Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure

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Fast Facts:

You'll find the Wombat in the last exhibit of the museum.
The Wombat looks like a cross between a small bear and a badger.
The Wombat lives in burrows that it digs itself. A single Wombat can have 10 or more burrows with several entrances.
As a marsupial it has an external abdominal pouch in which the female raises its young for 6 months.

Wombat

Scientific Name:	Vombatus ursinus
Classification:	Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Marsupialia Family: Vombatidae
Status:	Stable
Range:	Australia and Tasmania
Habitat:	Coastal hills and woodland areas
Diet:	Grass, roots, bark, and fungi
Size:	Length: 36-45 inches Weight: 48-90 pounds
Lifespan:	5 yrs.
Location:
Print Fact Sheet	Wombat

Special Features:

The teeth have no roots and grow continuously.
The fur is so bristly that in Tasmania it is often used to make doormats.
The mother’s pouch has a rear opening allowing her to burrow without disturbing her young.

Social Structure & Behavior:

Mainly nocturnal and solitary. The Wombat will run to its burrow to hide from predators and turn its rump towards it attacker. The thick skin will protect it from injury. They protect their feeding area aggressively and will leave droppings to warn other Wombats.

Reproduction:
Sexual maturity at 2 years. Mating season April to June. Gestation is 22 days.

As a marsupial it has an external abdominal pouch in which the female raises its young for 6 months. The young leave the burrow at 18 months.