Australian wombat interesting facts. Wombat photo, lifestyle, what it eats, reproduction. Appearance and resemblance to other animals

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

For the first time, mankind learned about wombats in 1797, when a ship crashed off the coast of Australia and sailors, seeing these animals, decided to eat them to escape hunger. 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.

The history of occurrence and types of wombats

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

The appearance of wombats on Earth happened 18 million years ago. 5 types 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 marsupial bears - koalas. They are similar in the structure of teeth, skull and spermatozoa.

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


Another, rarer, inhabitant of the Australian continent is woolly-nosed wombat. It can be found in the eucalyptus forests and grasslands of Australia. These are rather large animals up to 1 meter long and with an average weight of 35 kilograms with long and soft fur. On the back, the fur is brown-gray, and on the chest and cheeks - white color. The head of these animals is smaller than that of the 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 endangered. At present, there are only 118 copies who live in small 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 dig out caves with numerous underground tunnels reaching up to 20 meters long and 3.5 meters deep. These underground structures are so spacious that it will not be difficult for a person to climb through them.
• These animals have excellent sense of smell and hearing, but their eyesight is poor. Therefore, they are attracted night image life, during the daytime, wombats prefer to hide and sleep in their underground dwellings. In the daytime, they come to the surface in winter to bask in the sun.
• The wombat is very slow beast, but when danger approaches, he can run away from pursuit, developing a speed of 40 to 62 kilometers per hour.
• Wombats prefer loneliness and do not live in packs. However, the burrows of brothers are located not far from each other.
• Wombats mark their territory with the litter they have. unusual shape- cubes. In one day, the animal allocates up to 100 such cubes.
• Wombats have a slow metabolism, their food is digested within two weeks.
• 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 puberty at the age of two, and females at the age of three. The breeding season is from May to August. The female carries the cub for 3 weeks, and after birth she carries it in her bag for 9 months.
• Wombat defends itself from enemy attacks in several ways. Due to the fact that the back of his body is very hard, it serves as a shield from an attack from behind. If a wild dog Dingo climbs into its hole, the wombat tries to corner it against the wall of the hole and strangle it with its powerful back shield. Also, a wombat can, like a goat or a ram, gore the enemy with its hard forehead.

coexistence with man

The wombat has few enemies in its natural habitat. Most of the deaths of these animals are caused by humans. Wombats often die under the wheels of cars, crossing roads or as a result of hunting for them. It is not uncommon for people to tame these wonderful animals.

1. Wombats are easily tamed and make great pets. However, they are very shy by nature, and when 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 cause for concern.
2. Living at home, wombats get along well with other pets, and can also bring healthy offspring. The lifespan of this species in captivity can be between 15 and 20 years.
3. A case is famous when, with the help of a wombat, a large deposit of copper was discovered in Australia. In the soil, which the animal dug up, building a mink for itself, people noticed inclusions of a yellow metal, examining which, they established the presence of copper.
4. Wombats are a species of animals prohibited from being exported from Australia, so people from other countries cannot buy them for any money. Officially, only a large zoo can buy wombats. At home they stand from 500 to 1000 $.
5. As a sign of gratitude to this amazing animal, the inhabitants of Australia called the Wombat a small village in the state of New South Wales, and astronomers named the asteroid of the Main Belt.

The wombat population has existed on Earth for millions of years, although some species of these animals have disappeared without a trace since ancient times.

scientific classification

Wombats are unique Australian animals, which, according to the classification, belong to two-bladed marsupials. vertebrate mammals chordate type. Among them, bare-nosed and wool-nosed animals are distinguished, which in turn are divided into several genera:

• shorthaired
• longhaired
• Queensland

Appearance and resemblance to other animals

Outwardly, these cute creatures resemble marsupial bears - koalas, and have much in common with them in the structure of the skeleton, dentition and reproductive system. But from the point of view of morphology, these are representatives of two different families and genera, which means that their external similarity is deceptive. More than 30 million years ago, their evolutionary branches diverged forever, forming two completely independent families. In addition, in terms of body structure and behavioral skills, wombats are similar to forest predators – brown bears although they are themselves herbivores.

