A Few FACTS about Wombats

Small yet powerful creatures

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  Wombats use their claws to dig burrows in open grasslands and eucalyptus forests. They live in these burrows, which can become extensive tunnel-and-chamber complexes.

• Common wombats are solitary and inhabit their own burrows, while other species may be more social and live together in larger burrow groups called colonies.

• Wombats are nocturnal and emerge to feed at night on grasses, roots, and bark. They have rodent like incisors that never stop growing and are gnawed down on some of their tougher vegetarian fare.

Why they are endangered?

• The field and pasture damage caused by wombat burrowing can be a destructive nuisance to ranchers and farmers.

• Wombats have been hunted for this behaviour, as well as for their fur and simply for sport. Some species (the northern hairy-nosed wombats) are now critically endangered, while others (the common or coarse-haired wombat) are still hunted as vermin.

• Space for all wombats is at a premium as farm and ranch lands increasingly replace natural space.

Some cool facts about wombats are as follows:

• The average wombat is about 1 meter (40 inches) long and weighs about 25 kg.

• Wombats can live from about 5 years to over 30 years.

• Wombats can be anything from a sandy colour to brown or black to grey.

• They live in large burrows up to 30 meters (100 feet) long.

• They eat mainly grasses and roots and are nocturnal grazers.