Did you know…Animals

Did you know…

Animals - Wombats

• Wombats like their tree-climbing cousin, the koala, are marsupials. This means that they are part of a particular group of mammals, who have pouches where their newborn young develop.. • Wombat babies are born super small and helpless, so the pouch is a safe place for them to grow up and get ready for the world! • Wombats are clever critters who spend their nights foraging for food, or digging new tunnels, entrances, or exits for their ever-expanding burrows! • Wombats are herbivores, so most of their time is spent grazing on native grasses. • Wombats usually spend their days tucked away in their underground homes. However, they do sometimes come out to sunbathe and warm up, especially when the weather is very cold. • A wombat’s intestines have a curious ability – they shape their poop into angular cubes. • A group of wombats is called a “wisdom”. • A wombat can move up to 3 feet of dirt in a single day when building a burrow. • During the Ice Age, there used to be giant wombats the size of a rhinoceros. • Wombats live in large complex burrows up to 100 ft long. • Wombats are the largest burrowing animal in the world. • Wombats have the most developed brain of any marsupial. • The bones and musculature around the jaw are very much like the beaver – but they are not related. • Although generally quiet, if wombats become angry, they make hissing sounds.

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