The special structure of the paws and claws helps these mammals provide themselves and their offspring with housing. Small but powerful paws are adapted for digging holes in which wombats live. The small strong body of the animal, weighing up to 40 kg, reaches a length of 100-120 cm in adults. The head looks massive and disproportionately large, the tail is shortened. The structure of the jaw of the wombat is similar to the jaw of rodents; there are no angular teeth, the front incisors are on top and bottom. In general, this is, as it were, a collective image of several representatives of a completely different types animals.

Habitat and lifestyle

The habitat of these marsupials is the south and east of the Australian mainland. The soils here are suitable for digging underground passages, tunnels and burrows, in which wombats spend most of their lives. Underground galleries created by animals reach tens of meters in length, they are wide and convenient for movement. Sometimes underground passages intersect with each other, forming common areas that are used together. Wombats spend most of the day in their mink houses, leaving the surface of the earth only at dusk. At night, the animals are quite active and, without fear of attacks by predators, are looking for food.

Enemies and ways to protect against them

The main enemies of wombats are dingoes, wild dogs of Australia. Wombats defend themselves from them by turning their backs to the enemy. A powerful shield, thick bones and hard skin of the rear part of the body of the animal reliably block the entrance of predators to the underground dwelling of the wombat. With its own weight, the animal can crush the offender or break his bones. A powerful head prevents an attack from the front. Like a ram, the wombat butts its head, pushes the opponent to the wall and, pressing it, strangles it. Unfortunately, cases of death of wombats under the wheels of cars are not uncommon.

Wombats jealously protect their territories from the encroachments of strangers. They mark holdings with a special secret, alerting outsiders to occupied lots, and defending them when necessary. Wombats excellent swimmers and high-speed runners, in case of danger, they deftly climb tree trunks. Their sense of smell and hearing are much better developed than their eyesight. Life expectancy is about 20 years.

Nutrition

The basis of the diet of wombats are young shoots and roots of plants, grass, berries, mushrooms and mosses. With the help of a divided upper lip and long front incisors, animals choose treats for themselves, tasting them for taste and juiciness. The food eaten is digested in the stomach for about two weeks. Wombats consume little liquid, so the arid hot climate of Australia is quite suitable for them.

reproduction

Puberty occurs in wombats at 2 years, and the reproductive period almost does not depend on the season. Only in dry areas mating season in animals takes on a seasonal form. A newly born cub makes its first journey through the mother's body, trying to get into the bag. Here he finds two nipples with milk and peacefully spends the next six months. After the baby leaves the mother's bag, he stays near her for about a year, receiving the necessary protection and care.

Wombats are well tamed by humans. Their quick wit, good nature and docile nature make these animals the pets of many Australian families. Wombats can often be found in the National Parks around Melbourne or in the reserves of the eastern part of the mainland.

Classification

View: Wombat Vombatidae

Squad: Two-crested marsupials

Highest classification: Vombatiformes

Domain: eukaryotes

Kingdom: Animals

Type: chordates

Class: mammals

The wombat is a herbivore representative of the Australian fauna, which is active at night.

This is a marsupial animal that has practically no natural enemies.

Outwardly, the animal resembles a small bear cub.

A wombat, like, and, digs holes, and vegetation serves as a food source for it.

He looks pretty cute and seems harmless, but as soon as he feels danger, he will immediately become aggressive.

Nature endowed this animal with sharp hearing and poor eyesight. The cold climate is detrimental to him and a long stay in such conditions can provoke serious illnesses.

Habitat

Australia and Tasmania are the main places where the wombat lives. It lives in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.

Its habitats are forests, fields and mountains. The wombat needs land in which he constantly digs holes - he lives there and marks his territory in this way.

The wombat will always protect the inhabited spaces, scaring away the "uninvited guest" with a menacing moo. Often this is enough for him to leave, but if necessary, the wombat will also enter the battle.

Previously, all of Australia was inhabited by wombats, but due to the active extermination of rodents, their population has significantly decreased.

And today these marsupials can be found only in the southern part of the continent.

