The wombat animal lives in Australia. It is very similar to a small bear cub and is a marsupial.

Cute wombats

These herbivores, living on the territory of the smallest continent called Australia, are somewhat reminiscent of bears, only much smaller in size. Wombats belong to the family of two-incisor marsupials.

Description of appearance

The animals reach approximately 71 - 121 centimeters in length. At the same time, a wombat can weigh from 21 to 44 kilograms. The animal's head is large, slightly flattened on the sides, and there are two small eyes on the head. The paws are five-fingered and very strong, although short. Each toe is equipped with a claw, which is quite large for the size of the animal. Nature rewarded " little bear"with such limbs that he could easily dig himself shelter and housing in the soil. Wombats have a short, inconspicuous tail. This animal is a marsupial.

Wombat habitats

As already mentioned, the Australian continent is considered the distribution area of ​​wombats. The states of Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland and New South Wales are especially densely populated with wombats. To build housing, animals choose an area where the soil is suitable for digging a hole.

What do wombats eat?

In order to saturate their body with all the substances necessary for life, wombats eat young grass. Other parts of plants, such as roots, are also suitable for them as food. In addition, animals feed on the fruits of berry bushes, mushrooms and moss. The special structure of the mouth and a very acute sense of smell give the wombat the ability to selectively eat only that part of the plant that it requires.

It is noteworthy that food in an animal’s body is digested for a very long time: sometimes this process can take up to two weeks! And wombats hardly need water at all, just like camels!

Wombat lifestyle

These mammals spend most of their existence underground, in their burrows. It is worth saying that, often, a wombat’s home is a complex multi-pass tunnel. The animal is capable of digging a hole almost four meters deep, and the length of the “underground structure” reaches twenty meters!

Wombats prefer to go out at night to get food; during the day, they spend time in their “home,” giving their bodies a rest. Concerning temperature conditions, then the cold is very destructive for these animals. Wombats also float well on water and can even swim; they can also climb trees well. Well, it’s not worth talking about the ability to burrow - wombats, with their nimble paws, have almost no equal in this. The life of these mammals lasts up to 15 years of age, although cases have been recorded when animals in captivity lived up to 25 or even 34 years.

Breeding process

Reproduction in this species of mammals occurs year-round. However, wombats living in areas where there is little rainfall produce offspring only during certain seasons. One female can only carry one young in her pouch. A baby wombat stays in its mother’s “shelter” for up to six months, and sometimes up to eight months. After he gets out of the pouch, he prefers to be not too far from his mother.

Classification

View: Wombat Vombatidae

Squad: Two-incisor marsupials

Highest classification: Vombatiformes

Domain: Eukaryotes

Kingdom: Animals

Type: Chordata

Class: Mammals

The wombat is a herbivore Australian fauna, which is active at night.

This is a marsupial that has virtually no natural enemies.

Externally, the animal resembles a small bear cub

The wombat, like , and , digs holes, and its food source is vegetation.

He looks quite cute and seems harmless, but as soon as he senses danger, he immediately becomes aggressive.

Nature has endowed this animal with acute hearing and poor eyesight. The cold climate is destructive for it and prolonged stay in such conditions can provoke serious illnesses.

Habitat

Australia and Tasmania are the main places where the wombat lives. It lives in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.

Its habitat is forests, fields and mountains. The wombat needs land in which it constantly digs holes - it lives there and marks its territory.

The wombat will always protect its inhabited spaces, scaring away the “uninvited guest” with a menacing moo. Often this is enough for him to leave, but if necessary, the wombat will enter into battle

Previously, all of Australia was inhabited by wombats, but due to the active destruction of rodents, their population has decreased significantly.

And today these marsupials can only be found in the southern part of the continent.

Characteristic

Because of its short legs, the wombat looks like a small, stocky bear. But in fact, he is a “relative” of the kangaroo.

Its body looks massive and thick, and thanks to its large head, the first Australian settlers called the wombat a badger.

Today, three species of these marsupial mammals are known:

• common Vombatus ursinus;
• broad-browed;
• Woolly-nosed Krefta, or northern.

Representatives of the last two species have another name - long-haired.

Albino wombats also exist, but they are extremely rare.

Important! Human agricultural activities have caused irreparable damage to the wombat population.

Appearance

The body length of an adult animal ranges from 70-130 cm. Its weight can be 20-45 kg. The body looks compact, the legs are short, but very strong.

