Wombat: animal of Australia. "Little bears" of the green continent. Animal Wombat: Cute marsupial mammal (photo) Wombat message

Wombats are amazing animals. And because the ancients (they live on earth for more than 50,000,000 years), and because they are not at all afraid of humans, unlike other wild animals.

Description

The look of a wombat is very funny, in childhood it resembles a piglet, and growing up, it looks like a small one, however, retaining some features of a mumps. However, this is limited by external slight resemblance, because the wombat is a marsupial animal, digger and, moreover, a rodent. The length of the wombat ranges from seventy to one hundred and twenty centimeters, and the weight is from twenty to forty kilograms.

It has a compact body, strong and short limbs. Each paw has five toes, four of which are crowned with large claws that allow the wombat to dig. The head is large, it seems a little flattened, small eyes. Short tail.

Wombats are divided into eight genera, but only three live today in the vast reserves of Australia, the remaining five are considered extinct. However, there is a version that they did not die out at all, just hiding underground for now. Existing wombats are divided into medium-haired, short-haired and wool-nosed.

Behavior

The wombat lives exclusively in Australia, as well as adjacent areas, for example, in Tasmania. However, do not think that they are easy to meet here. These animals are the largest and best diggers. To satisfy the desire for constant excavation, wombats choose to build a dwelling place with flat, dry, soft soil without stones, groundwater and other factors that create obstacles. Moreover, in Australia it is quite difficult to find such a place, despite the dry and hot climate.

Digging the earth - them favorite hobby. Short periods of time allow these animals to build entire underground cities for several families. The burrows are up to 30m long. In these giant "communal" corridors, wombats from different families can be found, but no showdown follows. They just fall apart. However, do not fall into the hole of a foreign element.

In general, the wombat is lazily like. Like her, he moves slowly, eats slowly and digests food for a long time - up to 14 days! The wombat drinks very little. They eat grass (young shoots), mushrooms, mosses and roots. It is distinguished from the koala by the ability to run fast enough, reaching speeds of up to 42 kilometers per hour. A wombat can also escape danger by climbing a tree or swimming.

The animals do not have enemies, except for one introduced by man -. If the dingo decides to dine with the wombat, he will hide in a hole, also trying to lure the unlucky hunter inside. Then it turns back to the enemy and crushes him like a powerful press. The wombat has a backside consisting of rough skin, cartilage and bones, and there are no painful points there. Wherein big weight and claws, allowing to rest against the ground, make the stern a serious tool. Dingo can only sympathize.

Classification

View: Wombat Vombatidae

Squad: Two-crested marsupials

Highest classification: Vombatiformes

Domain: eukaryotes

Kingdom: Animals

Type: chordates

Class: mammals

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

This is a marsupial animal that has practically no natural enemies.

Outwardly, the animal resembles a small bear cub.

A wombat, like, and, digs holes, and vegetation serves as a food source for it.

He looks pretty cute and seems harmless, but as soon as he feels danger, he will immediately become aggressive.

Nature endowed this animal with sharp hearing and poor eyesight. The cold climate is detrimental to him and a long 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 habitats are forests, fields and mountains. The wombat needs land in which he constantly digs holes - he lives there and marks his territory in this way.

The wombat will always protect the 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 also enter the battle.

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

And today these marsupials can be found only 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" and a kangaroo.

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

To date, three species of these marsupial mammals are known:

• common Vombatus ursinus;
• wide-browed;
• woolly-nosed Creft, or northern.

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

There are also albino wombats, but this is a huge rarity.

Important! Human agricultural activity has 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.

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

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

According to the structure of the jaws, the wombat is similar to rodents. He has four front cutting teeth - two on top and bottom, and simple chewing teeth, angular ones are absent.

In total, this mammal has 12 teeth - this is the smallest indicator among marsupials.

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

Representatives of the other two species - northern and broad-browed - have a hairy nose, much larger ears and soft fur.

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

A broad-browed wombat is dressed in a gray "fur coat"

Key Features

1. The wombat lives mostly underground in a hole he dug himself. With the help of its long sharp claws, this animal is able to build both small caves and real tunnel systems. The length of the latter can reach 20 m, and the depth - 3.5 m. underground systems separate caves are formed, in which different time different "families" of these amazing animals can live.
2. These mammals rest during daylight hours, being in their shelters. At night, they are active and come out of their burrows to find food. But in winter, the northern wombat is also found during the day, which is clearly demonstrated in the next photo.

