Wombat - interesting data and facts. marsupial animal wombat animals of australia wombat
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 types of marsupials:
- 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. Its characteristic features are pointed ears and a flat forehead.
A broad-browed wombat is dressed in a gray "fur coat"
Key Features
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 back shield.
- 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.
- 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!
- 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.
- 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 called Patrick, who is 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.
Not everyone knows who a wombat is. Externally, the animal is a bit like a koala. But wombats do not live in trees, but dig holes where they hide from predators and people. They make very long passages underground, feed on vegetation and live in warm climates.
Where do animals live
The main habitats of the wombat are Australia and Tasmania. The animals live in New South Wales, Queensland, in the state of Victoria. Their main habitats are forests, fields and mountains. The wombat needs land to live in due to burrowing. Animals make very long passages underground, branched and intricate. Moves can go up to three meters long and twenty meters deep, with many entrances.
Previously, wombats inhabited the whole of Australia, but due to the fact that digging holes and digging under farm fences greatly harmed farmers, they began to be quite actively destroyed. On the this moment they live only in the southern part of Australia and are listed in the Red Book.
Description of the animal
Outwardly, the animal is quite cute and looks harmless. But in case of danger, it becomes aggressive. Animals defend their territory very zealously. They have poor eyesight but extremely acute hearing. To protect your home and scare away uninvited guests, wombats emit a formidable lowing. If this is not enough, they get into a fight over the house.
Outwardly, the animals resemble small stocky bears, as they have short legs. In fact, they are relatives of the koala and kangaroo. The animal has a massive and thick body, a large head.
There are three types of wombats:
- Ordinary
- wide-browed
- Woolly-nosed Krefta (northern)
The other two types are also called longhaired.
Since wombats constantly dig holes, they have extremely strong paws with powerful claws. Animals have thick fur, colors are brown or sometimes gray and black. The wombat is a marsupial animal, however, they have the front incisors inherent in rodents, which grow throughout their lives and are needed to obtain food.
The main characteristics of the animal:
- Body length ranges from 70 to 130 centimeters
- Weight reaches up to 35-45 kilograms
- In captivity, the animal can live up to 25 years.
- Wombats are considered quite stupid and untamed, however, their behavior varies greatly in burrows and outside. Outside their burrows they are aggressive, but underground they are much calmer.
- On each paw of the animal there are five fingers, sharp claws are on four
- The tail is not very long and thin
- Eyes are small
- There are only twelve teeth, of which the front four are incisors.
- Ears are round and short
- The common wombat has a bare nose, while other species have a hairy one.
- The largest is the broad-browed species.
- These animals are very fast and in case of fright they can easily climb a tree, dive into a pond or run away, reaching a speed of 60 kilometers per hour.
Animal features
As already mentioned, wombats live in holes dug by them. During the daytime, they rest and stay in dwellings, and at night they become active and crawl out of their holes in search of food. However, in winter time the northern wombat can go out during the day (you can see the photo of how he goes out in the daytime), as he basks under sunbeams. Adults have few natural enemies. They are mainly hunted by dingoes and Tasmanian devils. They interfere quite strongly with animals, undermining their numbers.
The wombat is very strange, at first glance, reflects the attacks of enemies. He exposes the back of his back from the hole. This is due to the fact that he has a kind of shield on his pelvic bones, which prevents enemies from entering the hole. If the enemy is still in the hole, the wombat first moves away and lures him inside, after which he attacks and strangles him with the same shield. All species in the process of fighting butt heads, as they have powerful head, which is convenient to strike. But before the fight, the beast always tries to warn the enemy: he shakes his head and hums.
Wombats do not need a constant source of water where they live. Animals can live without water for a very long time and use it very little. Interestingly, the wombat is second only to the camel in saving water. He needs only 22 ml of water per kilogram of weight per day.
Wombats mark their territory not only with burrows, but also with feces in the form of cubes. They live alone, but their burrows are located close to their fellow tribesmen. Animals move quite funny, waddling on short legs, although they can be very fast. Compared to other marsupials, wombats have big size brain. Animals easily adapt to wild conditions if previously lived in captivity.
