Wombats are quirky, burrowing marsupials known for their sturdy bodies, powerful legs, and distinctive slow, waddling gait. They are typically about 1 meter (3.3 feet) long, weigh up to 40 kg (88 lbs) and have soft, light brown to black fur, broad snouts, thick whiskers, wombats. Although they have small eyes and limited vision, wombats have exceptional senses of smell and hearing, along with the ability to detect even the faintest ground vibrations. Often thought of as slow-moving creatures, wombats can actually sprint at speeds of up to 40 km/h. This is almost as fast as Usain Bolt, the fastest human, who reached 44kph.

These nocturnal animals spend the majority of their time resting in the safety of burrows they dig with their sharp claws. While shy and solitary, wombats aren't afraid to defend themselves if threatened, and may grunt or even attack when cornered. One of their most remarkable features is their cube-shaped poop,(faeces), an oddity in the animal kingdom.

Closely related to the koala, wombats are the smartest marsupials, with an impressive ability to navigate their underground tunnels. Their fascinating behaviours and abilities make them one of Australia’s most intriguing and endearing wildlife species.

---

Wombat's Remarkable Defence: Its Deadly Butt

Wombats have a unique defence mechanism — its their buts! Their extremely tough rear ends are made up of fused bony plates covered in cartilage, fat, and thick skin. When threatened, a wombat will point its well-padded rear at an attacker, using its “shield” to protect itself. If a predator gets too close, the wombat will flee to the nearest burrow and block the burrow entrance with its rump, preventing the predator from following it in. In dire situations, wombats have been known to defend themselves by smashing an attacker's head against the roof or wall of the burrow with their hard well-protected rump.

Click here for an excellent explanation and video of a wombat attack

---

Wombat's Cube-Shaped Poop

One of the most peculiar and fascinating characteristics of wombats is their cube-shaped poop.

Unlike most animals, wombats produce approximately 100 six-sided, 2cm cubes of faeces each day. Their unique shape prevents the poop from rolling away and it helps wombats mark their territory and helping wombats find their burrows in the dark. The poop also advertises their age, sex, sexual maturity, and health status to other wombats.

Here is an excellent explanation and video about Wombat's Cube-Shaped Poop

---

Wombats Species

There are three species of wombat: the Common Wombat and two species of Hairy-nosed Wombats.

Common Wombat (Vombatus ursinus)

The common wombat, also known as a bare-nosed wombat, has a bare, pointed nose, small ears, and coarse brown fur. It has short ears, a narrow snout, rough fur, and no hair in its nose. Its front paws are more dexterous than that of the hairy-nosed variety. Common wombats weigh between 22–39kg. They are nocturnal during the summer, but in winter, they often come out of their burrows during the day to feed and sun themselves.

Hairy-nosed Wombat (Two Types)

There are two types of Hairy-nosed wombats. They have larger ears, a hairier noses, slightly longer heads with squarer snouts, and softer fur compared to the common wombat. These wombats are genetically very different from their distant cousins, the common wombats. Hairy-nosed wombats receive sufficient moisture from their diet and do not need to drink.

Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus krefftii) is the largest of the three species of wombats, measuring up to a meter in length and weighing up to 32 kilos. The female is larger than the male. They are only found in a very small area of Queensland and are critically endangered. Only about 100 survive in the wild. They were once found throughout the arid inland parts of Victoria and up to Queensland.

Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons) is the smallest of the wombat species. An adult weighing about 23 kilos and the male is larger than the female. They prefer the coastal and high country of south-eastern Australia and are the most adapted to arid climates.

---

A Curious Wombat Fact

Did You Know: Even though wombat species are related, the hairy-nosed wombat is genetically very different from the common wombat. Their genetic codes are around 8% different. This difference in genes is higher than between humans and chimpanzees, which is only 2% different.

Learn How the Wombat Got Its Name

---

Wombat Habitat: Where Do They Live?

Wombats live in temperate forests, grasslands, and eucalypt woodlands across eastern Australia, southern Australia, and parts of Tasmania. Wombats are territorial and solitary, often marking their territory with their distinct faeces and scent glands. Wombat ranges may overlap, but they do not actively defend their territories; they just keep out of each other's way.

Common Wombat: Found in temperate forests and grasslands of eastern Australia. (Red areas of the map).

Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat: Only found in a small area of east-central Queensland in semi-arid grasslands and eucalypt woodlands. (Little purple dot on the map).

Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat: Only lives in parts of southern South Australia and south-western Western Australia in semi-arid grasslands and eucalypt woodlands. (Green area on the map).

---

Wombat - Burrow: The Wombat's Home

A wombat is very fond of its burrows, which can be up to 20m long and include as many as 50 entrances and offer shelter from predators, extreme temperatures, and bushfires. These tunnels feature multiple entrances and sleeping quarters.

---

Wombat Diet: What Do Wombats Eat?

Wombats are herbivores, primarily feeding on grasses, roots, tree bark, and succulent plants. They are nocturnal grazers, coming out at night to feed, although during cooler months, they may forage during the day.

Wombats have a prolonged digestive process. Food can take up to 8 days to pass through its gut. This enables the wombats to extract the maximum energy and moisture from their generally poor-quality diet.

---

Wombat Reproduction & Life Cycle: Baby Wombat

Wombats usually breed between October and January. After mating, the female's gestation lasts around 20-30 days. The tiny joey, which is no larger than a jelly bean at birth, crawls into its mother's backward-facing pouch.

The joey remains in the pouch for 6-10 months before becoming more independent. Wombats reach sexual maturity at around 2 years of age and can live up to 15 years in the wild.

---

Wombats Threats and Predators

The major threats to the wombat today are land clearing, motor vehicle impacts, dingoes, foxes, and dogs. Until the mid 20th century, wombats were considered as pests because of their burrowing, damage they caused to fencing and grazing competition with pastoral livestock. There were bounties for killing wombats.

---

Is the Wombat Endangered?

While the common wombat and southern hairy-nosed wombat are not considered endangered, the northern hairy-nosed wombat is critically endangered, with only around 100 individuals left in the wild. The major threats to wombats include:
• Habitat loss due to land clearing and urban development.
• Predators like foxes and dingoes.
• Vehicle collisions and livestock competition for food.

Wombats are protected in most parts of Australia, and conservation efforts are focused on preserving their habitats and increasing their populations.

---

How the Wombat Got its Name

Early European settlers referred to these animals as badgers because they were about the same size and behaved like that animal back in Europe. A white settler, named John Price first wrote about this animal in 1798 and called it a 'Whom-batt'. He was using a name used by the Dharuk Aboriginal people who once lived in the area that is now the city of Sydney. They called this animal a 'wambad'.

---

Wombats as Pets: Why They're Not a Good Idea

While wombats may appear cute, they are not suitable pets. These wild animals are solitary, territorial, and can become aggressive as they age. They also have sharp claws and strong jaws, making them dangerous if provoked. Furthermore, it is illegal to keep wombats as pets in most parts of Australia.

---

The Extinct Giant Wombat: Diprotodon

One of the most evocative extinct creatures to have lived in Australia is the Giant Wombat. These creatures, also known as Diprotodon, were massive, measuring up to two meters in length, weighing 180-250 kgs, and as tall as an adult human. However, unlike their smaller present-day contemporaries, these animals didn't burrow into the ground. Instead, they lived an above-ground life. Fossil records suggest that these massive wombats went extinct around 40,000 years ago. Two theories have been put forward for their extinction. The first is climate change, where Australia became drier and more arid depriving these huge animals of their food supply. The second is that early Aborigines may have hunted down these huge, slow-moving animals hastening their extinction.