Wombat Facts

A wombat is a large pudgy marsupial that is native to Australia and nearby islands. The young ones crawl to their mother’s pouch and live there for about five months before they grow up and start living of their own. Wombats generally live in burrows that they dig using their sharp claws. The marsupials are herbivorous in nature and feed on grasses, roots, and bark. Wombats are nocturnal animals that usually come out of their hideaways at night to feed. These marsupials are often a nuisance to farmers and ranchers as they destroy their crops and fields. Wombats are often hunted and killed as they are considered to be pests. Plus, they are also hunted by poachers for their fur. Extensive wombat killing has made certain species (northern hairy nosed wombats) endangered. Moreover, increasing ranch lands have replaced their natural habitats. If you want to know more interesting facts about the little animals, then read through this article to learn more.

Facts About Wombats

• The sharp incisor teeth of the wombats are meant for biting and chewing tough grasses.
• Wombats vary in color, from brown and gray, to black.
• Wombats have relatively larger brains compared to other marsupials.
• The burrow of a wombat is an extensive tunnel-and-chamber complex.
• Wombats usually live a solitary life.
• Female wombats give birth to one single baby wombat, in the spring, after a gestation period of about 21 days.
• The wombat pouch is faces back so that the young ones are protected from dirt when the mother wombat digs burrow.
• Presence of wombats can be confirmed by their characteristic cubic scat.
• Wombats are quite heavy and an angry wild wombat can easily knock an average-sized adult over.
• Three varieties of wombats are usually seen in the wild. These include the ‘common wombat’, ‘northern hairy-nosed wombat’, and ‘southern hairy-nosed wombat’.
• Wombats can attack men fiercely and have the capability to severely wound men with their strong muscular claws as well as bites.
• A common wombat's tunnel normally has only a single exit, but beneath it may they may have numerous branches.
• The total length of a wombat’s tunnel may measure up to 650 feet.
• The hairy-nosed wombat's nose is covered with fur and so appears hairy.
• In the dry winter season, Northern hairy-nosed wombats feed for about 6 hours every night, and 2 hours every night in the summer season. Their feeding range varies from season to season, ranging to 15 acres in the dry season and 7.5 acres in the wet season. The feeding range of males and females may overlap, even as females usually prefer a range independent of other females.
• Wombats can be tamed under captivity.
• Both male and female wombats are almost similar in appearance, with the only visible difference being the shorter height, thicker neck and stockier shoulders of the males.
• Yaminon (northern hairy nosed wombat) is the largest known burrowing animal, apart from being one of the world’s largest mammals.