They feed on grasses, plant roots, mushrooms, berries and moss. They determine how edible food is by the upper lip, which divided into two parts. Since wombats have a good sense of smell, they easily find food at night. These animals have an extremely slow but efficient metabolism. They digest food for about two weeks from the moment it is taken.
Wombats breed from May to August, wombat cubs hatch for about three weeks. The female produces only one cub per pregnancy, although she has two nipples. After birth, the cub is taken care of by the mother for a long time. The cubs are in bags that are located on the adult's stomach and turned back so that the child does not interfere with digging trenches. Sexual maturity in males begins in the second year of life, in females - in the third.
Wombat at home
Wombats are rare animals, you need to work hard to get one for your home. Since officially It is forbidden to take animals out of Australia, then only a large zoo can purchase them. They are not sold by hand, such ads will be a hoax. To buy such a pet, you have to wait in line for a month, or even two.
Since the animal home growing rare, then there is not much information on his choice. There is just standard tips:
- Examine the purchased cub not only in the photo, but also be sure to personally.
- He should not have injuries, dirty eyes and ears.
- The view should not be painful.
Regarding the normal activity and smell of the pet, you will have to trust the breeder, since certain norms are unknown. In any case, if it comes firm decision to get a wombat as a pet, then you cannot be satisfied with just a photo of the animal, you need to come and see it in person. If there is such an opportunity, then it is highly desirable to also see his parents, the conditions of the cub. Meet and chat with the breeder.
The price of the animal is not exactly determined, but located in the region of 50,000 rubles.
It is also necessary to prepare in advance for the fact that these are almost untamed animals. They are rather stupid, they are not accustomed to nicknames, they will not even listen to elementary commands. Of course, in the photo they can seem very funny and cute, and in a normal situation they are quite kind and calm, but at the same time they can still injure a person, albeit not on purpose, but being frightened. It is definitely not worth getting such an animal to families that have elderly people, children or other pets. Again, these animals do not experience the delight of communicating with a person, although they can afford to pet them. And you also need to remember that they cannot live without holes, so it’s better for them to live on suburban area but not in an apartment.
Before acquiring such a specific animal, worth a good think on this account. Perhaps a person would prefer to acquire a more classic and sympathetic pet, and in terms of a wombat, be satisfied with his photo or a trip to the zoo in Moscow or another city.
Outwardly similar to a tiny bear and a hamster at the same time. They live underground, carry their young in a pouch, and are capable of defeating even a dog.
Description of the wombat
The wombat has a body up to 130 centimeters long and weighs up to 45 kilograms. There are several types of wombats, of which the largest is the broad-browed one. In ancient times, there were even more species and the existence of an animal weighing up to 200 kg, which lived about 11,000 years ago, was proved. In general, wombats appeared about 18 million years ago and had many species, among which was a giant, the size of a rhinoceros.
Modern wombats seem fat and rather clumsy. In fact, this is not entirely true. The body of the wombat has a compact build and allows him not only to run perfectly, but also to climb trees and swim. While running, the wombat can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h!
The color of this animal is highly dependent on the specific species. However, all representatives are dominated by gray or brown shades. The coat is thick, smooth, evenly covering almost the entire body. In the vast majority of wombats, even the nose is covered with hair.
Wombats are very strong paws with five fingers and powerful claws. Their shape is fully adapted for efficient digging of the earth.
Wombat lifestyle
Wombats live in burrows that they dig themselves. The structure of the hole is complex and often represents a whole system of passages. When two or more wombats live in a small area, their burrows may overlap. In this case, all "owners" use them. Burrows are used by wombats as permanent residences and as a refuge from possible danger.
Historically, wombats have practically no natural enemies. The threat comes only from the dingo dog introduced by people and tasmanian devil- strong local predator. Despite their small size, wombats are able to defend well, and they do it in a very non-standard way.
