The Hairy Nosed Wombat
Illustration copyright Sue Stranger, Australian Nature Conservation Society
This page dedicated to Becky Peters who was Mr. WaineReal's first E-mail correspondent all the way from California USA and wanted to know all about our Hairy Nosed Wombat for a school project.

Wombats have broad heads, with short ears and noses that have short brown hair on them, giving them their name "hairy nose ".

The Hairy Nose Wombat is found in three places. Near Deniliquin {New South Wales}, on the Moonie River , near St George [southern Queensland] and at Epping forest near Clermont (central Queensland.) Fossils found in South Western New South Wales, Victoria and Australia and Queensland, show that the wombat was found over a bigger area of Australia, however, not in any greater numbers.

You can find the Hairy Nose Wombat in dry, sandy areas, with native grasses and a few trees. Wombats can also be found in National Parks where they can be protected from other animals that can kill them

The Hairy Nose Wombat is a plant eater, and can go without food for a long time. Their teeth grow all the time and are stong enough to grind its food very finely.

Wombats are born in the rainy season (that is in April-November.) Mothers only have one baby at a time. The babies stay in their mother's pouch and leave after about 12 months. In the summer when there is lots of food around, the young wombats have a better chance of survival. Wombats are nocturnal (active at night.) and are solitary animals.

They are able survive in hot, dry climate of Central Queensland for several reasons. Firstly, they loose very little water through their urine and dung. Wombats can also save energy and water by staying in their burrows in the heat of the day and not going far from their homes to eat. Wombats burrows contain moist air and stay almost the same temperature all year round.The number of Hairy Nose Wombats has dropped because of draughts and because their habitats have been destroyed.

There are three species of Wombats in Australia. The Northern Hairy Nosed Wombat, which is the biggest. The common wombat (Vombatus Urinis) and the Sothern Hairy Nosed Wombat. The last two wombat species mentioned are smaller than the Northern cousins and have some different habitats as well.

The common wombats are mainly nocturnal but will come out their burrow on occasions during winter days. They also breed all year round while the Southern Hairy Nosed Wombat breeds from late September to December.

Cameron and Joel
(former students of Mr. Wayne Real)