Characteristic

Because of its short legs, the wombat looks like a small stocky bear. But in fact, he is a "relative" and a kangaroo.

His body looks massive and thick, and thanks to big head, the first Australian settlers called the wombat the badger.

To date, three species of these marsupial mammals are known:

• common Vombatus ursinus;
• wide-browed;
• woolly-nosed Creft, or northern.

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

There are also albino wombats, but this is a huge rarity.

Important! Human agricultural activity has caused irreparable damage to the wombat population.

Appearance

The body length of an adult animal ranges from 70-130 cm. Its weight can be 20-45 kg. The body looks compact, the legs are short, but very strong.

There are five toes on each foot, four of which have sharp claws - with their help, both the long-haired and the common wombat dig their tunnels.

On the large head are two small eyes. The tail is thin and not too long.

Interesting! Among the extinct species, for example, Phascolonus gigas, there were individuals whose weight could reach 200 kg!

According to the structure of the jaws, the wombat is similar to rodents. He has four front cutting teeth - two on top and bottom, and simple chewing teeth, angular ones are absent.

In total, this mammal has 12 teeth - this is the smallest indicator among marsupials.

The common wombat has a completely bare nose, short and rounded ears, and a gray-brown coat, very short and hard to the touch.

Representatives of the other two species - northern and broad-browed - have a hairy nose, much larger ears and soft fur.

The largest among others is the wombat, which belongs to the broad-browed species, which can be seen in the next photo. His characteristic features are pointed ears and a flat forehead.

A broad-browed wombat is dressed in a gray "fur coat"

Key Features

1. The wombat lives mostly underground in a hole he dug himself. With the help of its long sharp claws, this animal is able to build both small caves and real tunnel systems. The length of the latter can reach 20 m, and the depth - 3.5 m. underground systems separate caves are formed, in which different time different "families" of these amazing animals can live.
2. These mammals rest during daylight hours, being in their shelters. At night, they are active and come out of their burrows to find food. But in winter, the northern wombat is also found during the day, which is clearly demonstrated in the next photo.

In cold weather, the northern wombat may come out of its burrow to bask in the sun.

1. Adults have practically no natural enemies. They can be hunted by wild dingoes and tasmanian devils, also found in Australia. But they significantly undermine the number of wombats and prevent them from raising offspring.
2. This animal repels the attacks of the attacker in a very strange way - it exposes the back of the back from the hole. And this is due to the fact that pelvic bones they have a kind of shield. If the enemy penetrates the hole, then the wombat peacefully steps aside, luring him deeper, and then attacks and chokes him with his rear shield.
3. During a fight, both long-haired and common wombats butt heads, delivering powerful headbutts. But before entering the fight, they warn the enemy by shaking their heads from side to side and bellowing menacingly.
4. The constant presence of a source of water, in places where the wombat lives, is not prerequisite for existence. He lives quite calmly long time without liquid, and if he uses it, then very little.

Interesting! The wombat ranks second in water conservation after the camel. For one kilogram of body weight per day, only 22 ml of liquid is enough for him!

1. The area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe territory where this representative of the fauna lives will depend on external conditions and can be about 5-25 ha. They mark their "possessions" not only with dug holes, but also with excrement.
2. Their anus has special structure, due to which the feces are shaped like cubes.

The source of food for wombats is vegetation. They eat the shoots of grasses, the roots of some plants, they can eat moss, as well as berries and mushrooms.

And they determine edible vegetation with the help of the upper lip, divided into two parts.

Large front teeth stick out from under it, with which animals easily cut young shoots to the very root.

Thanks to a well-developed sense of smell, these representatives of the fauna are perfectly oriented even at night.

Wombats find food without much difficulty, even despite poor eyesight.

Interesting! Wombats have a slow but very efficient metabolism. After saturation, the animal's body needs about 2 weeks to digest the incoming food!

reproduction

The breeding season starts in May and lasts until August. No more than three weeks are allotted for bearing a cub.

The female has two nipples, but in one pregnancy she is able to give birth to only one "heir", which, after birth, remains under her care for a rather long period of time.

This animal has a bag on its abdomen, which is turned back.

