Common Wombat: a two-minute wildlife lesson

Australian Mammals · day 6 of 7

Five facts

1. Wombat poo comes out in the shape of little cubes.
2. Its teeth never stop growing, and they keep a self-sharpening edge that makes munching tough grass easier.
3. A wombat digs tunnels from 2 to 20 m long, with side passages and often several doors. It switches bedrooms every 1 to 9 days.
4. Wombats are called ecological engineers: their digging turns over the soil, helps plants grow and gives many other animals a home.
5. A baby wombat stays in its mother's pouch for five months. By the time it climbs out, it weighs 3.5 to 6.5 kg.

The quiz

1. What shape is wombat poo?

• Round balls
• Long strings
• Flat discs
• Cubes (correct)

Wombat dung is cube-shaped.

2. What is special about a wombat's teeth?

• They fall out every winter
• They never stop growing (correct)
• It has no teeth at all
• They are hollow

Its teeth grow all the time and stay sharp on their own.

3. How often does a wombat usually change the burrow it sleeps in?

• Every 1 to 9 days (correct)
• Every hour
• Once in its life
• Every 5 years

It typically switches sleeping burrows every 1 to 9 days.

4. Why are wombats called ecological engineers?

• They build dams on rivers
• They plant trees
• Their digging turns over the soil and gives others shelter (correct)
• They clean up rubbish

Burrowing aerates the soil, helps plants and gives other animals a home.

5. How long does a joey stay in its mother's pouch?

• Two weeks
• Five months (correct)
• Three years
• One day

Young wombats stay in the pouch for five months.

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