There are five toes on each foot, four of which have sharp claws - with their help both the long-haired and the common wombat dig their tunnels.

There are two small eyes on the large head. The tail is thin and not too long.

Interesting! Among extinct species, for example, Phascolonus gigas, there were individuals whose weight could reach 200 kg!

In terms of the structure of its jaws, the wombat is similar to rodents. It has four front cutting teeth - two each on top and bottom, and simple chewing teeth, with no corner teeth.

This mammal has a total of 12 teeth - the smallest among marsupials.

The common wombat has a completely bare nose, short and rounded ears, and gray-brown fur that is very short and hard to the touch.

Representatives of the other two species - northern and broad-fronted - have hairy noses, much larger ears and soft fur.

The largest among others is the wombat, which belongs to the broad-fronted species, which can be seen on next photo. His characteristic features are pointed ears and a flat forehead.

Broad-faced wombat wearing a gray “fur coat”

Key Features

1. The wombat lives mainly underground in a hole that it dug itself. With the help of its long sharp claws, this animal is capable of building both small caves and real tunnel systems. The length of the latter can reach 20 m, and the depth - 3.5 m. At the intersection points underground systems separate caves are formed in which different time different “families” of these stunning animals can live.
2. These mammals rest in their shelters during daylight hours. At night they are active and come out of their burrows to find food. But in winter, the northern wombat can also be found during the day, which is clearly demonstrated in the next photo.

In cold weather, the northern wombat can come out of its burrow to bask in the sun's rays

1. Adults have virtually no natural enemies. They can be hunted by wild dingoes and Tasmanian devils, whose habitat is also Australia. But they significantly undermine the number of wombats and prevent them from raising their offspring.
2. This animal repels the attacks of an attacker in a very strange way - it exposes the back of its back from the hole. This is due to the fact that they have a kind of shield on their pelvic bones. If the enemy penetrates the hole, the wombat peacefully moves aside, luring him deeper, and then attacks and strangles him with his rear shield.
3. During a fight, both long-haired and common wombats butt heads, delivering powerful head blows. But before they engage in combat, they warn the enemy by shaking their heads from side to side and mooing threateningly.
4. The constant presence of a source of water in places where the wombat lives is not a prerequisite for existence. He lives completely calmly for a long time without liquid, and if he drinks it, it’s very little.

Interesting! The wombat ranks second in terms of water conservation after the camel. For one kilogram of body weight per day, only 22 ml of liquid is enough for him!

1. The area of ​​territory where this representative of the fauna lives will depend on external conditions and can be about 5-25 hectares. They mark their “possessions” not only with dug holes, but also with excrement.
2. Their anus has special structure, due to which feces are shaped like cubes.

The food source for wombats is vegetation. They consume grass shoots, roots of some plants, and can feed on moss, as well as berries and mushrooms.

And they identify edible vegetation using the upper lip, divided into two parts.

Large front teeth protrude from under it, with which animals easily cut off young shoots to the very root.

Thanks to a well-developed sense of smell, these representatives of the fauna have excellent orientation even at night.

Wombats find food without much difficulty, even despite poor eyesight

Interesting! Wombats have a slow but very efficient metabolism. After saturation, the animal’s body needs about 2 weeks to digest the incoming food!

Reproduction

The breeding season begins in May and lasts until August. No more than three weeks are given to bear the baby.

The female has two nipples, but during one pregnancy she is able to give birth to only one “heir”, who, after birth, remains under her care for a fairly long period of time.

This animal has a pouch on its abdomen that is turned backwards.

This arrangement helps the wombats dig their trenches unhindered even while the baby is in this pouch. The male reaches sexual maturity in the second year of his life, the female only in the third.

The cub spends about 9 months in its mother's pouch.

The wombat reproduces almost throughout the entire territory where it lives, with the exception of particularly arid zones.

In such regions, this animal is able to produce offspring only at certain times of the year.

In the wild, both the common and northern wombat live on average about 15 years. In captivity, their life expectancy can reach a quarter of a century.

On a note! There is information about a long-lived wombat who died after reaching 34 years of age. But there is also a living one marsupial mammal nicknamed Patrick, which is located in Ballarta Park - his age today is 29 years old!

Australia is famous for its huge number of zoological parks and tourist centers, where wombats live in captivity and reproduce quite actively.

These animals are incredibly popular, despite the fact that they are very difficult to tame.

But park workers were able to find mutual language with these cute creatures, and after much persuasion, they still come out of their hiding places for everyone to see and even allow themselves to be stroked, as can be seen in the next photo.

