Written for Bonorong by Pink Lemonade Social
Wombats are marsupials, closely related to koalas, and are found throughout the eastern and south-eastern states of Australia. As a nocturnal species, they are covered in sandy brown, tanned or greyish fur, which helps them to blend in with their surrounding landscapes and emerge at night to feed on grasses and roots. They have short but powerful legs and sharp claws that help them to dig. They are sturdy little mammals that weigh around 30kg and, on average, are 1m long. However, their appearance largely depends on what species of wombat it is and where in Australia it can be found. Read on to discover more about one of Australia's most iconic animals.
Species of Wombats
There are three species of wombats, all of which are native to Australia.
Common Wombats / Bare-nosed Wombat
Bare-nosed Wombats (Vombatus Ursinus), also known as Common Wombats, are found on the mainland of Australia, Flinders Island and Tasmania. They have the appearance of coarse fur, short and round ears and a large nose covered in rough skin. They can weigh up to 36kg and be 1.3m long.
Hairy-Nosed Wombat
There are two species of hairy-nosed wombats, Northern Hairy-nosed (Lasiorhinus krefftii) and Southern Hairy-nosed (Lasiorhinus latifrons), which have soft fur and larger ears. Northern Hairy-nosed wombats are the largest and rarest wombat species which can weigh up to 40kg and be 1m long. This species was widely found throughout QLD, NSW and VIC, however, but can now only be found in 3 areas in QLD and NSW.
Southern Hairy-nosed wombats are smaller than the common species and weigh around 24-32kg, and can be up to 90cm long. They have silkier fur and are more of a greyish colour. This species is found throughout the drier areas of South Australia and the southern parts of Western Australia.
Wombat Behaviour - What are wombats like?
Wombats are nocturnal, which means they sleep during the day and feed at night. During the day, wombats spend their time in their borrows and usually spend about 16 hours a day sleeping, similar to their closest relative, the koala. While wombats are very territorial with their feeding grounds, they usually share burrows with other wombats. This usually creates complex networks of sleeping chambers and tunnels that are meters long and often found near waterways such as creeks that have well-drained soil. At night wombats can travel up to 3km a night to look for food and mark their feeding territories with scent trails and square-shaped droppings.
Wombat Diet - What do Wombats Eat?
Wombats are herbivores, so their diet consists of Australian vegetation such as native grasses, tree bark and the roots of shrubs. Since they are nocturnal, they also have poor vision and thus rely on smell to find food. Wombats have strong jaws, and their incisor teeth are continuously growing, so they must gnaw on hard materials such as tree bark to help wear them down. At night wombats blend into their surroundings better and are at less risk from predators and therefore spend on average 5 hours a night grazing. Wombats also don't need much water as most of their water intake comes from the moisture found within the plants they eat. Wombats also excrete square-shaped poo; this is due to them having very long digestive tracts. This helps their body to absorb as many nutrients and water from their food but leaves their faeces dry and compact. Square poo also helps them mark their territory as it stops it from rolling away.
Wombat Habitats - where to do wombats live?
Forested, alpine, woodlands, heathy, and coastal shrubland are all preferred habitats of the wombat as well as coastal areas. The Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat lives in arid regions, while the Bare-nosed Wombat prefers moister forested areas.
Depending on the species, wombat burrows can be anywhere from 10 to 100 feet long and up to 11.5 feet deep. They feature numerous tunnels connecting one to the next, with designated sleeping chambers and multiple points of entry and exit altogether. There are a number of different burrows Wombats use for various purposes. One or two wombats may live in a single burrow, while others may be part of a family. While a ten-strong wombat colony can be found in some burrows, most wombats live alone. It's possible that Wombats are sociable and visit each other in their burrows. Wombat burrows are dug in well-drained soil, often close to watercourses. Their forelegs have long claws that they use to dig up the soil, and their back legs push it out of the way.
Baby Wombats - Wombat joeys
A female wombat can reproduce once they are over the age of 2 years old. Wombats will only breed in times when food is abundant, usually between the months of September to December, but factors such as droughts and wildfires have a big impact on wombat breeding seasons. Wombat pregnancy lasts for about 21 to 30 days, and they give birth to a single joey, usually the size of a jellybean. Female wombats are able to reproduce one joey every two years. Newborn wombats weigh around 1 gram and are less than 3cms long, and once born, they are not actually fully developed. Since wombats are marsupial mammals, the joey has to crawl from the birth canal into the mother's pouch. It will be at least six months old before the joey ventures out of the pouch but doesn't fully leave until it's 9-10 months old. In the pouch, the joey is safe from all elements of the bush and continues to feed off its mother. A wombat's pouch is positioned backwards as this helps prevent dirt from entering whilst she is digging. The joey will continue to feed from its mother until it is 1 to 1.5 years of age. Wombats mature at the age of 2 years old and in the wild have a lifespan of 5 to 15 years.
Threats to Wombats
In 1906 the Australian Government declared wombats a pest, and citizens were financially rewarded for wombat skins. Now the Northern Hairy-Nosed Wombat is classified as critically endangered. The Southern Hairy Nose was listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN in 2016. The Bare-Nose Wombat population has a more stable population. Wombats are protected wildlife under relevant state based biodiversity conservation laws.
Land clearing for farming, housing and roads has impacted populations along with the increase in competition for food with introduced farm animals and pests such as cattle, sheep and rabbits. Due to the land clearing, wombats have segregated food vegetation and, therefore, are sometimes victims of road traffic when trying to crossroads to get to new food areas. The competition from other grazing animals and weather extremes such as droughts and fires result in less available food for wombats.
Predators such as foxes, dingoes, dogs and eagles have also impacted populations of wombats. When a wombat feels threatened by a predator, it can run as fast as 40km per hour to run back to the safety of its burrow. It jumps head first, blocking the entrance with its rear end, which has extra thick skin (fascia), so a bite to the backside is not much of a threat. It can also crush the predator against the ceilings and walls of their borrows. However, these defence mechanisms aren't always successful.
Where to See Wombats in Australia
While there are still wild populations of wombats throughout Australia, they are few and far between. Cradle Mountain in Tasmania is a known spot for wombat sightings, and also a visit to Kangaroo Valley in NSW might get you lucky to see some wild wombats. However, you are guaranteed to see these cute furry creatures here at Bonorong in Tasmania, as we have many different experiences and packages to choose from. Whether you want to get up close and personal or join in on feeding the wombats, you can do it all at Bonorong wildlife sanctuary.
