The wombat lives.

For the soul IN last years There is an increasing demand for unusual pets. Decorative pigs, predatory felines, reptiles and arthropods... This fashion has not spared rodents and marsupials, since among them there are absolutely original views

. Today we will talk about the wombat. Who is he, what areas does he live in, what does the animal eat, and is it realistic to get such a pet - you can find the answers to these questions in our article.

Description: what does a marsupial look like? Externally, the marsupial resembles a large guinea pig

or a miniature bear. However, neither a rodent nor predatory mammals a wombat is not. It belongs to the family of marsupials. Largest quantity similar external features

the animal has, surprisingly, with the koala. The animal itself is quite massive:

it can grow from 65 cm to 125 cm in length, and its weight sometimes reaches 40 kilograms or more, the smallest weight being about 20 kg. Body the representative of marsupials has a large, rounded neck, the animal’s neck is practically invisible - the body seems to immediately go into the head. Paws

Wombats are also not particularly long, but this in no way reduces the strength of the individual.

Its limbs are strong and powerful enough so that, if necessary, the animal can escape or defend itself. On each of the paws there are claws - sharp, tenacious. The animal needs them as the main tool for digging holes, as well as for protection.
It is difficult to call a wombat a proportional animal, since its head is quite large, and it seems that it is slightly flattened or elongated. Ears the animal's are small, most often reminiscent of a bear's in shape, only closer to a rounded triangle, that is, elongated. Tail

the animal has it, but it is quite short.

Due to the appearance of the wombat, it seems as if the limbs, head and tail are tightly pressed to the body, which makes the animal very compact. Eyes the animal is very small in size relative to the head, similar to black beads. Fur

The beast is of exclusively dark shades - grayish or brown. Wombats can be either long-haired or short-haired. Colors depends on which species the marsupial belongs to. A rare case is an albino wombat, whose fur is very light, almost.

The structure of the animal's jaw is similar to a beaver - the front two teeth seem to protrude forward and do not stop growing in the same way, which is why the marsupial needs to grind them down.

The structure of the jaw itself has many similarities with the anatomy of rodents. The front pairs of teeth in both the upper and lower rows are cutting teeth; there are no angular teeth at all. Nature endowed animals with chewing teeth.

Interestingly, the wombat has only 12 teeth in total, and this is the smallest number among all marsupials.

The main senses that a wombat relies on during life are smell, that is, the ability to sense smells, and hearing acuity. And here good eyesight the animal cannot boast.

Did you know? It has been established that the very first representatives of wombats were about the same size as rhinoceroses.

Wombats in nature

Initially, wombats are free animals, independent of humans. However, the situation with a sharp decline in the number of the species forces people to take the animals under their care, so now wombats do not live in the wild, but in a reserve.

It is worth noting that marsupials are very picky about where they live, so they can only live in certain conditions.

Habitat

Homeland The animal is Australia. Climatic conditions This continental country is the best place for a wombat, but the main guideline for choosing a place of residence is not the weather, but the soil.

The marsupial's claws are designed specifically for digging holes and are in no way inferior to the clawed paws of a mole: the wombat copes well with the task of digging both holes and entire tunnels and underground systems. Therefore, soil characteristics play an important role in the life of this animal.

The wombat lives, of course, in holes that it dug itself. Even a whole family can live in such an underground dwelling, but simply relatives rarely get along in the same “house” - each of them will begin to win the right to own the territory, and it is unlikely to do without a fight.
Animals use their power not only against enemies, but also against anyone who encroaches on their habitat.

Nature reserves, in particular Queensland, are equipped with all necessary conditions, in which animals could breed and move freely, without the risk of getting on the road with people riding high speed cars.

The underground dwellings of animals, as a rule, reach three and a half meters in depth and about 20 in length. Accordingly, it is impossible to do without the intersection of such “houses” of different individuals.

Another criterion that animals focus on when choosing a habitat is the availability of food. Therefore, when we say that marsupials live in Australia, we mean their presence in areas with a sufficient number of edible plants and soil suitable for digging holes.