All wombats have a very hard "substrate" of thick skin, cartilage, and bones at the back of their torso. It is very difficult to damage it with teeth or claws, so the wombat closes the entrance to the cave with the back of the body and blocks the entrance for the vast majority of intruders. If the penetration into the dwelling did occur, then the guest may not come back. The wombat is able to corner and strangle even the Dingo dog. In addition to pressure with the rear “shield”, he knows how to apply strong blows forehead, acting like cattle.
The wombat is a herbivore. Like other marsupials, it feeds on grass, leaves, and roots. The diet also includes various mushrooms, berries and moss. For a full-fledged life, the wombat requires a record small amount of water.
Wombats and man
Despite their fighting qualities, wombats have a good-natured disposition. Tamed animals love affection and stroking, quite easily getting used to a person. locals often keep wombats as pets. With a certain diligence, this beast can even be trained! At the same time, close contact with wild animals is not recommended. A heavy and strong wombat armed with claws can be dangerous even for an adult.
The wombat population, in general, is not declining. However, with the increase in human presence on the Australian mainland, it almost disappeared separate view- Queensland. Now there are about a hundred of its representatives living in a specialized reserve in Queensland.
The wombat is a large burrowing herbivore. This ancient Australian animal, which has been living on Earth for about 18 million years, looks like a bear cub. Well-fed, on short legs, clumsy, the animal is tender.
Wombats (Vombatidae) are a family of marsupial mammals from the order Diprotodontia. These animals are close relatives of koalas - in ancient times they had common ancestors, one of which reached the size of a hippopotamus. But once the paths and the wombat diverged: the first found refuge in the trees, and the second began to dig deep holes.
Wombats live only in Australia - in the southeast of the continent, as well as on the islands of Tasmania and Flinders. Feature animals - the ability to maintain a high population density even in unproductive lands.
In sandy coastal areas, the population of short-haired wombats reaches very high densities. They can also be found in the Alpine belt up to the snow line and above.
Long-haired wombats have chosen dry regions where soil fertility is too low to feed livestock, but these marsupials thrive here.
Types, description and photos of wobmats
Family include 3 modern look combined into 2 types:
1) The genus Lasiorhinus, which includes the Queensland wombat (Lasiorhunus krefftii) and the long-haired wombat (Lasiorhunus latifrons);
2) The genus Vombatus, consisting of one species - the Short-haired wombat (Vombatus ursinus).
The physique of the animal is dense, the paws are short, the tail is not developed. The muzzle is slightly flattened, the eyes are small, the large nose is covered with hair.
In the photo of a wombat, you can see its external features.
The girdle of the forelimbs is strong and heavy, the humerus is wide, which makes the front part of the body especially powerful. The front paws are massive with large long claws.
Females and males of all species are similar, however, in males of the Queensland wombat, the body is shorter than that of females, the neck is thicker, and the shoulders are more powerful. The skull of animals is massive, wide and flattened. Teeth grow throughout life.
Highly interesting feature wombats - their back part of the body, which, if necessary, can serve as a kind of shield. It is very hard due to rough skin, cartilage and bones, which is very useful in the case when you need to repel an enemy attack. If a dingo dog tries to get into the hole, our hero, turning his back, blocks the entrance to the hole, and if the enemy is still in the hole, the beast corners him and tries to strangle him with his back.
short haired wombat
This species lives in forests and groves, heather thickets and alpine meadows throughout southeastern Australia, as well as on the islands of Tasmania and Flinders.
Body length 90-115 cm, tail length - 2.5 cm; height at the withers 36 cm; weight - 22-39 kg. The coat is rough, the color varies from black to brown and gray.
Short-haired wombat (Vombatus ursinus) long haired wombat
The long-haired wombat lives in Central South Australia. In arid regions, it inhabits forest areas; it is also found in meadows and steppes.
Body length 77-94 cm, tail - 2.5 cm; height at the withers 36 cm, weight - 19-32 kg. The coat is soft, its color varies from gray to black with light spots, the muzzle is covered with wool, the ears are long and pointed.
