe anything is exactly what a scientist does.