The Common Wombat
Size 900-1150mm Weight 22-40 kg Status Common.
The common wombat is a large, herbivorous burrowing marsupial. The
wombat is found in the southeast of mainland Australia and in Tasmania,
Australia's island state. Its main habit includes mountainous areas and
sclerophyll forests to heathland and coastal scrub.
The wombat digs a number of large burrows in its home range which can cover 5-20
ha., medium burrows 2-5m long are mainly used as a temporary refuge while major
burrows often having more than one bed chamber and several entrances can be up
to 20 m long.
The wombat's main food includes native and pasture grasses, sedges, and the
roots of shrubs and trees. In the summer they mainly feed at night but during
the cooler months they can be seen feeding and basking in the sun. They graze
for between 3-8 hr a day and can travel up to 3 km during this time.
Breeding occurs through out the year. Although the rear opening pouch on the
female has two teats, like the kangaroo, only one young is born at a time. The
young stay in the pouch for 6 months but will stay with the mother for another
11 months. Wombats become sexually mature at two years of age and live for about
5 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity.
Wombats are common in the wild but fall pray to the motor vehicle as they are
nocturnal and slow moving they are also prone to exotic diseases such as
toxoplasmosis as are many marsupials. These diseases being spread by the feral
domesticated cat.
Ref. The Australian Museum Complete Book of Australian Mammals.)
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