Life cycle features

Most representatives of marsupials are awake at night.
At night, they search for food, but this is not associated with possible daytime dangers: initially, before the settlement of Australia by Europeans, wombats had no enemies among the fauna of the mainland.

Over time, dingo dogs appeared in the habitat of marsupial animals, which this moment pose a threat to animals. Another enemy of the marsupial is the Tasmanian devil.

However, the wombat can cope with both animals. on his night look Enemies do not affect life. During the daytime, the animal spends its life in an underground dwelling.

In addition, the wombat, despite its external clumsiness, is able to stand up for itself. This animal has strong bones in the pelvic area, the skin in the area of the animal’s fifth point is also quite strong, and it is with this part of the body that the wombat attacks opponents.
By blocking the entrance to the hole, the marsupial protects its home from ill-wishers. What is characteristic is earth's surface The animal will defend its burrow both from enemies and from other wombats.

If an underground tunnel dug by an animal intersects with the home of another individual of this species, the animals will not conflict with each other.

Another way to deal with enemies is to still allow them to penetrate the hole (not a tunnel), and then use the back of your body to press the attacker against the wall of your shelter. In this way, the wombat can strangle the enemy and protect its family.

Another one strong point wombat- his head. Despite the fact that it inflicts most of its attacks with the pelvic region, the animal can use its head when attacking with the same success. This is reminiscent of the attacks of horned animals, with the only difference that the wombat does not have these same horns.

However, you should not assume that the animal copes with any dangers by attacking. There are times when a wombat has to run away from an enemy or wait out a threat in a safe place.

Then the marsupial shows amazing activity - in running it develops up to 40 or more kilometers per hour. In addition, the animal can climb trees, so in case of danger it can wait out an attack by climbing higher.

Another animal ability- He swims great. At least his skills are enough to be able to swim away from an opponent who does not have the ability to swim.

As for reproduction: a female wombat can give birth to just one baby; pregnancy lasts about seven months.

Over the next two years, the baby will adopt the instincts and habits of the mother, after which he will be able to begin an independent life.

In the wild, a marsupial lives on average about 15 years.

Is it possible to buy an animal

After Europeans began colonizing Australia, the number of wombats declined significantly.
In addition to the fact that the animals were hunted, the settlement of new animals on the mainland also played a role - they immediately competed with the marsupial aborigines, and the latter had to defend their right to exist.

Important! The only endangered species is the Queensland wombat. Other subspecies of this marsupial are not under worldwide protection, and therefore you can meet them a little more often. However, seeing any of the wombats is problematic due to their predominantly nocturnal lifestyle.

Now no more than 120 individuals left Queensland wombat. The small number of animals did not go unnoticed, so the species is currently under the protection of the Red Book.

It lives directly in the Queensland Nature Reserve, and acquiring an animal is a rather complicated process.

First of all, the sale of wombats is carried out only when the buyer is a well-known zoo. As for special cases, it is possible to buy a marsupial, but before doing so you will have to go through a lot of difficulties.
Due to the fact that the animal is dying out, individuals are not sold at the first request of the client. The primary task of the reserve staff is to do everything possible to prevent the species from disappearing. That is, animals need to reproduce.

For this simple reason, you can only plan the purchase of a wombat and, most likely, join the queue of those wishing to purchase such unusual pet.

As you know, The reserve does not waste its children, even if you are willing to pay a fabulous sum. In this case, another obstacle stands in the way: officially, such unusual pets can only be transported outside of Australia to zoos.

Accordingly, a private individual needs to obtain documents allowing him to take the animal to his homeland. This often takes months, which also cannot be considered a pleasant moment of making a purchase.

However, if you are the owner of strong nerves, a strong desire to acquire this particular animal and large finances, it is quite possible to have such an animal.
But be prepared for the fact that making a purchase will take a lot of time and you will have to wait about a year, if not longer.