In cold weather, the northern wombat may come out of its burrow to bask in the sun.

1. Adults have practically no natural enemies. They can be hunted by wild dingoes and tasmanian devils, also found in Australia. But they significantly undermine the number of wombats and prevent them from raising offspring.
2. This animal repels the attacks of the attacker in a very strange way - it exposes the back of the back from the hole. And this is due to the fact that they have a kind of shield on the pelvic bones. If the enemy penetrates the hole, then the wombat peacefully steps aside, luring him deeper, and then attacks and chokes him with his back shield.
3. During a fight, both long-haired and common wombats butt heads, delivering powerful headbutts. But before entering the fight, they warn the enemy by shaking their heads from side to side and bellowing menacingly.
4. The constant presence of a source of water, in places where the wombat lives, is not prerequisite for existence. He lives quite calmly for a long time without liquid, and if he uses it, then very little.

Interesting! The wombat ranks second in 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 ​​\u200b\u200bthe territory where this representative of the fauna lives will depend on external conditions and can be about 5-25 ha. They mark their "possessions" not only with dug holes, but also with excrement.
2. Their anus has special structure, due to which the feces are shaped like cubes.

The source of food for wombats is vegetation. They eat the shoots of grasses, the roots of some plants, they can eat moss, as well as berries and mushrooms.

And they determine edible vegetation with the help of the upper lip, divided into two parts.

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

Thanks to a well-developed sense of smell, these representatives of the fauna are perfectly oriented 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 starts in May and lasts until August. No more than three weeks are allotted for bearing a cub.

The female has two nipples, but in one pregnancy she is able to give birth to only one "heir", which, after birth, remains under her care for a rather long period of time.

This animal has a bag on its abdomen, which is turned back.

This arrangement helps the wombats to dig their trenches unhindered even while the cub is in this pouch. The male reaches puberty by the second year of his life, the female - only by the third.

The cub spends in the mother's pouch for about 9 months

Wombat breeding occurs in almost 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 conditions wildlife both the common and northern wombat live an average of about 15 years. In captivity, their life expectancy can reach up to a quarter of a century.

On a note! There is information about a long-lived wombat who died at the age of 34. But there is also a living marsupial mammal nicknamed Patrick, which is located in Ballart 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 breed 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 nevertheless come out of their hiding places for everyone to see and even allow themselves to be stroked, as 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 feels danger, it can immediately attack a person and scratch him with his long strong claws.

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

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

In addition, being in anger, these representatives of the fauna are able to completely destroy 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.

Such characteristics make the wombat not the best pet. He is unpredictable, overly shy and therefore poses a serious danger to humans.

And even if the threat is not real, a frightened beast can pounce on an imaginary enemy.

In addition, they cannot be called quick-witted and sometimes actions diverge from a seemingly good mood.

So that an exotic animal like the wombat can claim the role pet, for him, first of all, you should arrange a place.

And, as some owners of these marsupials say, over time they get used to the environment, especially if there is an opportunity to dig trenches without hindrance.

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

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

A suitable place for a wombat is household plot with a vast area.

At the same time, it is important to remember climate zone living, as these animals do not tolerate cold very well - under such conditions they will often get sick.

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

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

Animal Wombat: Cute marsupial mammal

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

The wombat is a unique animal. His appearance these creatures are reminiscent of the more well-known representatives of the family of two-bladed marsupials - koalas. Despite the fact that these 2 species have a certain similarity, their evolutionary paths separated many millions of years ago. Modern wombats are burrowing animals. These are currently unique creations are on the verge of extinction. They are not hunted for skin or meat. However, the vast passages that the animals break through are of enormous size, and often they lead to the destruction of fences.

The wombat is a one of a kind animal.

This in most cases causes significant material damage to Australian farms, which is why some people poison these creatures to get rid of such a neighborhood. The burrowing wombat is just as harmful as the rabbits and kangaroos that are abundant in Australia. Because of this, the number of animals has decreased significantly over the past 100 years. In addition, many wombats die under the wheels of cars, since the animals, if such a threat approaches them, do not try to escape, but freeze in place, which causes a collision. These creatures are endangered species, so conservation measures are being taken to increase their numbers.

