Common Wombat (Vombatus ursinus)
Wombats are Australian marsupials, and the common wombat is, naturally, the most common of the three wombat species. Common wombats live along the coast of southeastern Australia, in alpine areas and sandy places. The wombats’ claim to fame is that they are the only known large, herbivorous burrowing mammals: all the other burrowing herbivores are small, and all the other large burrowers are carnivores or insectivores. That’s because being a herbivore requires a lot of time and energy spent on foraging (don’t I know it), and being a burrower requires a lot of time and energy spent on digging. Large herbivores usually don’t have that kind of free time.
And wombats are large! The common wombat ranges from about 50 pounds to nearly 90, or about the size of a pretty-big dog to about the size of a really big dog. They look like they’d be about rabbit-sized, or at least they do to me, but no, they’re humongous. However, they have extraordinarily slow metabolisms and really don’t need to eat much at all: only about half as much as a kangaroo does, and a kangaroo weighs about the same as a wombat. That means the wombat can nocturnally forage at its leisure and spend most of its time lazing underground.
Coco drew a wombat, too!
Common wombat by Coco, age 11 (click image to enlarge)
Coco, I LOVE your wombat!
Thanks Kate! I think it was a good wombat also. I cant wait to see you.I love your daughter she is a really good friend! I love my new friends that I have in my new family! do you think I could see you this summer? I hope so because since Sarah is so nice you should be too! It is impossible for your family to be mean! How did you meet my family? Do you like Dr.Who? I cant wait to see you cuz I have so many questions for you you will be amazed cuz how much questions I have!!!
Sincerely, Coco Kinyak
Very good drawings. Coco, I am glad you and your brother are helping out with the Daily Mammal.
Yes, Coco and mebbe sooner than you think!
I had a teacher at my college who LOVED mammals–he specialized in them. He is gone, now, but EVERY TIME I look at Daily Mammal I think of him and wish that he were alive to enjoy them. I am a good friend of his daughter and I have shown Daily Mammal to her, too. Now I will show her your–and Theo’s –drawings!
Nonzie, thanks for the comment. I am so glad I’m going to be in daily mammal.com!
Kate, I am happy you are going to see me very soon. You are a very good friend of mine and I am sorry that your friend has died. I wish I could meet him though! Did he know how to draw good? was he a vegetarian? Thanks for telling his daughter about daily mammal and our wombats!!!! Bye!
love coco