Hands Down Animals · Printable fact sheet
Wombat
Vombatidae
Quick facts
| Scientific name | Vombatidae |
|---|---|
| Size | 0.85 to 1.2 meters long |
| Weight | 20 to 38 kg |
| Lifespan | Average 15 years; up to 26 years in captivity |
| Diet | Wombats are herbivores, feeding mostly on grasses, roots, bark, herbs, and occasionally fungi. |
| Habitat | Temperate forests, Open woodlands, Grasslands |
| Where it lives | Southeast Australia, Tasmania, South Australia, Western New South Wales |
| IUCN status | Varies by species: Critically Endangered (Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat), Near Threatened (Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat), Least Concern (Common Wombat) |
| Population | 250,000 - 300,000 |
| Top speed | 40 km/h |
| Family | Vombatidae |
About the wombat
Wombats are stocky, burrowing marsupials of Australia, up to a metre long and 35 kilograms, that dig tunnel systems with their claws and spend the day underground, coming out at night to graze grasses and roots. The pouch opens backwards so it does not fill with soil while the mother digs, and wombats are the only animals known to produce cube-shaped droppings. The common wombat is Least Concern, but the northern hairy-nosed wombat is Critically Endangered, with only a few hundred left in a few small reserves in Queensland.
Five things to know
- Wombats are powerful burrowing marsupials only found in Australia.
- They are famous for producing cube-shaped droppings.
- Wombats can run up to 40 km/h for short bursts to escape predators.
- The Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat is one of the world's rarest large mammals.
- Their backward-facing pouch protects their young from dirt while digging.
Homeschool unit: Animals homeschool guide — Habitats, adaptations and food chains as a graded unit, with the wombat as one of its worked examples.