The only continent where this unique marsupial is found is Australia. The range of wombats extends to the entire southern and eastern part of the continent. Currently, this marsupial is the largest animal that digs extensive burrows in the soil. The life expectancy of these creatures in nature is about 18-25 years. body length adult varies from 70 to 130 cm. Their weight can be from 20 to 45 kg. On this moment distinguish 2 varieties of unique animals. The most common is the northern long-haired wombat. This species is currently found in most of the habitat of these creatures. The short-haired wombat is smaller in size. These animals in the process of evolution perfectly adapted to their way of life. The front and hind legs of wombats are quite short, but strong.

In their appearance, these creatures resemble the more famous representatives of the family of two-bladed marsupials - koalas.

The fingertips have sharp claws. The diet of adults includes:

• young shoots of grasses;
• mushrooms;
• berries;
• roots;
• some types of mosses.

These creatures have an excellent sense of smell, so they easily find the most suitable young shoots. The forked upper lip allows animals to cut succulent grasses right under the root. These unique marsupials are currently known to have only 12 teeth. Wombats resemble rodents in their structure, but these creatures have nothing to do with them. Given that wombats spend most of their lives underground, they are no different. good eyesight. Their eyes are very small. Although wombats have thick coats and warm undercoats, they do not tolerate cold well. To reduce heat loss, this unique marsupial from Australia has evolved certain adaptations. His tail and auricles were greatly shortened and covered with thick hair.

Archaeological excavations, which are carried out on the territory of Australia, revealed that more than 10 varieties of these creatures used to live on the continent. Some of them were real giants. Due to climate change and many other reasons, they became extinct, and now there are only 2 genera of these animals on this continent.

Animal wombat (video)

Gallery: animal wombat (25 photos)

Wombat lifestyle

These creatures are quite primitive. They have a small brain, so they usually act according to instincts. Even being locked up, the mammal does not stop trying to start digging. This is a built-in instinct that animals cannot resist. It is because of this feature that it is not recommended to have such an exotic animal. Even little wombat can damage floors and furniture. The least harm these creatures do is in their natural environment habitats, even if they come into conflict with agricultural workers. They can also be kept in large zoos.

Wombats spend most of the day in burrows, which can go 3 m deep into the ground. Branched passages with extensive rooms can stretch for more than 20 m. Thus, the desire of wombats to constantly dig is more than compensated by the possibility of obtaining reliable shelter from predators.

The burrows maintain a comfortable temperature for the life of marsupials. Usually these animals come to the surface at dusk and at night. One family occupies a certain territory, which can be up to 25 hectares. Wombat litter is shaped like cubes. These animals mark the border of their territory with them.

Males can behave aggressively with each other while defending their living space and the right to mate. However, if 2 males meet in underground passages, a fight between them is excluded. During disputes over territory, wombats take a fighting stance, begin to sway and warn the aggressor of their intentions with an unpleasant sound that is somewhat reminiscent of lowing. Wombats rarely use their claws when fighting.

During skirmishes for territory, these animals beat their heads, as sheep do. Such fights in nature are extremely rare. In some cases, these creatures can inflict serious wounds on each other with their claws.

A wombat in a hole is practically invulnerable. When an outsider tries to get inside, the animal blocks access to the hole with its back, which has a special structure of cartilage and bones and very hard skin. This allows the wombat to press any aggressor against the wall of the hole without harming himself, preventing him from penetrating further. There are cases when dogs that tried to squeeze into a hole died in it, pressed by the body of a wombat to an earthen wall.

If necessary, this marsupial mammal can easily run away from a predator, as it is able to reach speeds of more than 40 km / h. Among other things, it can easily climb a tree and even swim across any body of water. However, despite the meek appearance of these animals, it is not recommended to tempt fate and approach them closely. A frightened Australian wombat can attack a person in a wave, which can be extremely unpleasant for the latter, given the huge claws.

Wombats are herbivores. When they have the opportunity, they eat. Due to their slow metabolism, they take at least 14 hours to digest their food. Given that this marsupial lives mainly in arid regions, it has adapted to make do with the small amount of water that can be obtained from plant foods.

Wombat (video)

How does wombats breed?