The baby wombat behaves quite friendly and calm

But you should always remember about their far from meek disposition, which can manifest itself at any moment.

As soon as an animal senses danger, it can immediately attack a person and scratch him with its long, strong claws.

If the wombat is not provoked, it will not show signs of aggression. But at the same time, his behavior can also be affected by a bad mood.

Being strong and strong, having remarkable weight, powerful jaws and sharp teeth, an angry wombat will leave deep wounds if a person does not disappear from his field of vision in time.

In addition, when angry, these representatives of the fauna are capable of completely destroying the vegetation that will be located in the area.

He will zealously dig up the entire area until not a single sprout remains on it.

These characteristics make the wombat not the best pet. He is unpredictable, excessively timid and therefore poses a serious danger to humans.

And even if the threat is not real, a frightened animal can attack an imaginary enemy.

In addition, they cannot be called smart and sometimes their actions are at odds with a seemingly good mood.

So that such an exotic animal as a wombat could lay claim to the role of pet, first of all you should arrange a place for it.

And, as some owners of these marsupials say, over time they get used to the situation, especially if it is possible to dig trenches without hindrance.

A house or apartment is not suitable for keeping them, since there is not enough space for a wombat and he will have nowhere to hide.

In this regard, floor coverings and walls will certainly be seriously damaged or become completely unusable.

A suitable place for a wombat is personal plot with a vast territory.

At the same time, it is important to remember climatic zone residence, since these animals tolerate cold very poorly - under such conditions they will often get sick.

In regions characterized by a variable climate, special places are created for these animals where the pet can wait out the cold months or several days of inclement weather

The baby next to a calm mother will feel quite comfortable and develop well.

Animal Wombat: Cute marsupial mammal

The wombat is a herbivorous representative of the Australian fauna that is active at night. This is a marsupial animal that has practically no natural enemies.

Wombat - an amazing animal of Australia

Australia is the country of the most amazing animals in the world! It remains a mystery why only here the animals thought of getting a pouch on their stomach. A special place among Australian marsupials is occupied by the unusual animal wombat - a charming creature that looks like a bear cub.

A wombat can be more than a meter long and weigh up to 45 kilograms. Him fat body with short legs having five fingers with powerful claws.

This is the largest burrowing animal. Wombat - very slow beast, but when danger approaches or when digging holes, the wombat changes dramatically! On its short legs it can reach speeds of more than 40 km/h, and when digging holes it has no equal! The wombat does this not only very quickly (digging a hole more than 20 meters long is a breeze for him), but also with ingenuity. He has multi-room houses-burrows, with several corridors and halls, and so spacious that a person can easily crawl into them.

Wombats first became known in 1797, when a shipwreck occurred off the coast of Australia. The surviving sailors ate previously unseen marsupials - this is how the world learned about wombats.

There was another case when this amazing beast did people a great service without risking being eaten. Copper inclusions were found in the soil dug up by the wombat. Research was carried out in this place, and the largest copper deposit in Australia was found!

The wombat is a nocturnal herbivore: during the day it sleeps sweetly in its safe rooms hidden underground, and during the day it appears to taste delicious leaves. It digests food very slowly – up to two weeks. Therefore, it is not easy to see a wombat in nature, and their numbers are small.

Wombats have practically no enemies despite their fat body. The fact is that wombats have very unusual way protection. Sensing danger, the wombat runs towards its hole, but does not hide in it, but plugs the entrance with its thick “loin” - the head and body are inside, and the “fifth point” sticks out on the surface. He has it very durable, protected by armor. So the enemy will not be able to bite through it or reach the wombat itself. If an enemy suddenly crawls into a hole, the wombat will become quiet, and then drive the stranger into the far corner of its hole and crush it with its weight. The wombat also likes to headbutt, butting like a goat.

Many in Lately They want to have such a charming pet with soft fur and a cute face. The wombat is a freedom-loving animal, but can be tamed. It can be seen in zoos and in homes ordinary people. Wombat owners need to know that he does not like the cold and can easily hide in any place where there is an opportunity to dig a hole.

IN last years There is an increasing demand for unusual pets. Decorative pigs, predatory representatives felines, reptiles and arthropods... This fashion has not spared rodents and marsupials, since among them there are completely original species. Today we will talk about the wombat. Who is he, what areas does he live in, what does the animal eat, and is it realistic to get such a pet - you can find the answers to these questions in our article.

