About Common Wombats
Common Name    Common Wombat
Scientific Name   Vombatus ursinus

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's 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.

About Southern
Hairy-nosed Wombats
Common Name     Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat
Scientific Name    Lasiorhinus latifrons
 

Differs in appearance from the Common Wombat by having  softer, silky, grey fur and white hair on its nose.  The Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat is a communal species with extensive burrow systems inhabited by five to ten animals of both sexes.

Food
Feeds at night on grasses, herbs and the roots of shrubs.  Rarely has access to water.

Breeding
A single young is born between late September and December and remains in the female's pouch for six to nine months.  Weaning occurs at approximately 12 months of age.

Habitat
Confined to semi-arid areas of South Australia the south-east corner of Western Australia.

Meet a wombat

Wombat Fact Sheet

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