Important! It is possible to purchase marsupials only in nature reserves or zoos, which is rare. The private advertisements you find on the Internet are in most cases a scam. This is not at all the animal that is sold to private owners for breeding, so be careful and do not fall for the tricks of scammers. Don't risk your money.

Meet someone like this pet, like a wombat, is rarely possible - as we have already said, in order to take an animal out of Australia, a special permit is required.

But if you decide to get such an animal, you should know that it is best to purchase animals when they are still small. This increases the chance that the marsupial will not perceive your actions aggressively and will be able to become attached to you.

Due to the low demand for the animal, we cannot give precise recommendations on its choice. But what you definitely need to pay attention to is appearance animal.
If there are no damage to its fur or skin, and the cub itself behaves quite actively (lethargy and other symptoms of disease are absent), then the animal can be purchased.

If successful, how to care for it?

Purchasing a marsupial is not an easy task, but if you managed to go through all the difficulties associated with purchasing it, you definitely need to learn about how to care for the animal.

Did you know? The life expectancy of wombats at home is not reduced. On the contrary, the animal lives almost twice as long instead of 15 years of life- all 20, or even 25. The longest-lived among these animals is the wombat, whose life lasted as long as 34 years.

The first thing you need to do before purchasing is to ask the animal breeder about their characteristics. After all, a person involved in breeding and preserving a species knows better than any encyclopedia what is normal for animals and what signs should be feared.

Conditions

One of the most important conditions for keeping such an unusual pet is the availability of suitable soil and land. We have already said that the most important task for wombats is digging holes and underground passages.

It is impossible to wean an animal from such an activity, even if you manage to acquire a very small marsupial. In this regard, the presence of a summer house or a private courtyard is a prerequisite for keeping an animal.

In addition, it is important to pay attention to the climate. Despite the fact that the animal has fairly thick fur, sudden cold snaps can damage its health.

Therefore, it is important to avoid the cold in the place where the marsupial lives, regardless of whether you choose a short-haired wombat or an animal with long hair.
There is no getting around the fact that wombats are susceptible to disease.

It’s rare that a veterinarian has come across such a pet and can tell you what measures need to be taken to protect the animal from diseases, so with questions regarding vaccinations, it is advisable to contact the people from whom you purchased the pet.

What do wombats eat?

The animals are herbivores - edible herbaceous plants, moss, plant roots, and edible mushrooms are suitable for them.

Animals do not disdain berries either. The wombat is able to find all these products in the wild, but at home the marsupial does not change its food preferences.

Unless the pet's owners can give him some vegetables or fruits to try that are not common in Australia.

An equally amazing phenomenon is the consumption of water by this animal. Australia is a continent with a dry climate, so one might think that enormous supplies of water are required so that an animal can live favorably.

In fact, it is one of the most economical animals in terms of consumption. water resources. For a marsupial weighing 40 kg, it will be enough to drink a little less than half a liter per day. The calculation is made using the formula 20 ml per 1 kg of weight.

Do I need special care?

The unusual nature of such a pet may evoke thoughts about special care. However, this is easier than it might seem. The animal is quite unpretentious, because it does not require water treatments, combing, etc.

Compliance with a special diet is also not required - you just need to choose the food that the wombat would eat in freedom.
The only thing that is really important for the animal is attention from the owner. However, you need to be careful with affection, since the marsupial does not have sufficient intelligence to always correctly perceive manifestations of tenderness addressed to itself.

Sometimes a wombat may mistake your gesture for an attempt to attack, and then it will begin to defend itself.

Wombat in the house: pros and cons

A seemingly cute little animal can become quite dangerous. Therefore, before you get one, carefully weigh your decision, because the life of an animal is not a toy. You may not be prepared to face some of the challenges of keeping an animal.

The advantages of the wombat are its attachment to its owners. He is a truly devoted pet who will wait for you and literally follow you around.

The animal will not demand round-the-clock attention from you - it is enough to provide it the right conditions to make him feel comfortable.

