Australian Wombat

Story Card

Australian Wombat (Vombatus hirsutus)
These slow and ponderous marsupials are still plentiful in the forests of Eastern Australia.  They live on grasses and roots and have only a single pair of upper and lower incisors.  As all teeth are rootless, continuous growth prevents them from being ground away.

Wombats are speedy diggers and live in burrows some 5 metres long.. They breed in winter, the single off-spring being carried in the pouch until December.  These solitary, in-offensive animals are of gentle disposition and have been known to become affectionate pets.

Wombats are partially protected under the Wildlife Act of 1975.

I bought this at an antique store in Sydney, Australia