Long-haired wombat (Lasiorhunus latifrons) Over the past two hundred years, the ranges of the short-haired and long-haired wombats have decreased by 10-50% due to habitat destruction, as well as due to competition with rabbits and cattle for food, but they are safe in most of the original range.
In some areas of Victoria, the short-haired wombat is considered a pest, and its numbers even have to be controlled.
Queensland wombat
One of the rarest animals today. This species was found only in three places, in two of which it disappeared at the beginning of the 19th century due to changes in habitats and the use of poisons against rabbits. The last population survived due to the fact that in 1974 its range was included in national park Epping Forest (Central Queensland). In 1980, there were only 35 individuals, but by 1995 the population had doubled. To date, by different sources there are between 90 and 118 Queensland wombats.
Queensland wombat (Lasiorhunus krefftii) This is the most large view. The average body length of males is 102 cm, females - 107 cm; height at the withers 40 cm; males weigh about 30 kg, females - 32.5 kg. The coat is silky, silver in color, and there are dark circles around the eyes.
Lifestyle
Not much is known about the behavior of wombats in nature, as they are secretive nocturnal animals that spend a lot of time in burrows underground. Burrows often have multiple exits, side tunnels and nesting chambers and can be over 30 meters long.
Wombats can live alone or in groups of up to 10 animals, the number of males and females in the group is usually the same. As a rule, several groups live close to each other.
These animals are characterized unusual feature dispersal: young males and females remain in the area where they were born, while adult females, after they have raised offspring, can go to another area. They spread over a distance of up to 3 kilometers.
The diet of wombats for the most part consists of young grass, sometimes they eat the roots of plants, the fruits of berry bushes, mosses and mushrooms.
The basal metabolic rate of animals is very low, their energy requirement is the lowest among marsupials. The low energy requirement, coupled with efficient fiber digestion, means that wombats require very little food. Thus, the animal spends much less time searching for food than one would expect from a herbivore of such dimensions. Total time feeding at the Queensled wombat under favorable conditions - only 2 hours a day. This allows the animals most spend their time underground. With unfavorable weather conditions they do not fall into a torpor, but may not leave the hole for several days.
The breeding season for long-haired and Queensland wombats is in spring and early summer, short-haired wombats breed at any time of the year. Pregnancy lasts 20-22 days, there is 1 cub in the litter. The newborn moves into the mother's pouch, where it develops from 6 to 10 months (depending on the species, the Queensland calf remains in the pouch the longest).
The life expectancy of these animals in nature is on average 15 years, in captivity 20-25 years. A long-lived wombat from the Australian Wildlife Park Ballarat is also known. He lived for 32 years.
In contact with
Wombats reach a length of 70 to 120 cm and a weight of 20 to 40 kg. Their body is built compactly, limbs are short and strong. Each of them has five fingers, of which the outer four are crowned big claws adapted for digging the earth. The tail is short, the large head gives the impression of being slightly flattened, the eyes are small.
Curiously, the jaws and teeth of the wombat show similarities with rodents. In the upper and lower rows, wombats have a pair of front cutting teeth. Chewing teeth are built very simply, angular teeth are absent. Wombats have the fewest teeth of any marsupial.
Spreading
Wombats are found in southern and eastern Australia, in the states of South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania. They are distributed in a variety of habitats, but require suitable soil for burrowing.
Lifestyle
Wombats are the largest of modern mammals, engaged in digging and spending most of their lives underground. With their sharp claws, they tear out small habitable caves in the ground, which sometimes form complex tunnel systems. As a rule, most of them reach about 20 meters in length and 3.5 meters in depth. If the sites of individual individuals overlap, the caves may be used by different wombats at different times. Wombats are active at night when they come out in search of food. During the day they rest in their shelters.