Another advantage will be the outlandishness. Agree, it’s not often that you see a real wombat at a party. In Europe or America, this is a rare occurrence; even in Australia, such a domestic animal can be found a little more often.

Important! For Australian farmers, the wombat has become more of an enemy than a friend - underground passages often harm the household. This is another reason for the extinction of the species - entrepreneurs exterminated wombats because they caused losses.

As it turned out, such a pet also has a lot of disadvantages. A wombat, despite its cute appearance and love for its owners, will not good friend for children or elderly people. If only because both children and older people cannot always control their gestures.

And in this regard, you need to be very careful and careful with a marsupial animal - it can attack. Its claws can cause quite serious injuries, which any owner would like to avoid.
Keeping an animal in an apartment is also not possible - digging is an innate instinct for it, and, as we have already said, it is impossible to wean it off this habit. Therefore, furniture and even walls can be damaged.

Training can only bear fruit if the animal is with you. small age. Otherwise, you will not be able to control it at all.

In addition, marsupials are considered to be the most unpredictable animals, so trying to teach a baby wombat simple commands will not always be successful.

Choosing a pet is a very important process, so think carefully.

Perhaps the desire to have an unusual animal is a whim or an attempt to follow fashion. In reality, everything is serious, and you are endangering not only your well-being, but also the life of the animal.

Australia is rightly called the country of the most amazing animals in the world. After all, only there live representatives of the fauna with pouches on their stomachs. Among them, an unusual and charming marsupial animal, similar to a small bear cub, the wombat, stands out for its uniqueness.

Humanity first learned about wombats in 1797, when a ship was wrecked off the coast of Australia and sailors, seeing these animals, decided to eat them to save themselves from starvation. Many years have passed since then, but even now many people have not even heard of these rare creatures of nature, so many facts about their habitat may be of interest.

History of occurrence and types of wombats

Wombats are the largest burrowing herbivores. Strong, short paws with claws serve them well for building underground dwellings, where they spend the bulk of their lives. The body of wombats is compact with a pouch on the stomach and a short tail. Their head is large, slightly flattened on the sides and with small eyes.

The appearance of wombats on Earth occurred 18 million years ago. Five species of ancient wombats have not survived to this day. They were much larger than modern animals; the weight of one of the extinct species reached 200 kilograms.

The closest relatives of these animals are considered to be marsupial bears - koalas. They are similar in the structure of teeth, skull and sperm.

The largest representative of the genus is the broad-fronted or big-nosed wombat. He has a strongly flattened forehead, pointed ears, a long nose and body length up to 130 centimeters. It differs from other species in having shorter and darker fur, which covers the entire body and head. It weighs up to 40 kilograms.

Another, more rare, inhabitant of the Australian continent is woolly-nosed wombat. It can be found in eucalyptus forests and grasslands of Australia. These are quite large animals up to 1 meter long and an average weight of 35 kilograms with long and soft fur. The fur on the back is brown-gray, and on the chest and cheeks it is white. The head of these animals is smaller than that of their short-haired counterparts, the ears are triangular, and there are white spots above the eyes. There are two species in this genus: long-haired and Queensland wombats.

Queensland wombats are an endangered species. At present, all of them have survived 118 copies, who live in small nature reserve in Queensland.

Behavior and lifestyle

Wombats are the largest herbivorous mammals, spending most of their lives underground. This largely determined their behavior and lifestyle.

