Wombat – “Burrowing Mammal”

Mammals are warm-blooded vertebrate animals that feed their young milk. All bar the platypus and echidna also reproduce by live birth. Humans are mammals. The Australian collection of mammal animals is unique in the world and quite wonderful. A member of our Australian mammal family, the wombat, is a chubby, waddling, lovable little dude and a very close relative of our koala – seriously! But, rather than spend all day in the trees, the wombat lives on the ground and loves to burrow beneath it. It is one of the largest burrowing mammals in the world, and despite its size, can run around 40km/h!

They have cubed-shaped poo 🤣, possibly because digestion is such a long and slow process for them at 14-18 days, absorbing as much moisture and nutrients as possible. They can weigh up to 36 kilos and live up to 30 years. They eat grass, bark, and roots. As a group, they are known as a WISDOM of wombats. They can also be referred to as a colony, a mob, or a herd.

Our wombat has 3 species, the ‘Southern-hairy-nosed’ and ‘Northern-hairy-nosed’ wombat, which curiously have no hair ON their nose, just in it, and the ‘Bare-nosed’ or ‘Common’ wombat found mainly in Tasmania. The Northern wombat is critically endangered and considered one of the rarest mammals in the world, while the Southern is close to endangered as well due mainly to deforestation. The common wombat likes to live in wet forests and shrublands while the Southern prefers arid habitats.

They are friendly, curious, and playful with us in captivity.