This arrangement helps the wombats to dig their trenches unhindered even while the cub is in this pouch. The male reaches puberty by the second year of his life, the female - only by the third.

The cub spends in the mother's pouch for about 9 months

Wombat breeding occurs in almost the entire territory where it lives, with the exception of particularly arid zones.

In such regions, this animal is able to produce offspring only in certain time of the year.

In conditions wildlife both the common and northern wombat live an average of about 15 years. In captivity, their life expectancy can reach up to a quarter of a century.

On a note! There is information about a long-lived wombat who died at the age of 34. But there is also a living marsupial mammal nicknamed Patrick, which is located in Ballart Park - his age today is 29 years old!

Australia is famous for its huge number of zoological parks and tourist centers, where wombats live in captivity and breed quite actively.

These animals are incredibly popular, despite the fact that they are very difficult to tame.

But park workers were able to find mutual language with these cute creatures, and after much persuasion, they nevertheless come out of their hiding places for everyone to see and even allow themselves to be stroked, as seen in the next photo.

The baby wombat behaves quite friendly and calm

But you should always remember about their far from meek disposition, which can manifest itself at any moment.

As soon as an animal feels danger, it can immediately attack a person and scratch him with his long strong claws.

If the wombat is not provoked, then it will not show signs of aggression. But at the same time, a bad mood can also affect his behavior.

Being strong and strong, possessing remarkable weight, powerful jaws and sharp teeth, an angry wombat will leave deep wounds if a person does not hide from his field of vision in time.

In addition, being in anger, these representatives of the fauna are able to completely destroy the vegetation that will be located in the area.

He will zealously dig up the entire area until not a single sprout remains on it.

Such characteristics make the wombat not the best pet. He is unpredictable, overly shy and therefore poses a serious danger to humans.

And even if the threat is not real, a frightened beast can pounce on an imaginary enemy.

In addition, they cannot be called quick-witted and sometimes actions diverge from a seemingly good mood.

So that an exotic animal like the wombat can claim the role pet, for him, first of all, you should arrange a place.

And, as some owners of these marsupials say, over time they get used to the environment, especially if there is an opportunity to dig trenches without hindrance.

A house or apartment is not suitable for keeping them, as there is little room for a wombat and he will have nowhere to hide.

In this regard, floor coverings and walls will certainly be seriously damaged or will become completely unusable.

A suitable place for a wombat is household plot with a vast area.

At the same time, it is important to remember climate zone living, as these animals do not tolerate cold very well - under such conditions they will often get sick.

In regions that are characterized by a variable climate, special places are arranged for these animals where the pet can wait out the cold months or several days of inclement weather.

baby next to calm mom will feel quite comfortable and develop well.

Animal Wombat: Cute marsupial mammal

The wombat is a herbivore representative of the Australian fauna, which is active at night. This is a marsupial animal that has practically no natural enemies.

The animal wombat lives in Australia. It is very similar to a small bear cub and is a marsupial animal.

cutie wombats

These herbivores, living on the territory of the smallest continent, called Australia, are somewhat reminiscent of bears, only much smaller. Wombats belong to the family of two-bladed marsupials.

Appearance description

In length, the animals reach approximately 71 - 121 centimeters. At the same time, a wombat can weigh from 21 to 44 kilograms. The head of the animal is large, slightly flattened on the sides, there are two small eyes on the head. The paws are five-fingered and very strong, albeit short. Each toe is provided with a claw, quite large for the size of the animal. Nature has rewarded little bear» such limbs that he could easily dig himself a shelter and shelter in the soil. Wombats have a short, inconspicuous tail. This animal is a marsupial.

Wombat Habitats

As already mentioned, the territory of distribution of wombats is the Australian continent. The states of Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland and New South Wales are especially densely populated by wombats. For the construction of housing, the animals choose the territory on which the soil is suitable for digging a hole.

What do wombats eat

In order to saturate their body with all the substances necessary for life, wombats eat young grass. Other parts of plants, such as roots, are also suitable for food. In addition, animals feed on the fruits of berry bushes, mushrooms and moss. The special structure of the mouth and a very acute sense of smell gives the wombat the ability to selectively eat only that part of the plant that it needs.

