Quick Wombat Facts
Bare-nosed Wombat (Chewbacca) in the Tama Zoo, Tokyo (courtesy of Womland, used with permission)
Basic Wombat Facts:
- Wombats are mammals.
- Wombats are marsupials.
- Wombats are native only to Australia.
- Wombats look somewhat like a little bear.
- There are two basic kinds of wombats, the Bare-nosed wombat, and the Hairy-nosed wombat.
- Wombats are nocturnal grazers.
- They eat mainly grasses and roots.
- They live in large burrows up to 30 meters (100 feet) long.
- Wombats are extremely strong and very proficient diggers.
- Wombats can be anything from a sandy color to brown or black to grey.
- The average wombat is about 1 meter (40 inches) long and weighs about 25 kg (55 pounds).
- Wombats can live from about 5 years to over 30 years.
- Wombats are generally solitary.
- Most Australians have never seen a wild wombat
by Peter Marinacci
Copyright © 2003 Peter Marinacci. Edited by RLB Hartmann. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized reproduction is forbidden without prior permission.