Wombat

Animals Unique | Wombat | The wombat is a medium sized marsupial is found only in That Australia and it's surrounding islands. Wombats are Burrowing Mammals That spend most of the day under ground, coming out at night to feed.

 

The common wombat is thought to be a descendant of the giant wombat That existed around 50 million years ago. The giant wombat's extinction is said to be Caused by changes to hunting and Including Their environment pollution and habitat loss.

The common wombat is a nocturnal herbivore and gets to about 26 years old in the wild wombat although some individuals have been known to live for longer in captivity. Wombats eats grasses, shoots and bark the which the wombat needs to keep gnawing on in order to keep it's continuously growing teeth at a manageable size.

 

Like all other marsupials, the female wombat has a warm pouch on it's belly in the which the wombat babies are nurtured for the first few months of life. When the first baby Wombats are born They are very small and undeveloped and crawl into the mother wombat's pouch almost Immediately. The baby wombat stays in the pouch of the mother until the baby wombat wombat is around 5 months old. By the time the baby wombat is roughly 7 months old, it is Able to care for Itself.

 

Wombats have long claws to dig the which They use Burrows. Wombat Burrows can easily Become an extensive network of underground tunnels leading to small chambers. Most Wombats are solitary animals but some Wombats have been known to form underground Wombats with other Colonies.

Wombats have a few natural predators Including foxes and Dingos. Although the wombat is Relatively defenceless when it is out and about, Wombats are Generally well protected in their underground Burrows as many predators can not follow the wombat into the narrow, complex tunnels.

 

Today the wombat is Considered to be an endangered species of animal. Wombat numbers have been decreasing rapidly due to habitat loss and hunting by Humans who believe the wombat and it's network of underground tunnels to be an agricultural pest.

Wombat Facts
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: mammals
Order: Diprotodontia
Family: Vombatidae
Genus: Vombatus
Scientific Name: Vombatus Ursinus
Type: Mammal
Diet: Herbivore
Size: 1-1.2m (39-47in)
Weight: 20-35kg (44-77lbs)
Top Speed: 40km / h (25mph)
Life Span: 20-26 years
Lifestyle: Solitary
Conservation Status: Endangered
Colour: Brown, Tan, Grey
Skin Type: Fur
Favourite Food: Grass
Habitat: Woodland and coastal shrub land
Average Litter Size: 1
Main Prey: Grass, shrubs, Roots
Predators: Dingo, Fox, Wild dogs
Special Features: Hairy nose and pouch to nurse young