Short-legged, muscular marsupials of Australia that dig large burrows with rodent-like front teeth and powerful claws. Their pouch faces backwards, so no soil gets in while they dig.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?No, herbivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
Mainly crepuscular and nocturnal, though wombats come out on cool or overcast days too.
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?In places
Once Aboriginal bush food, and wombat stew was an Australian dish; it is now protected.
At a glance
Found inAustralia
HabitatForest, Grassland, Scrub
ColoursBrown, Grey
SizeMedium
Length70–110 cm (common wombat)
Weight20–35 kg (common wombat)
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives alone
Lives for15 years
Can swim
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Australia.
- What it eats
- Grasses, sedges, herbs, bark and roots.
Did you know
Produces cube-shaped droppings. Genuinely.
When attacked, a wombat dives into its tunnel and blocks it with its tough rump.
Often confused with
- Koala
The koala is the wombat’s closest living relative, but it lives in trees and eats eucalyptus leaves.
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