Wombats can use their sharp claws to dig out caves with numerous underground tunnels up to 20 meters long and 3.5 meters deep. These underground structures are so spacious that it is not difficult for a person to crawl into them.
These animals have an excellent sense of smell and hearing, but their eyesight is poor. Therefore, they are attracted to a nocturnal lifestyle; during the daytime, wombats prefer to hide and sleep in their underground dwellings. During the daytime, they come to the surface in winter to bask in the sun.
The wombat is a very slow animal by nature, but when danger approaches, it can run away from pursuit, developing speeds from 40 to 62 kilometers per hour.
Wombats prefer solitude and do not live in packs. However, the burrows of their brothers are located close to each other.
Wombats mark their territory by droppings they have. unusual shape- cubes. In one day, the animal secretes up to 100 such cubes.
Wombats have a slow metabolism; it takes two weeks for them to digest food.
Wombats, after camels, are in 2nd place among mammals in terms of water consumption. They need only 22 milliliters per kilogram of body weight per day.
Males reach sexual maturity at two years of age, and females at three years of age. The breeding season lasts from May to August. The female carries the baby for 3 weeks, and after birth carries it in a pouch for 9 months.
The wombat defends itself from enemy attacks in several ways. Due to the fact that the back of its body is very hard, it serves as a shield against attacks from behind. If a wild dog Dingo climbs into his hole, the wombat tries to corner it against the wall of the hole and strangle it with its powerful rear shield. Also, a wombat can, like a goat or ram, gore an enemy with its hard forehead.

Coexistence with man

The wombat has few enemies natural nature a habitat. Humans are mostly responsible for the death of these animals. Wombats often die under the wheels of cars, crossing roads or as a result of hunting. There are often cases when people domesticate these wonderful animals.

Wombats are easily tamed and make excellent pets. However, they are very timid by nature, and if they feel the slightest threat, they can behave aggressively: bite or injure a person with sharp claws. Therefore, you should treat them kindly and not give them cause for concern.
Living in a home environment, wombats get along well with other pets and can also give birth to healthy offspring. The lifespan of this species in captivity can range from 15 to 20 years.
A famous case was when, with the help of a wombat, it was discovered in Australia large deposit copper In the soil that the animal dug up to build its burrow, people noticed inclusions of yellow metal, which they examined and determined the presence of copper.
Wombats are a species of animal that is prohibited from being exported from Australia, so people from other countries cannot purchase them at any cost. Officially, only a large zoo can buy wombats. At home they stand from 500 to 1000 $.
As a sign of gratitude to these stunning animals, the inhabitants of Australia named a small village in the state of New South Wales Wombat, and astronomers named a Main Belt asteroid.

Wombat - Australia

The wombat is a rare animal native to Australia.

It belongs to the family of two-incisor marsupials, which also includes kangaroos and koalas. The closest relatives of wombats can be considered marsupial bears. The wombat is a small animal, its body length usually ranges from 70 to 120 cm. Average weight The wombat ranges from 20 to 45 kg.

Externally, this animal bears some resemblance to a bear. The body is quite compact, has short limbs that differ great strength. With their help, wombats dig holes in the ground. Each wombat's paw ends in five toes with large claws. The claws are the main tool of the digger wombat. In the structure of its jaws and teeth, the wombat resembles a rodent. Among all marsupial wombat the most “toothless”, it has only 12 teeth.

The wombat's main habitat is the states of Victoria, New South Wales, New Australia, Tasmania, and Queensland. They can live in almost any conditions, the main thing is that the soil in this area can be dug.

Today there are two species of wombats, which differ in some characteristics. The first species was named the woolly-nosed wombat because of the hair on its nose.

For the soul this type There are two subspecies - the Queensland wombat and the long-haired wombat.

The second type of wombat is bare-nosed and has no fur on its nose. This species includes the short-haired wombat and the salamat wombat. In addition, science knew five more species of wombats, which are now completely extinct.

Life of wombats

B Most of a wombat's life is spent underground, in a burrow. Of all mammals, it is the largest burrow-dwelling animal. A burrow is a wombat's home, which can connect with other homes through underground tunnels. Such a tunnel can be up to twenty meters long, and the average depth of a wombat burrow is 3.5 meters. All day the wombat hides from the hot sun in the bowels of the earth, and by night it comes to the surface to find food for itself. Wombats feed on grass, mainly finding young shoots. In extreme cases, they may eat moss, berries, mushrooms or roots.

