Square poo
Wombat droppings are cube-shaped. It leaves them on rocks and logs as signposts, and cubes do not roll off.
The bush
Common wombat
Vombatus ursinus
A sturdy, short-legged, brown animal like a small bear, built for digging.
- Size
- About 1m long
- Look for it
- All year round
- Where
- Forests and hills of south-eastern Australia and Tasmania
Trundles after you, and can run surprisingly fast. Move your pointer and see.
When to look
Wombat
Good to know
Six things about the wombat
An armoured bottom
Its rump is a plate of tough gristle. It blocks its burrow with it, and a dingo cannot get a grip.
A digging machine
Burrows can be 30 metres long, with several rooms and entrances.
Faster than it looks
A wombat can run at 25 miles an hour over a short distance.
Teeth that never stop
Like a rodent's, its teeth keep growing all its life, worn down by tough grass.
A backwards pouch
The pouch opens towards the back, so soil does not get in when it digs.
The real thing
Photos of the wombat
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Photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under the free licences shown. They have been resized, and cropped where they appear in link previews.
How to spot one
Look at dusk on grassy clearings in the hills. Burrows with fresh soil and square droppings show where they live.
How to help
Many wombats suffer from mange, a skin disease. Local volunteer groups treat them at their burrows, and need support.
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