How to Identify a Wombat

One of the many kinds of marsupials found in Australia is the wombat. Wombats come in three species: the Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat, the Southern-hairy Nosed Wombat and the Common Wombat. There are only 100 Northern Hairy-nosed Wombats in the world today, making them extremely endangered. They live in Epping National Park in Queensland, Australia where they're managed and encouraged to breed.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Notice the head of the Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat. It's quite broad, with a flat snout covered with fine whiskers. It has longish, pointy ears and sharp teeth. The Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat shares the same features, although the head is not quite as broad as the Northern species. The Common Wombat has a narrow, pointy face with small, round ears and has no whiskers on its snout.
2. Look at the body of the Wombat, which is sturdy and short. Both the Northern and Southern Hairy-nosed Wombats have silky fur, but the Common Wombat's fur is rough. The Northern species has brown fur with gray specks and black rings around its eyes and the Southern has dark gray or brown fur. The Common Wombat comes in a variety of colors: gold, gray, light brown or black.
3. Observe the legs and feet of the wombats. The legs are short and they have very sharp, strong claws for burrowing. Their burrows can be as long as 30 meters and are 2 to 3 meters deep. They sleep in the burrows during the day and feed on grass, roots and seeds at night. Northern and Southern Wombats like dry, arid conditions and the Common Wombat prefers wetlands and wooded areas.
4. Note the rearing process of the Wombat. The young crawl into the mother's backward-facing pouch when born and stay there for up to nine months. They then stay in the burrow and nurse for several more months. They're usually mature at about one year. The mother's pouch faces backwards so when she burrows the dirt does not get into the pouch.
5. Observe the size of the Wombat. The length of the head and body combined is approximately 90 to 120 centimeters with a little snub of a tail, and the larger species can weigh approximately 36 kilograms. Their life span is from 20 to 27 years in captivity and breed nearly any time during the year. Their shy natures make it difficult to observe them in the wild, but they can be seen in zoos.

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