According to foreign media New Atlas, in addition to being known for its block-like feces, wombats also unfortunately suffer from arc scabies. To better understand how the mites that cause scabies spread between wombats, scientists have developed a cave exploration robot.
Wombats are predominantly nocturnal animals that sleep during the day in burrows they dig into the ground. They change their caves every 4 to 10 days, usually just moving into different caves that have previously been dug by another wombat. It is thought that when wombats exchange caves in this way, the parasites that cause scabies may move between wombats.
Researchers at Loxo university in Australia and the University of Tasmania wanted to see how likely this was, so they developed a new robot. The battery-powered device, known as the WomBot, is 30 centimeters (11.8 inches) long and weighs 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) and moves at a top speed of 0.15 meters (0.5 ft/s) per second.
It is also equipped with temperature and humidity sensors, as well as front and rear cameras and LED lights. Live video of these cameras is forwarded to the human operator above via a connected Ethernet cable. In addition, the clip on the front of the robot allows the data recording sensor to be placed inside the cave and subsequently retrieved.
"The study of wombat caves was challenging because they were narrow, muddy, could be tens of meters long, and contained steep sections and sharp turns," said Dr Robert Roth of Le Troube University, corresponding author of the study paper. "WomBot allows us to enter and explore these caves without having to destroy them or use expensive ground-penetrating radar. This could help us better understand the environmental conditions within the cave that may facilitate the spread of arc scabies ringworm. ”
In September 2020, the robot was used to explore 30 wombat caves in Tasmania. The results found that the average temperature inside these caves was 15 ºC (59 ºF) and the average relative humidity was 85%. According to previous studies, mites grow at about 10 ºC (50 ºF) and 75 to 95 percent relative humidity, conditions similar to those inside caves.
Based on these data, scientists now believe that female scabies mites can survive at the entrance of the cave for 9 to 10 days, or within the cave for 16 to 18 days, and spread from one wombat's occupant to the next.
Ross said: "Our findings suggest that environmental conditions within wombat caves may facilitate the spread of scabies by promoting the survival of mites." WomBot could potentially be used to help reduce the spread of arc scabies by providing pesticides or by ensuring that caves are empty before temporary heating in order to eliminate mites. ”
The paper was recently published in the journal SN Applied Science.