Common Wombat Vombatus ursinus

The Common Wombat is native to southeast Australia. Its thick, coarse coat can vary from grey to sandy, brown or black.

The Common Wombat is also called the Bare-nosed, having a large, flat, bare nose like its relative, the Koala. There are 3 subspecies, the larger V. u. hirsutus mainland wombat (shown here) reaching over a metre in length and the smaller Tasmanian and Bass Strait islands subspecies. Two other species of Wombat, the Northern and the Southern Hairy-nosed, are in a different genus.

Wombats are marsupials, with the young "joey" growing in the mother's pouch. Since they are burrowing animals, their pouches face backwards so the baby is not covered in soil.

Wombats are mainly solitary, mainly nocturnal (sleeping in burrows by day) and territorial. They are vegetarian, eating grass and roots.