On earth, the wombat encounters few dangers. The only predator that threatens the wombat's quiet life is the wild dingo.

The wombat always defends itself with the back of its body, since it is very hard and practically impenetrable. Thick skin, cartilage and bones perfectly repel enemy attacks. Sometimes a wombat can block the entrance to its burrow with its back part of its body in order to protect its home. When defending themselves, wombats hit their opponents with their heads, as if they were butting. When a dingo dog enters a hole, the wombat drives it into the far corner and strangles it with the back of its body.

Wombats in nature

Wombats are excellent defenders of their territory. On defense, they show serious aggression, and can easily strangle almost any opponent. Warning of danger, wombats moo menacingly and wave their heads in different sides. Such a gesture is a signal to attack. Despite its short legs, the wombat is capable of running very fast. Moving away from the enemy, he can reach a phenomenal speed of up to 62 kilometers per hour. If necessary, a wombat can climb a tree or burrow into the ground.

Wombats can usually breed throughout the year. However, those species that live in the dry part of the country breed only during certain seasons. Each female can give birth to one cub.

Until about eight months of age, the wombat cub constantly remains in the mother’s pouch, and only then gradually begins to lead an independent life. For the first year, the cub is completely dependent on the mother and is always near her.

The mere fact that wombats were inhabitants of our planet more than ten million years ago, indicates the uniqueness of this animal.

Of course, many species of wombat have disappeared from the face of the earth, but still today we can communicate and get to know life animal wombats. Today the fauna is rich in two genera of the wombat family, which includes three species of these unique creatures nature:

Short-haired wombat (short-haired wombat)
Long-haired wombat (Queensland and long-haired wombats)

In the process of evolution, there were significantly more genera of wombats, but, unfortunately, they could not survive in nature for a number of reasons. At least five such genera are known. In ancient times, wombats were considered to be the closest relatives; these animals have many similarities.

However, about 36 million years ago, the evolutionary paths of these animals change direction and move away from each other. On photo of wombats However, some similarities can be seen.

Wombats are herbivores that are common in Australia, are herbivores and look very similar to small ones and at the same time. An adult animal ranges in length from 70 centimeters to 1.2 meters. At the same time, the weight is in the range of 20-40 kilograms.

The body of wombats is quite dense and compact, a small body, but quite large sizes head and four powerful limbs. Wombats also have a small tail, which is considered undeveloped. Wombats are covered with fur on top, usually gray or ash color.

The back of the animal is built in a special way, there is a lot of cartilage, bones and hard skin, it is a kind of shield. If someone tries to climb into an animal’s hole, the wombat, as a rule, exposes its butt and thus protects the passage inside in order to block and crush the attacker against the walls of the hole.

Special attention I would like to draw attention to these funny ““s” on the head; it is quite large in relation to the body, but at the same time slightly flattened, with beady eyes on the sides. In case of danger, wombats can defend themselves and even attack with their head; they seem to butt it, although they do not have horns.

The structure of the jaw and teeth is very similar to the primary food processing organs of rodents. Among marsupials, wombats have the smallest number of teeth: both in the upper and lower rows there are 2 front cutting teeth, as well as chewing teeth, but they do not have angular teeth.

Wombat paws robust, muscular and quite strong, there are also claws that are present on each of the five toes of each paw. Claws play a huge role in the life of an animal, since with their help they can dig holes.

Wombats are famous for the art of digging, creating entire underground kingdoms-states, so they are sometimes given the title of the most talented and largest diggers. The tunnels dug by them can be up to 20 meters long and reach 3 meters wide.

They build entire underground palaces in which the whole family can live. Despite the short length of their paws, wombats are capable of moving speeds of up to 40 km/h. They can also climb trees and even swim.

Character and lifestyle of a wombat

- This home of wombats, however, there is also the island of Tasmania, where you can also find such unusual inhabitants. Meeting wombats is not that common, although in nature their numbers are not small.