These animals are not very prolific. They can conceive offspring throughout the year. Only in the most arid regions, where the entire grass cover is burned out by the sun, these creatures do not reproduce for a certain period.

The gestation period for wombats is only 20 days. Only 1 cub is born. Despite the fact that the female has 2 nipples, she is not able to feed twins. After birth, a very poorly developed wombat cub, clinging to the mother's fur, moves into the bag. There he finds a nipple and begins to feed.

The baby can live up to 8 months in a bag. Only occasionally, by the end of this period, does he leave his warm place to develop muscles. Approximately 1 more year after the release of the cub of their bag, he keeps close to his mother, who continues to take care of him.

During this time, the baby learns to distinguish between herbs, mushrooms and berries, which he will eat on his own in the future, and in addition, comprehends all the wisdom of the life of adult wombats. Usually the female, after her pouch is released, becomes capable of reproduction.

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Wombat - an amazing animal of Australia

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

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

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

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

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

The wombat is a nocturnal herbivore animal: during the day it sleeps sweetly in its reliable rooms hidden underground, and during the day it appears to taste delicious leaves. He 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 a 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 “sirloin” - the head and body are inside, and the “fifth point” sticks out on the surface. She is very strong, protected by armor. So the enemy can neither bite through it, nor get the wombat itself. If the enemy suddenly climbed into the hole, the wombat will quiet down, and then drive the stranger into the far corner of his hole and crush him with his weight. Also, the wombat loves to hit his head, butting like a goat.

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

Wombats (lat. Vombatidae) - a family of two-bladed marsupials that lives in Australia. Wombats are burrowing herbivores that look like small bears.
Wombats reach a length of 70 to 120 cm and a weight of 20 to 40 kg. Their body is built compactly, limbs are short and strong. Each of them has five fingers, of which the outer four are crowned with large claws adapted for digging the earth. The tail is short, the large head gives the impression of being slightly flattened, the eyes are small.

It is curious that the jaws and teeth of the wombat show similarities with rodents. In the upper and lower rows, wombats have a pair of front cutting teeth. Chewing teeth are built very simply, angular teeth are absent. Wombats have the fewest teeth of any marsupial.

Wombats are the largest of modern mammals, engaged in digging and spending most of their lives underground. With their sharp claws, they tear out small habitable caves in the ground, which sometimes form complex tunnel systems.

The adult wombat has almost no natural enemies. One of the few is the dingo introduced by man. The back of the wombat's body is extremely hard due to the thick skin, cartilage, and bones. In case of danger, they can, turning their backs, block their hole and repel most of the attackers, or crush their limbs against the walls of their living cave. In the back of the back, on the pelvic bones, the wombat has a kind of shield that protects it from an attack from behind. He also inflicts strong blows head - butts like a ram or a goat. If a dog crawls into his hole, he waits for it, without leaving the spot, and then tries to drive it into a corner, against the wall of the hole, and strangle it there. Much more often, a person, primarily cars, is to blame for the death of a wombat. In areas where human impact is low, the abundance of wombats is determined by the availability of nutrient plants.

At short distances, wombats can reach speeds of up to 42 km / h, and also swim away from danger by swimming or climbing trees.

Wombats eat young grass shoots. Roots, mosses and mushrooms are also sometimes eaten. The metabolism of wombats is very slow and efficient. They need 14 days to digest food. Wombats are the most efficient water drinkers of all the mammals that evolution has produced. They need 22 ml of water per kg of body weight per day. Even such kangaroos adapted to Australian conditions consume four times more water.

Five extinct genera of wombats are known. Wombats appeared about 18 million years ago in the Miocene. The closest relatives of wombats are representatives of the family of marsupial bears (koalas). With them, wombats have numerous similarities in the structure of teeth, skull and spermatozoa. However, there are also a number of morphological differences that indicate that the evolutionary lineages of koalas and wombats diverged approximately 36 million years ago. An even closer relative of the wombats was Diprotodon, a giant rhinoceros-sized marsupial that went extinct only about 40,000 years ago.

After the settlement of Australia by Europeans, the range of wombats was significantly reduced. The reasons for this were the destruction of their habitats, competition with imported species and hunting for wombats. Today, only 118 specimens of the Queensland wombat remain, living in a small reserve in Queensland. The other two species are more common and are not yet endangered (text - Wikipedia).