The Common Wombat is a large, heavily built marsupial. An adult can weight from 26kg to 40kg. It is usually a metre long from nose to tail and about 35cm high. It has short, powerful limbs with strong flattened claws for digging and has coarse brown or black fur. Wombats live mainly in forest areas but may also be found in woodlands and coastal shrub areas. Wombats dig underground tunnels 2 to 20 metres long where they sleep. These tunnels are found on slopes above creeks and rivers. Wombats eat mainly grass, but this can also include roots of trees and shrubs. Like their nearest relative, the koala, Wombats have bacteria in their gut for the digestion of plant material. Every night, wombats can graze from 3-8 hours and can travel for many kilometres looking for food. The female wombat reaches mating maturity at 2 years, and breeding can occur at any time of the year. The female has a pouch which contains 2 teats. The pouch opens at the back, so that it is kept clean and free of dirt, while she digs and burrows. Gestation period is approx. 1 month and only 1 young is born at a time. It nestles in the pouch for about 6 months, then stays with the mother for another 10-20 months, when it then becomes independent. Wombats can live for up to 5 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity. Common Wombats are a protected species, as are all Australian native mammals. Many wombats however, are victims of motor vehicle accidents on open roads.

Information obtained from Taronga Park Zoo Site

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