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		Welcome to the site devoted entirely to wombats. If you love wombats, then you've come to the right place.This site is dedicted to everyones' favourite wombat, Mr Woolloomooloo from Melbourne, Australia.Sadly, pictures of Mr W are unavailable at the moment due to an unfortunate incident involving an over-complex tunnelling system and a bruised wombat nose..... but watch this space..... This site contains pictures and information about these adorable creatures.There are links to other associated sites and lots of interesting facts to learn about wombats.
	Common Wombat picture Wombats are mammals, warm-blooded, fur-bearing animals. They are classified as marsupials because they give birth to very small immature young which must remain in the mother's pouch for many months to nurse and develop. Wombats belong to their own family, Vombatidae. The nearest living relative to the wombat is the koala but they are not closely related. The name "wombat" comes from the Australian aboriginal word "vomat" or "wombach." KINGDOM: Animalia PHYLUM: Chordata SUBPHYLUM: Gnathostomata CLASS: Mammalia SUBCLASS: Marsupialia ORDER: Diprotodontia FAMILY: Vombatidae. Sometimes the family is called phascolomyidae (also spelled Phascolomidae). GENERA & SPECIES: Although wombats have sometimes been classified into numerous species and subspecies, it is now generally accepted that there are only 3 distinct species left. Vombatus ursinus (Common wombat) Sometimes called Phascolomis ursinus Vombatus ursinus hirsutus (Mainland Common wombat subspecies) Vombatus ursinus tasmaniensis (Tasmanian wombat subspecies) Vombatus ursinus ursinus (Flinders Island wombat subspecies) Lasiorhinus latifrons (Southern hairy-nosed wombat) Lasiorhinus krefftii (Northern hairy-nosed wombat) ETYMOLOGY The Latin names used to describe various wombat species have the following meanings: "Vombatus" means wombat-like "Ursinus" means bear-like "Hirsutus" means shaggy or coarse hair "Lasiorhinus" means hairy nosed. "Latifrons" means broad-fronted. Link to Other Pictures
	Quick Wombat Facts Wombats are mammals. Wombats are marsupials. Wombats are native only to Australia. Wombats look somewhat like a little bear. There are two basic kinds of wombats, the Common wombat, and the Hairy-nosed wombat. Wombats are nocturnal grazers. They eat mainly grasses and roots. They live in large burrows up to 30 meters (100 feet) long. Wombats are extremely strong and very proficient diggers. Wombats can be anything from a sandy color to brown or black to grey. The average wombat is about 1 meter (40 inches) long and weighs about 25 kg (55 pounds). Wombats can live from about 5 years to over 25 years. Wombats are generally solitary..
	Wombat's favourite food Wombats are completely herbivorous. They are grazers and their diet consists of grasses including snow tussocks for the Common wombat, and spear grass for the Southern hairy-nosed wombat; herbs, roots including roots of grasses, bushes and trees, mushrooms, shrubs, bark, especially the inner bark of certain trees, mosses, and marsh plants. Common wombats will also forage for food along the seashore. Since the wombat's diet is nutritionally poor, low in protein and high in fibre, they must conserve as much energy as possible. One of the ways they do this is by having a very low metabolic rate. Southern hairy-nosed wombats have an especially low metabolism. Additionally, wombats have a more efficient digestive system than other grazing animals such as kangaroos, sheep, or cattle.
	Wombat characteristics The wombat has the distinction of being the world's largest burrowing animal. It is the second largest marsupial; only certain kangaroo species are larger. The wombat is most often described as resembling a small bear, but it has also been compared to a badger, a groundhog (woodchuck), and a marmot. It is often called a badger in Australia because of its resemblance to the European badger. Whatever they're compared to, wombats are extremely strong and muscular. They're stocky animals with a barrel-shaped body, thick and heavy. They don't have much of a neck, but have a large, broad, flattened head. They have small eyes, and a face sometimes described as rodent-like. While their eyesight is poor, they have a keen sense of smell and excellent hearing.Wombats are quadrupeds. All four limbs are short and powerful, the forelegs being the strongest. The hind legs are slightly longer than the front. Both the front paws and the rear feet are wide and each have five digits. All digits are armed with broad claws except the first (inner) toe which is shorter than the others. The claws are long, strong, and well-designed for digging. The Wombat walks on the soles of its feet which have thick pads. The wombat's front paws are quite dexterous and they can use them like hands. A wombat will often use its front paws to grasp vegetation, rip it from the ground, and feed it to its mouth. The wombat's back is rounded and slopes downward. It's covered with very thick, tough skin which is hard as a board and protects the wombat from injury or attack. The wombat has a small, vestigial tail which is almost entirely concealed by its fur. Variations in size and color depend largely on where the wombats live.The pouch on the female wombat opens to the rear. This not only prevents it from filling with dirt and debris when the mother digs, it also provides greater protection to the young when the mother walks or runs as wombats have little minimal ground clearance. Koalas, bandicoots, and Tasmanian devils also have rearward facing pouches. Bandicoots and Tasmanian devils are burrowers like the wombat, but the koala is arboreal and spends most of its time in eucalyptus trees. Wombats have the most developed brain of any marsupial and it is larger than what would be expected for their body mass. The wombat's brain entirely fills its skull, unlike the koala, and has many surface convolutions indicating a high level of intelligence.The wombat's skeleton is sturdily constructed and quite compact. The bones, especially of the limbs, are short and thick. The wombat's skull and teeth are very similar to those of some rodents. The bones and musculature around the jaw in particular are very much like the beaver.