It is noteworthy that food in the body of an animal is digested for a very long time: sometimes this process reaches as much as two weeks! And wombats almost do not need water at all, well, just like camels!

Wombat lifestyle

Most These mammals spend their existence underground, in their burrows. It is worth saying that, often, the wombat's dwelling is a complex multi-way tunnel. The animal is able to dig a hole almost four meters deep, and the length of the "underground structure" reaches twenty meters!

For prey, wombats prefer to go out at night, but during the day, they spend time in their “home”, giving the body a rest. Concerning temperature conditions, then the cold is very destructive for these animals. Wombats also float well and can even swim, they are just as good at climbing trees. Well, it’s not worth talking about the ability to burrow at all - in this, wombats, with their agile paws, have almost no equal. The life of these mammals lasts up to 15 years of age, although there have been cases when in captivity the animals lived up to 25 or even 34 years.

The process of breeding

Reproduction in this species of mammals takes place all year round. However, wombats living in an area where rainfall is rare, produce offspring only in certain seasons. One female is able to bear only one cub in her bag. The wombat baby is in his mother's "shelter" up to six months, and sometimes up to eight months. After he gets out of the bag, he prefers to be not too far from his mother.

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

Of course, many wombat species have disappeared from the face of the earth, but still today we can talk and get to know life. animal wombats. To date, the fauna is rich in two genera of the wombat family, which include 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 be preserved in nature for a number of reasons. At least five such genera are known. In ancient times, wombats were considered the closest relatives; these animals have a lot of similarities.

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

Wombats are herbivores that are common in Australia, are herbivores and look very similar to small and at the same time. An adult animal in length has a size of 70 centimeters to 1.2 meters. In this case, the weight is in the range of 20-40 kilograms.

The physique of wombats is quite dense and compact, a small body, while it is enough large sizes head and four powerful limbs. Wombats also have a small tail, which is considered undeveloped. From above, wombats are covered with wool, usually gray or ashy.

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 the hole to the animal, then the wombat, as a rule, substitutes its ass 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 these funny "" on the head, it is quite large in relation to the body, while being slightly flattened, there are beady eyes on the sides. In case of danger, wombats can defend themselves and even attack with their heads, as if they butt heads, 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, among wombats they have the smallest number of teeth: both in the upper and lower rows there are 2 front cutting teeth, as well as chewing ones, but they have no corner teeth.

wombat paws strong, muscular and strong enough, there are also claws that are present on each of the five fingers 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 kingdom-states, so sometimes they are given the title of the most talented and large-sized diggers. The tunnels dug by them can be up to 20 meters long and up to 3 meters wide.

They build entire underground palaces in which they can live with the whole family. Despite the small length of the paws, wombats are able to reach speeds of up to 40 km / h. They can also climb trees and even swim.

The nature and lifestyle of the wombat

- This homeland of wombats, however, there is also the island of Tasmania, where you can also meet such unusual inhabitants. Meeting with a wombat is not such a frequent thing, although in nature their numbers are not small.

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

Wombats build entire settlements underground, here 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 inhabit large groups, so they occupy a large area for life. Sometimes these are entire fields 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 nature of wombats friendly, they are not at all afraid of people. AT natural environment they have practically no enemies. However, if they have to defend their territory, they become aggressive.

When danger approaches, they take on a stern look, begin to shake their heads of impressive size and at the same time emit unpleasant sound, which resembles a lowing.

This kind of determined wombat often scares off the attacker. If this does not happen, then an attack can also occur, wombats are used to fighting with their heads, just like goats or sheep butt heads. wombat pictures 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 get 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 choose the best food for themselves, wombats use their sense of smell and the special structure of their lips and teeth.

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

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

Reproduction and lifespan of the wombat

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

Wombats are marsupials, however, in females, the bags are arranged 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.

Pregnancy of the female lasts only about 20 days, then the only cub is born. Although the female has two nipples, it is impossible to carry and feed two babies.

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

In nature, wombats live on average for 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.