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Common Wombat |
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Habitat Dry and wet forest, woodland and coastal heath. Common Predators Tasmanian Devils and Wedge-tailed Eagles. Common threats to wombats are habitat destruction, competition with introduced animals and road accidents. What Is a Wombat?The Common Wombat is the largest burrowing herbivorous (plant eating) mammal. It is so good at burrowing that early settlers called it a 'badger'. Their burrows can extend 20 or 30 metres below the ground. Burrows are usually made by digging into a hillside or creek bank. They use their strong front legs with short flattened claws to dig with and their back legs to push the loose earth and rocks away.
Wombats grow to an average of 1 metre in length and 27kilograms in weight, although they can reach up to 1.3 metres and 36 kilograms. They are solidly built marsupials with a squat, round, bear like body, small ears and eyes, and a large naked nose. Their thick, coarse fur varies in colour from sandy brown to grey and black, and is sometimes flecked with fawn. Apart from the Common Wombat, there are two other species of Wombat found in Australia. The Southern Hairy-Nosed Wombat and the endangered Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat. The closest relative of the Wombat is the Koala. Wombats are a solitary animal in the wild. They are possessive about their particular feeding grounds which they mark by leaving scent trails and droppings around the boundaries. They confront intruding wombats with a series of snorts, screeches and even a chase. Generally only one Wombat inhabits a burrow; however the overlap of home ranges does occasionally result in interconnecting burrows and a number of Wombats using the same burrow. Where Does a Wombat Live?The Wombat is found throughout most of Australia. It inhabits coastal scrub and heath, dry or wet forest and woodland. Wombats are mainly nocturnal, spending most of the day sleeping in a burrow, however they have been known to dig a depression in the ground and lie in the morning sun. At night wombats come out to graze when temperatures are lower. They graze and forage for 3 to 8 hours, travelling many kilometres and visiting up to four burrows within their home range to rest. As part of their daily activity, they enjoy is to rub themselves against logs or branches. If used often enough, these rubbing posts can be recognised by their worn or polished appearance. What Does a Wombat Eat?Being a herbivore, the diet of the Wombat is composed entirely of plant material. Its main food is native grass, although shrubs, roots, sedges, bark, moss and herbs are also eaten. When food is scarce, they may dig up clumps of dead grass and eat the roots. A Wombat's Family LifeWombats reach maturity at two years, which is about the age they begin breeding. Although the Wombat may breed at any time of the year, mating most often occurs during winter. 30 days after mating the newborn wombat arrives weighing only 1 gram and less than 3 centimetres in length. After birth, the newborn crawls into the mother's pouch. The young wombat will stay in the pouch for 6 months. A wombat's pouch faces backwards, designed so that it doesn't fill up with soil when burrowing. When the young wombat is old enough to leave the pouch, it still remains close to its mother for another 12 months, ready to take refuge if threatened. Due to the long period of time that young wombats are dependent on their mother, wombats only rear 1 young every 2 years. A Wombat's natural predators are Tasmanian Devils and Wedge-tailed Eagles, although the major threat to Wombats are habitat destruction, competition with introduced animals such as cattle, sheep and rabbits and road accidents. The rump of the wombat is covered by a very tough, thick skin. When threatened, a wombat will dive into a nearby burrow or hollow log, using its rump as protection from the teeth and claws of its attacker. If the attacker follows the wombat into the burrow it will be crushed against the ceiling of the burrow. A Wombat generally lives for up to 5 years in the wild and up to 27 years in captivity. |
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Want to Know More?www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au (click on native animal fact sheets / wombat) |
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