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Table of Contents
A common name for any of the stocky Australian marsupials in the family Vombatidae, a wombat is distinguished by its short legs, very short tail, large head, and little ears. Known to be burrowing herbivores, wombats are valued members of the food chains in the ecosystems in Australia.
See the fact file below for more information on the wombat or alternatively, you can download our 21-page Wombat worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
ETYMOLOGY AND TAXONOMY
- Although genetic research of the Vombatidae has been made, the evolution of its family is still debatable. Wombats are assumed to have separated from other Australian marsupials 40 million years ago, while some suggest this divergence took place at around 25 million years.
- Some theories classify wombats as the little relatives of diprotodon, like the rhinoceros-sized Diprotodon. Other recent studies group Vombatiformes as having a unique parallel evolution, hence their current classification as a separate family.
CHARACTERISTICS
- Wombats dig deep burrow systems using their rodent-like front teeth and robust claws.
- One unique adaptation of wombats is their backward pouch. This means that, when digging, the marsupial does not accumulate soil in its pouch over its young.
- Although wombats are generally crepuscular, or active during twilight, and are nocturnal, they may also wander and forage on cool or overcast days. They try to stay hidden, but leave substantial evidence of their tracks, treating fences as little inconveniences to be gone through or under.
- Wombats leave peculiar feces shaped in cubes. As they organize these feces to mark territories and attract potential mates, it is assumed that the cubic feces are more stackable and less likely to rock or sway, which makes this shape a biological advantage. It is still questionable how wombats produce these odd-shaped feces, but it is believed that their intestine expands preferentially at the walls, with two flexible and two stiff regions around its intestines.
- Adult wombats produce between 80 and 100 pieces of 0.8-inch feces in a single night, and around four to eight pieces every bowel movement.
- Wombats are considered herbivores, feeding mostly on grasses, sedges, herbs, bark, and roots. Their incisor teeth look relatively like those of rodents, which are adapted for gnawing course vegetation. Just like other herbivorous mammals, wombats possess a large diastema between their incisors and the cheek teeth.
- Their coat color can range from a sandy color to brown, or from grey to black. All three living species stand around 1 meter at the shoulders and weigh between 20 and 35 kilograms.
- Female wombats give birth to only a single young after gestating for about 20 to 30 days, which may vary between species. All wombat species have well-developed pouches, which the young abandon after 6 to 7 months. Wombats are weaned after 15 months, and reach sexual maturity at 18 months.
- These marsupials are known to exist 15 years in the wild, but some can live past 20 and even reach 30 years in captivity. The oldest captive wombat lived for 34 years.
- A group of wombats is called a wisdom, a mob, or a colony.
- In 2020, scientists found out that wombats, just like other Australian marsupials, show biofluorescence under ultraviolet light.
ECOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR
- Wombats have a unique slow metabolism which takes around 8 to 14 days to complete digestion, which helps their survival in arid circumstances.
- They move slowly. When they sense nearby danger, however, wombats can reach up to 40 kilometers per hour and maintain that speed for 150 meters.
- They defend their territories centered on their burrows, and show aggression to intruders.
- The common wombat inhabits a range of up to 57 acres, while the hairy-nosed species have smaller perimeters, of no more than 10 acres.
- Dingoes and Tasmanian devils are the known predators of wombats. Wombats’ primary defense is their toughened back hide, with most of the posterior made of cartilage. This part of their anatomy, together with their lack of a tail, makes it hard for predators to follow them into a tunnel.
- When attacked, wombats go straight into a nearby tunnel, using their rump to obstruct their predator. They may let an intruder force its head over the wombats’ back, and then use their strong legs to smash the skull of their attacker against the roof of the tunnel, or drive it off with powerful two-legged kicks.
- They are quiet animals. Bare-nosed wombat species produce a number of different sounds compared to their hairy-nosed cousins. Wombats seem to communicate more during mating season. When angered, they produce hissing noises. Their call resembles a pig’s squeal. Moreover, they make snorting noises, a low growl, a throaty cough, and a clicking noise.
CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE
- Common wombats are viewed as pests by farmers because of their burrowing behavior.
- “Fatso the Fat-Arsed Wombat” was the “unofficial” mascot of the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
- Since 2005, Wombat Day has been observed on October 22, although this is an unofficial holiday.
- They have been a source of bush meat since the arrival of indigenous Australian tribes to the arrival of the Westerners.
- These marsupials have been featured in postage stamps and coins of Australia.
CONSERVATION
- All the three extant species of wombats are protected in every state in Australia.
- The northern-hairy wombat is considered an endangered species, and is threatened by its small population size, predation by wild dogs, competition for food, and disease.
Wombat Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the wombat across 21 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Wombat worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the wombat which is distinguished by its short legs, very short tail, large head, and little ears. Known to be burrowing herbivores, wombats are valued members of the food chains in the ecosystems in Australia.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Wombat Facts
- Creature Feature
- Label a Wombat
- Getting to Know
- Perks of a Pouch
- Test Yourself
- Growing Up a Wombat
- Three Species
- Other Marsupials
- Wombat Wiki
- Wombat Poem
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Link will appear as Wombat Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, February 18, 2021
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.