WOMBATS

HAIRY NOSED
WOMBAT

Wombats look like a small bear. They have thick bodies, small eyes and a big flattened head. Their short legs are powerful with sharp claws useful for digging. The wombats are nocturnal and live in a burrows.

Their body measures about 1 meter long and has short hairs. They belong to the marsupial species.

The marsupial pouches of digging animals, such as the wombat, open backwards to prevent the baby being showered with soil.

Wombats living in semi-arid shrublands in SouthAustralia and are well established. They have hairy noses in contrast to the common wombat.

Hairy-nosed Wombats living in the North of Australia are in danger of extinction. Conservationists think there  might be only 20 species left in the wild.

COMMON WOMBAT

In contrast, the common wombat living in Queensland and eastern Victoria are thriving. They live on slopes, creeks and gullies which has a sub-humid climate amongst eucalyptus forests.

The animals have very strong teeth which enables them to break-up the tough, fibrous grasses. It is the wombats diet.

Wombats do not fight and have stable social relationship. Their territory measures anything between 2.5 to 2.4ha depending on the habitat.

All wombat species are protected apart from the common wombat living in eastern Victoria.