The amazing fun facts about wombats will make you a huge animal lover! What poop cubes, has ever-growing teeth, and can outrun Usain Bolt? It’s the Wombat!! Today we’re going to reveal 10 amazing Wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons) facts.
1. They are capable of running at the same speed as humans.
Don’t be fooled by their appearance; these marsupials can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h! That’s only 7 kilometers per hour slower than Usain Bolt.
- See more Top 8 Adorable Facts About Koalas
2. They pee in cubes – fun facts about wombats
One of the more strange facts about wombats is that their feces looks more like an 80s toy craze than actual animal feces. These creatures emit cube-shaped excrement!
This prevents the poo from rolling off their designated region of rocks or trees. I’m glad we got to the bottom of it!
3. Their Nearest Relative Will Astound You
Although Koalas are morphologically similar to bears, pigs, and guinea pigs, the Koala is the closest living related to the Wombat. Both species feature backward-facing pouches, despite their morphological differences. This is especially beneficial for Wombats since it prevents dirt from getting into their pouches while digging.
3. Wombats are classified into three subspecies – fun facts about wombats
The three species are the Bare-Nosed Wombat (Vombatus Ursinus), the Southern Hairy-nosed (Lasiorhinus latifrons), and the Northern Hairy-Nosed (Lasiorhinus latifrons) (Lasiorhinus krefftii).
4. Their main form of defense is their butt.
They have large buttocks and can’t lie; those predators can’t deny. You get crushed when a wombat burrows into the dirt with a spherical item in your face.
Aside from MC Hammer jokes, the wombat’s rear end is their primary source of defense against predators. When a predator approaches, these large booty mammals dive down their burrows and use their butts to block the entrance. Because their booties are mostly cartilage, they are extremely resistant to scratches and bites.
They can also use their behinds to crush predators’ skulls. That is insane.
5. Their teeth continue to grow – fun facts about wombats
Remember the Wombat the next time you moan about your wisdom teeth coming through! Their teeth never stop growing, so they don’t grind away as they eat grasses, roots, bushes, and vegetables.
6. Their stomachs can store food for up to 70 hours.
And a meal takes them four to six days to digest.
7. They are the second largest marsupial species.
The Red Kangaroo is the largest living marsupial. The largest marsupial ever was a Diprotodon, a wombat-like species roughly 2 metres tall. Yikes!
8. The heaviest wombat weighed 38kg – fun facts about wombats
Patrick the Bare-nosed Wombat, who lived at Ballarat Wildlife Park, was the oldest (31 years) and heaviest wombat. This makes him the equivalent of four Koalas combined.
9. A Wisdom Group is a group of Wombats.
A wombat’s wisdom. A swarm of kangaroos. A platypus paddle. We’re obsessed with Australian animal collective nouns!
10. Wombats are typically active at night.
These ingenious creatures spend their evenings scavenging for food or excavating new tunnels, entrances, and exits for their ever-expanding burrows! Because they are herbivores, they spend most of their time grazing on native grasses.
Wombats normally spend their days in their underground burrows. They do, however, occasionally come out to sunbathe and warm up, especially when the weather is really cold.
