There are three species of wombats: common wombats, northern hairy-nosed wombats and southern hairy-nosed wombats. While there are thousands of common and southern hairy-nosed wombats in the wild, the northern hairy-nosed wombat is critically endangered.
Wombats produce cube-shaped poop pellets. The peculiar shape is a result of the dryness of the animal’s feces. Wombats are known for having the driest poop of any mammal, a result of their long digestive process, which can take 14 to 18 days. This lengthy process allows wombats to absorb the maximum amount of nutrients from their food.
Their incisors never stop growing — kind of like guinea pigs — and wombats keep their teeth to a suitable length by chowing down on grasses, bark and roots.
Wombats are adept at tunneling and their burrows are often just large enough for one animal. When an animal such as a dingo attacks a wombat, the marsupial simply turns around and uses its backside as a shield. The animals’ rears are covered with thick, tough skin, and wombats have very small tails, making them difficult to grab onto.