Description: what does a marsupial look like?

Externally marsupial resembles a big one guinea pig or a miniature bear.

The animal itself is quite massive: it can grow from 65 cm to 125 cm in length, and its weight sometimes reaches 40 kilograms or more, smallest mass will be about 20 kg.

Body the representative of marsupials has a large, rounded neck, the animal’s neck is practically invisible - the body seems to immediately go into the head. Paws Wombats are also not particularly long, but this in no way reduces the strength of the individual.

It is difficult to call a wombat a proportional animal, since its head is quite large, and it seems that it is slightly flattened or elongated.
Ears the animal's are small, most often reminiscent of a bear's in shape, only closer to a rounded triangle, that is, elongated. Tail the animal has it, but it is quite short.

Due to the appearance of the wombat, it seems as if the limbs, head and tail are tightly pressed to the body, which makes the animal very compact.

Eyes the animal relative to the head is very small size, look like black beads. Fur The beast is of exclusively dark shades - grayish or brown. Wombats can be either long-haired or short-haired.

Colors depends on which species the marsupial belongs to. Rare case- an albino wombat whose fur is very light, almost white.

Interestingly, the wombat has only 12 teeth in total, and this is the smallest number among all marsupials.

The main senses that a wombat relies on during life are smell, that is, the ability to sense smells, and hearing acuity. And here good eyesight the animal cannot boast.

Did you know? It has been established that the very first representatives of wombats were about the same size as rhinoceroses.

Wombats in nature

Initially, wombats are free animals, independent of humans. However, the situation with a sharp decline in the number of the species forces people to take the animals under their care, so now wombats do not live in the wild, but in a reserve.

It is worth noting that marsupials are very picky about where they live, so they can only live in certain conditions.

Habitat

Homeland The animal is Australia. Climatic conditions This mainland country is the best place for a wombat, but the main guideline for choosing a place of residence is not the weather, but the soil.

The marsupial's claws are designed specifically for digging holes and are in no way inferior to the clawed paws of a mole: the wombat copes well with the task of digging both holes and entire tunnels and underground systems. Therefore, soil characteristics play a role important role in the life of this animal.

The wombat lives, of course, in holes that it dug itself. Even a whole family can live in such an underground dwelling, but simply relatives rarely get along in the same “house” - each of them will begin to win the right to own the territory, and it is unlikely to do without a fight.
Animals use their power not only against enemies, but also against anyone who encroaches on their habitat.

Nature reserves, in particular Queensland, are equipped with all necessary conditions, in which animals could breed and move freely without the risk of getting on the road with cars driving at high speed.

The underground dwellings of animals, as a rule, reach three and a half meters in depth and about 20 in length. Accordingly, it is impossible to do without the intersection of such “houses” of different individuals.

Another criterion that animals focus on when choosing a habitat is the availability of food. Therefore, when we say that marsupials live in Australia, we mean their presence in areas with a sufficient number of edible plants and soil suitable for digging holes.

Life cycle features

Most representatives of marsupials are awake at night.
At night, they search for food, but this is not associated with possible daytime dangers: initially, before the settlement of Australia by Europeans, wombats had no enemies among the fauna of the mainland.

However, the wombat can cope with both animals. on his night look Enemies do not affect life. Your life in daytime The animal spends days in an underground dwelling.

In addition, the wombat, despite its external clumsiness, is able to stand up for itself. This animal has strong bones in the pelvic area, the skin in the area of ​​the animal’s fifth point is also quite strong, and it is with this part of the body that the wombat attacks opponents.
Blocking the entrance to the hole, marsupial protects his home from ill-wishers. What is characteristic is earth's surface The animal will defend its burrow both from enemies and from other wombats.

If an underground tunnel dug by an animal intersects with the home of another individual of this species, the animals will not conflict with each other.

Another way to deal with enemies is to still allow them to penetrate the hole (not a tunnel), and then use the back of your body to press the attacker against the wall of your shelter. In this way, the wombat can strangle the enemy and protect its family.

Another one strong point wombat- his head. Despite the fact that it inflicts most of its attacks with the pelvic region, the animal can use its head when attacking with the same success. This is reminiscent of the attacks of horned animals, with the only difference that the wombat does not have these same horns.

However, you should not assume that the animal copes with any dangers by attacking. There are times when a wombat has to run away from an enemy or wait out a threat in a safe place.

Then the marsupial shows amazing activity - in running it develops up to 40 or more kilometers per hour. In addition, the animal can climb trees, so in case of danger it can wait out an attack by climbing higher.

