The first European encounter with wombats in 1797 turned out to be unfortunate for the humans and much worse for the wombats. Shipwrecked on Preservation Island near Tasmania after the sinking of the Sydney Cove, sailors dined on the tough, sinuous meat of the wombat, a creature they likened to a badger or a bear. We now know that wombats are one of the largest burrowing animals in the world, weighing up to 40 kilograms.
Generations of these marsupials build and add to complex burrow systems that can be up to 30 metres (100 feet) long with several entrances. These humid burrows are where wombats take refuge during the heat of the day, allowing them to conserve water and energy. In fact, a wombat抯 metabolic rate at rest is 30% slower than most marsupials.
Having rootless teeth that grow continuously throughout life, their diet of sandy, native grasses, help to grind down their teeth.
Mating occurs inside the burrow and must be performed while lying on their side. One baby is born and develops in a backward opening pouch, just like a koala. During severe drought the hairy-nosed wombats have the ability to stop ovulating and forming sperm.
Despite their clumsy appearance wombats are quite remarkable animals. They are able to scamper up to 40 km/hour (25mph) over short distances. Their strong rump helps defend against predators (foxes & dingoes) by crushing their head on the roof of their burrow. Furthermore, research at the Heidelberg University in Germany by Prof. Heinz Moeller found that wombats have the best-developed brain of any marsupial and are relatively quick to learn.
Wombat
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