This is due to the way of life, because it is predominantly underground. Therefore, for these unique animals, the main thing is dry soil, in which there is no groundwater, rock deposits and large quantity roots of trees and plants.

Wombats build entire settlements underground, here there are spacious houses and intricate streets - tunnels through which the inhabitants of the underground move. Wombats spend most of the day in burrows.

They prefer nightlife, so during the day they rest and sleep in spacious and cool houses, and with the onset of darkness they go upstairs to warm up and refresh themselves.

Wombats live in large groups, so they occupy a large territory for their life activities. Sometimes these are entire fields with an area of up to 25 hectares. To determine the boundaries of their possessions, animals mark the territory with the help of their excrement. An interesting fact is that wombat poop have the shape of a cube.

The character of wombats friendly, they are not at all afraid of people. IN natural environment They have practically no enemies in their habitat. However, if they have to defend their territory, they become aggressive.

When danger approaches, they take on a stern appearance, begin to shake their impressively sized heads and at the same time make an unpleasant sound that resembles a moo.

This type of determined wombat often scares away the attacker. If this does not happen, then an attack may occur; wombats are accustomed to fighting with their heads, just as goats or sheep butt. Pictures of wombats in their natural habitat they are generally very positive and peaceful, the main thing is that there is no source of danger for these animals nearby.

Nutrition

They say about wombats that they are true gourmets and love only first-class food, which they obtain for themselves with the help of their claws. Wombats love to feast on young, succulent shoots of plants, as well as roots, mosses, some berries and mushrooms. To select the best food for themselves, wombats use their sense of smell and special structure lips and teeth.

Thus, they are able to cut off the smallest and most tender shoots at the root to enjoy their great taste. These unique animals digest food for up to 14 days, since they have an extremely slow digestion process.

Wombats are animals that do not need to absorb large amounts of water. In this way they are very similar to desert wanderers - camels. They only need 22 ml of water per day per 1 kg of weight. Therefore, the animal tolerates thirst quite easily, and can do without water for some time.

Reproduction and lifespan of a wombat

The birth of wombat cubs does not depend on the season of the year and weather conditions. Wombats reproduce throughout the year. However, in arid regions, scientists still observe rather seasonal reproduction.

Wombats are marsupials, however, in females the bags are located in a special way; they are turned back so that they do not interfere with digging the ground, and dirt and earth do not get into them.

The female's pregnancy lasts only about 20 days, then a single baby is born. Although the female has two nipples, it is impossible to bear and feed two babies.

For the next 8 months after birth, the baby lives in his mother’s pouch, where he is surrounded by round-the-clock care and attention. However, even after leaving this cozy place, for about another year, before reaching puberty, he will live next to his mother, who will continue to take care of her child.

In nature, wombats live on average about 15 years, and in captivity they can live for 20-25 years, it all depends on the conditions of detention and diet, and other factors.

is a representative of the Australian fauna that is active at night. The herbivorous animal, like meerkats, mongooses and ferrets, digs holes. Vegetation is the main food of the animal. It looks friendly and seems safe, however, this is a mistaken opinion. As soon as the wombat senses a threat, it immediately becomes aggressive. It is appropriate to say that nature has endowed this animal with acute hearing.

Where does the wombat live?

Australia and Tasmania are the main regions where the wombat lives. It is found in southern New Wales, Victoria and Queensland. Its habitat is vast fields, mountains and forests. The wombat has a huge need for land, in which it tirelessly digs burrows - there it lives and marks its own territory.

The wombat will always protect the inhabited expanses and scare away uninvited guests with a stern moo. Often this is enough for them to leave him alone, but if necessary, the wombat is ready to fight. Previously, all of Australia was inhabited by wombats, but due to the intensive extermination of rodents, their population has decreased significantly. Today they can be found exclusively only in the southern part of the mainland.

Gallery: wombat animal (25 photos)

looks like a small stocky bear because of its short legs. But in fact, he is a “relative” of the koala and kangaroo. The body is massive and thick, the head is large. There are currently three known species of these mammals:

common Vombatus ursinus;
broad-browed;
northern, or woolly-nosed Krefta.

