Mammals
Marsupials

Common Wombat

Vombatus ursinus

Tasmania, Australia - November 2016

Common Wombat is locally common in southeastern Australia and Tasmania.

Tasmania, Australia - November 2016

It is a large, rotund marsupial with a body length of up to 1.2m and weighing up to 35kg. 

Tasmania, Australia - November 2016

Tasmania, Australia - November 2016

Tasmania, Australia - November 2016

Tasmania, Australia - November 2016

Tasmania, Australia - November 2016

Wombats have rearward-facing pouch openings. Due to their short legs, when the young start to get reasonably large, such as the one above, the pouch becomes stretched to such an extent that it drags along the ground and having a front-facing pouch would be highly impractical as it would be constantly catching on objects when the mother moved forward.

Victoria, Australia - October 2010

To cope with its vegetarian diet of grass, sedges and tubers, the Wombat's teeth are rootless and grow continuously throughout its life.

Victoria, Australia - October 2010

Many of the Wombats at Wilson's Promontory sport colour-coded ear-tags to help researchers to easily identify individuals from a distance.

Victoria, Australia - October 2010

Victoria, Australia - October 2010