As for reproduction: a female wombat can give birth to just one baby; pregnancy lasts about seven months.

Over the next two years, the baby will adopt the instincts and habits of the mother, after which he will be able to begin an independent life.

IN wildlife A marsupial lives on average about 15 years.

Is it possible to buy an animal

After Europeans began colonizing Australia, the number of wombats declined significantly.
In addition to the fact that the animals were hunted, the settlement of new animals on the mainland also played a role - they immediately competed with the marsupial aborigines, and the latter had to defend their right to exist.

Important! The only endangered species is the Queensland wombat. Other subspecies of this marsupial are not under worldwide protection, and therefore you can meet them a little more often. However, seeing any of the wombats is problematic due to their predominantly nocturnal lifestyle.

Now no more than 120 individuals left Queensland wombat. The small number of animals did not go unnoticed, so the species is currently under the protection of the Red Book.

It lives directly in the Queensland Nature Reserve, and acquiring an animal is a rather complicated process.

First of all, the sale of wombats is carried out only when the buyer is a well-known zoo. As for special cases, it is possible to buy a marsupial, but before doing so you will have to go through a lot of difficulties.
Due to the fact that the animal is dying out, individuals are not sold at the first request of the client. The primary task of the reserve staff is to do everything possible to prevent the species from disappearing. That is, animals need to reproduce.

For this simple reason, you can only plan to purchase a wombat and, most likely, join the queue of those wishing to purchase such an unusual pet.

As you know, The reserve does not waste its children, even if you are willing to pay a fabulous sum. In this case, another obstacle stands in the way: officially, such unusual pets can only be transported outside of Australia to zoos.

Accordingly, a private individual needs to obtain documents allowing him to take the animal to his homeland. This often takes months, which also cannot be considered a pleasant moment of making a purchase.

However, if you are the owner of strong nerves, a strong desire to acquire this particular animal and large finances, it is quite possible to have such an animal.
But be prepared for the fact that making a purchase will take a lot of time and you will have to wait about a year, if not longer.

Important! It is possible to purchase marsupials only in nature reserves or zoos, which is rare. The private advertisements you find on the Internet are in most cases a scam. This is not at all the animal that is sold to private owners for breeding, so be careful and do not fall for the tricks of scammers. Don't risk your money.

It is rare to see a pet like a wombat - as we have already said, in order to take an animal out of Australia, you need a special permit.

But if you decide to get such an animal, you should know that it is best to purchase animals when they are still small. This increases the chance that the marsupial will not perceive your actions aggressively and will be able to become attached to you.

Due to the low demand for the animal, we cannot give precise recommendations on its choice. But what you definitely need to pay attention to is the appearance of the animal.
If there are no damage to its fur or skin, and the cub itself behaves quite actively (lethargy and other symptoms of disease are absent), then the animal can be purchased.

If successful, how to care for it?

Purchasing a marsupial is not an easy task, but if you managed to go through all the difficulties associated with purchasing it, you definitely need to learn about how to care for the animal.

Did you know? The life expectancy of wombats at home is not reduced. On the contrary, the animal lives almost twice as long instead of 15 years of life- all 20, or even 25. The longest-lived among these animals is the wombat, whose life lasted as long as 34 years.

The first thing you need to do before purchasing is to ask the animal breeder about their characteristics. After all, a person involved in breeding and preserving a species knows better than any encyclopedia what is normal for animals and what signs should be feared.

Conditions

One of the most important conditions for keeping such an unusual pet is the availability of suitable soil and land. We have already said that the most important task for wombats this means digging holes and underground passages.

It is impossible to wean an animal from such an activity, even if you manage to acquire a very small marsupial. In this regard, the presence of a summer house or private courtyard - required condition for keeping the animal.

In addition, it is important to pay attention to the climate. Despite the fact that the animal has fairly thick fur, sudden cold snaps can damage its health.

Therefore, it is important to avoid the cold in the place where the marsupial lives, regardless of whether you choose a short-haired wombat or an animal with long hair.
There is no getting around the fact that wombats are susceptible to disease.

It’s rare that a veterinarian has come across such a pet and can tell you what measures need to be taken to protect the animal from diseases, so with questions regarding vaccinations, it is advisable to contact the people from whom you purchased the pet.

What do wombats eat?

The animals are herbivores - edible herbaceous plants, moss, plant roots, and edible mushrooms are suitable for them.

