Hairy-Nosed Wombats

As we all know by now, there are 3 species of Wombats. Among these 3 species, 2 of them are hairy-nosed varieties. They are Northern Hairy-nosed wombat also known as Yaminon and the Southern Hairy-nosed wombat. They are called Hairy-nosed because they have hairy-noses.

The Northern Hairy-nosed wombat is found across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland. The Yaminon is one of the rarest large mammal in the world and is now classified to be critically endangered. The Northern Hairy-nosed wombat is slightly larger than the Common Wombat. The reason why it's critically endangered now is because it's habitat has become infested with African Buffel grass which out-competes the native grasses that this hairy-nosed wombat prefers eating. Their noses are very important for their daily survival because they have very poor eyesight, they can only smell their food in the dark.

The name Northern Hairy-nosed wombat comes from it's distinctive muzzle which is covered with short brown hairs. As a result this specie, have a hairy-nose.

The second hairy-nosed wombat is the Southern Hairy-nosed wombat. This specie is the smallest among the other wombat species at around 775-935 mm and weighs 20-32 kg, because of these physical traits the young often do not survive the dry season. It is well-adapted to it's harsh environment where it must survive without water in high temperatures. This specie lives in extensive warrens where the atmosphere is cool and humid during daytime. It's body temperature falls to conserve both energy and water.

The Southern Hairy-nosed wombat is often likened to a large badger, it is also considered to resemble a bear and a pig. The fur of this wombat covers it's entire body, including the nose, hence it's name.