Representatives of the last two varieties have another name - long-haired.

Appearance

The body length of an adult animal reaches about 75-130 cm. Weight is 25-45 kg. The body looks compact, the legs are short, but extremely strong. Each foot has five toes, four of which have piercing claws - with which it digs its trenches. On big head there are two small eyes. Very long and thin tail.

The common wombat has a completely bare nose, short, round ears, the fur is gray-brownish in color and is completely hard to the touch. Representatives of the other two species - northern and broad-fronted - have a hairy nose, much larger ears and soft fur. The largest among the rest is the wombat, which belongs to the broad-fronted species. His distinctive features A flat forehead and pointed ears are considered.

Who is a wombat

It is found mainly underground in a hole that he dug himself.. Using its long, sharp claws, this animal is capable of building both small caves and real tunnel passages. The length of which can reach about 20 meters, and the depth is about 3.5 meters. At the transition points of underground systems, independent caves are formed, in which different “families” of these mammals can live at different times. They are quite charming and extremely surprising because they rest during the day, being in their shelters, and under the cover of night they become active in finding food.

Adult individuals have almost no natural enemies. However, they can only hunt on them Tasmanian devils and wild dingoes.

Nutrition

Vegetation is the source of food for wombats. They use:

grass shoots;
roots of found plants;
can be saturated with moss;
as well as mushrooms and berries.

And they recognize edible vegetation through upper lip. Strong front teeth protrude from under it, with which the animals instantly cut off young shoots to the very roots. Due to their excellently developed sense of smell, these representatives of the fauna are perfectly oriented even in the dark.

The breeding phase begins in May and continues until August. No more than three weeks are given to carry a wombat baby. During one pregnancy, she can give birth to only one “heir”, who after birth remains under her protection for a fairly maximum period of time. This animal has a pouch on its abdomen, which is turned upside down. This arrangement helps wombats dig their tunnels at ease, even when little wombat(the baby) is in this bag.

The wombat reproduces almost throughout the entire area where it lives, with the exception of isolated arid zones. In such habitats, this animal is capable of producing offspring only at certain times of the year. In situations wildlife The northern and common wombats last on average about fifteen years. In captivity, their life expectancy, on the contrary, increases to a quarter of a century.

Australia is famous for its huge number of zoological parks and tourist centers, where animals live in captivity and actively reproduce. Australian wombat extremely popular, despite the fact that they are extremely difficult to tame. But park employees managed to find mutual language with these creatures: after much persuasion, they still come out of their personal “apartments” for everyone to see and even allow themselves to be stroked.

But do not forget about their far from meek character, which can awaken at any moment. As soon as a marsupial senses danger, it is immediately able to attack a person and scratch him with its rather large and strong claws. If you don't provoke him, he won't show any signs of anger. But at the same time, even a bad mood can affect his behavior.

Being powerful and strong, possessing remarkable weight, sharp teeth and massive jaws, an angry wombat will leave deep wounds, if the person does not disappear from his field of vision at the right time. In addition, when angry, these animals can completely destroy the vegetation that will be in the area. He will diligently dig up the entire area until not a single sprout remains on it.

Such data makes the wombat not the kindest pet. He is unpredictable, extremely timid and because of this he poses a huge danger to humans. And even if the threat is not realistic, a wombat gripped by fear can attack an imaginary enemy.

Today, many people want to keep such a pet at home. However, experts do not recommend... Because it can cause a lot of trouble both for other pets and for people. If the animal gets scared or feels threatened, it may bite or scratch. Undoubtedly, this fluffy and funny animal evokes sympathy and respect. However, keeping a wombat at home is not the best option.

A favorable place for this animal is a vast territory of a personal plot, and not a house. At the same time, it is important to remember about the climatic zone of residence, since they tolerate the cool season incredibly poorly.