Unless the pet's owners can give him some vegetables or fruits to try that are not common in Australia.

In fact, it is one of the most economical animals in terms of consumption. water resources. For a marsupial weighing 40 kg, it will be enough to drink a little less than half a liter per day. The calculation is made using the formula 20 ml per 1 kg of weight.

Do I need special care?

The unusual nature of such a pet may evoke thoughts about special care. However, this is easier than it might seem. The animal is quite unpretentious, because it does not require any water treatments, combing and the like.

Compliance with a special diet is also not required - you just need to choose the food that the wombat would eat in freedom.
The only thing that is really important for the animal is attention from the owner. However, you need to be careful with affection, since the marsupial does not have sufficient intelligence to always correctly perceive manifestations of tenderness addressed to itself.

Sometimes a wombat may mistake your gesture for an attempt to attack, and then it will begin to defend itself.

Wombat in the house: pros and cons

A seemingly cute little animal can become quite dangerous. Therefore, before you get one, carefully weigh your decision, because the life of an animal is not a toy. You may not be prepared to face some of the challenges of keeping an animal.

Another advantage will be the outlandishness. Agree, it’s not often that you see a real wombat at a party. In Europe or America it is a rare event, even in Australia, such a domestic animal can be found a little more often.

Important! For Australian farmers, the wombat has become more of an enemy than a friend - underground passages often harm the household. This is another reason for the extinction of the species - entrepreneurs exterminated wombats because they caused losses.

As it turned out, such a pet also has a lot of disadvantages. A wombat, despite its cute appearance and love for its owners, will not good friend for children or elderly people. If only because both children and older people cannot always control their gestures.

And in this regard, you need to be very careful and careful with a marsupial animal - it can attack. Its claws can inflict quite serious injuries, which any owner would like to avoid.
Keeping an animal in an apartment is also not possible - digging is an innate instinct for it, and, as we have already said, it is impossible to wean it off this habit. Therefore, furniture and even walls can be damaged.

Training can only bear fruit if you have had the animal from a young age. Otherwise, you will not be able to control it at all.

In addition, marsupials are considered to be the most unpredictable animals, so trying to teach a baby wombat simple commands will not always be successful.

Choosing a pet is a very important process, so think carefully.

Perhaps the desire to have an unusual animal is a whim or an attempt to follow fashion. In reality, everything is serious, and you are endangering not only your well-being, but also the life of the animal.

The wombat is a herbivore that belongs to the fauna of the smallest continent, Australia. Appearance looks like a little bear. Scientists classify wombats as two-incisor marsupials.

What does a wombat look like?

The length of the exotic animal is 71 - 122 cm, weighs from 22 to 45 km. Head relative to body. It seems large, has a slightly flattened shape on the sides, tiny eyes and short but strong five-fingered paws. The claws on the fingers are disproportionately larger relative to the size of the animal. This is necessary for digging holes, since the animal spends most of its life underground. For their habitat, they choose an area with soil suitable for digging holes. The wombat has only 12 teeth, which, like the jaws, resemble the structure of the chewing system of rodents. A miniature ponytail completes the picture.

Below - beautiful photos Australian wombat:

What does it eat?

The animal feeds on young shoots herbaceous plants. Less often, moss, plant roots, berries, mushrooms. The upper lip helps select food. Thanks to its separation, the front teeth reach the surface of the earth, cutting small shoots. They have excellent charm, which helps in finding food. They are not adapted to cold, but they tolerate a lack of water very well.

Features of the animal

Wombats are the largest and very ancient (more than 50 million years of existence) mammals. They are absolutely not afraid at the sight of people. They have practically no natural enemies, except for the feral dingo dog. The animal copes well with this threat with the help of its hard rear part of the body, which it uses as a shield, and, on occasion, can crush uninvited guests of its den with it.

Wombat feces are shaped like cubes, this is due to unusual type structure of the anus. Every day the animal “creates” 80-100 cubes, which it carefully places on stones and trunks of fallen trees, marking its territory.

Reproduction

Animals breed all year round, excluding arid regions where this occurs seasonally. The female's pouch, turned over on her back, to prevent lumps of earth from getting in when digging, is kept for six to eight months. little cub wombat Only one individual is born per animal, although there are two nipples in the pouch. Over the next year, the baby remains next to the female. Sexual maturity occurs after two years. Wombats live up to 15 years; in captivity, their life expectancy is longer.

Video: Funny Wombat - Wombat