The adult wombat has almost no natural enemies. One of the few is the dingo introduced by man. The back of the wombat's body is extremely hard due to thick skin, cartilage, and bones. In case of danger, they can, turning their backs, block their hole and repel most of the attackers, or crush their limbs against the walls of their living cave. In the back of the back, on the pelvic bones, the wombat has a kind of shield that protects it from an attack from behind. He also inflicts strong blows with his head - he butts like a ram or a goat. If a dog crawls into his hole, he waits for it, without leaving the spot, and then tries to drive it into a corner, against the wall of the hole, and strangle it there. Much more often, a person is to blame for the death of a wombat: in particular, many wombats die under the wheels of cars. In areas where human impact is low, the abundance of wombats is determined by the availability of suitable food.
The area of wombat plots varies depending on external conditions from 5 to 25 ha. The territory is marked with excrement and built dwellings, and the wombat defends its site sometimes quite aggressively. At the sight of an uninvited guest, males shake their heads threateningly from side to side, show their teeth and growl. This is often enough to drive off an intruder. However, sometimes it comes to duels, in which wombats can inflict serious wounds on each other.
On short distances, wombats can reach speeds of up to 42 km / h. When you need to get away from danger, the wombat swims well and can climb trees.
Divided upper lip allows wombats to choose what they eat very precisely. Thanks to her, the front teeth can reach right to the ground and cut off even the smallest shoots. Sense of smell plays an important role in food selection in night-active wombats.
The metabolism of wombats is very slow and efficient. They need up to 14 days to digest food. Wombats are the most economical consumers of water of all mammals that evolution has produced: they need only 22 ml of water per kg of body weight per day. Even animals as well adapted to living conditions in Australia as kangaroos spend four times more water.
reproduction
Wombats breed throughout the year except in arid regions where their breeding is more seasonal. The bags of the females are turned back so that when digging, the earth does not get into them. Despite the fact that the female has two nipples, only one cub is born and raised at the same time. The offspring from six to eight months grows in the mother's pouch and during next year stays close.
Queensland wombat
Wombats reach sexual maturity at the age of two years. Their life expectancy in nature reaches 15 years, in captivity they sometimes live up to 25.
Classification
The wombat family includes three modern species, combined into two genera:
- Worm-nosed wombats ( Lasiorhinus)
- queensland wombat ( Lasiorhunus krefftii)
- long haired wombat Lasiorhunus latifrons)
- Naked wombats ( Vombatus)
- short haired wombat Vombatus ursinus)
Five extinct wombat genera are also known. Wombats appeared about 18 million years ago during the Miocene. The closest relatives of wombats are representatives of the family of marsupial bears (koalas). With them, wombats have numerous similarities in the structure of teeth, skull and spermatozoa. However, there are also a number of morphological differences that indicate that the evolutionary lineages of koalas and wombats diverged approximately 36 million years ago.
An even closer relative of wombats was diprotodon, a giant rhinoceros-sized marsupial that became extinct only about 40,000 years ago.
Threats
After the settlement of Australia by Europeans, the range of wombats was significantly reduced. The reasons for this were the destruction of their habitats, competition with imported species and hunting for wombats. Of the Queensland wombat, today there are only 118 specimens living in small nature reserve in Queensland. The other two species are more common and are not yet endangered.
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Synonyms:See what "Wombat" is in other dictionaries:
WOMBAT, an animal from marsupials, from a rabbit, in Australia, but does not jump; Phascolomus wombat. Dictionary Dahl. IN AND. Dal. 1863 1866 ... Dahl's Explanatory Dictionary
A new Dutch marsupial, the size of a badger. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov AN, 1910. WOMBAT A genus of New Holland marsupial, the size of a badger. Explanation of 25,000 foreign words, ... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
Exist., number of synonyms: 1 animal (277) ASIS synonym dictionary. V.N. Trishin. 2013 ... Synonym dictionary
- (Phascolomys) a genus of marsupials from the suborder of rodents (Rhizophaga s. Gliriformia), the wombat family (Phascolomyidae). These are small, clumsy animals covered with thick, long and soft hair. V.'s teeth resemble the teeth of rodents. ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
wombat- (Australian) zool. the type of Indonesian torbar denes is much prophesied and inspired by toa zashtiten so law ... Macedonian dictionary
This term has other meanings, see Wombat (meanings). Locality Wombat Wombat Country Australia ... Wikipedia
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