The common wombat (Vombatus ursinus) is a burrowing marsupial of Vombatidae from south‑eastern Australia and Tasmania, famous for powerful digging and cube‑shaped faeces used in scent‑marking.
Ecology & Biology
Activity: mainly crepuscular/nocturnal; daytime refuge in burrows.
Diet: herbivore—grasses, sedges, roots and bark; efficient hindgut fermentation.
Reproduction: female has a rear‑opening pouch; joey remains in pouch for ~5–6 months.
Sociality: mostly solitary; burrow systems reused by multiple individuals.
Identification
Stout, short‑legged; strong shoulders; large shovel‑like claws.
Pelage sand‑brown to dark grey/blackish; broad muzzle; short rounded ears.
Ever‑growing incisors adapted to abrasive forage.
Size & Longevity
Length: 90–115 cm; shoulder height ~35 cm.
Weight: 20–35 kg (regional variation).
Life: wild ~5–15 years; in care 20+ years.
Range & Habitat
South‑eastern mainland Australia and Tasmania; prefers temperate forest, shrubland and grassland on well‑drained soils, including rural edges.
Conservation & People
IUCN: Least Concern (LC); local pressures include roads, mange, fragmentation and farm conflict.
Ecosystem role: an ecosystem engineer whose burrows aerate soil and shelter other fauna.
