The Wombat (Vombatus ursinus)

The Common Wombat

These are widespread and a favourite animal unless of course you happen to hit one in your car at night on a country road. They are the size of a pig and very solidly built.

The common wombat  lives in burrows in the forest and bushland areas of Australia in Tasmania, Eastern Victoria, and along the Eastern ranges in NSW to Queensland. It has very strong claws and muscular thick legs to help in its digging. It has no natural enemies and can even survive smaller bush fires in its underground burrow. There are three main varieties, the common wombat, the Southern Hairy nosed wombat and the Northern hairy nosed wombat. The latter is very nearly extinct.

In the winter in colder areas they move more slowly, and in snow covered areas will seek out the grass that is found at the base of snow gums. They waddle slowly through deep snow until they get to the tree and can have a feed of grass. 

Their diet is herbivorous and consists of roots, shoots and leaves. They emerge in late afternoon for scavenging in the evening and throughout the night. During the day they return to their burrows and go to sleep sometimes lying on their backs with their four feet sticking up in the air!

Amazing Animal Fact: Wombats can often sleep with their four feet sticking up in the air!

They actually make nice little pets that can live under the house, although they are not compatible with gardens. These wild animals are also not afraid of humans, and have often been found in national park camping grounds living in the bushes next to camp sites.

In their natural environment they have no predators. They can however in warmer areas carry a lot of ticks.

The hairy noised wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons) is adapted to living in the plains of South Australia and in the South West corner of Western Australia. It is similar in appearance to the other wombats but it also has a short tail which the common wombat does not have. It can survive without water which it gets from plant material. The single young is 2 cms at birth, which then goes to the mother’s backward facing pouch for the next twenty or so weeks. After this it starts to venture outside and sample adult food while still taking milk from its mother. It will be driven out of its mothers burrow about two years after this.

The Northern hairy Nosed Wombat is confined to one national park of about 3300 hectares near Epping in Queensland.

Further Information on the Common Wombat:

Bibliography:
Unavailable.