A large, squat marsupial, the Australian common wombat is a burrowing mammal found in coastal forests and mountain ranges across NSW and Victoria. The only other remaining species of wombat in NSW, the endangered southern hairy-nosed wombat, was considered extinct until relatively recently.
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The common wombat is a stocky Australian marsupial found in coastal forests, as well as the mountain ranges and western slopes of NSW and Victoria. The rarer southern hairy-nosed wombat, once thought extinct, is now considered endangered. With a blunt head, flat nose and powerful legs, wombats are expert burrowers, able to tunnel major warrens up to 30m in length.
With sharp front teeth that grow continuously, the common wombat is well-equipped to eat a range of native tussocks such as snow grass, wallaby and kangaroo grass, and tree roots. Although quite slow and ungainly, a wombat can reach speeds of up to 40km per hour for short bursts.
- Common name
- Scientific name
- Vombatus ursinus
- Conservation status in NSW
Parks in which this animal is found
- Abercrombie River National Park
- Barrington Tops National Park
- Dharug National Park
- High Plains area in Kosciuszko National Park
- Jenolan Karst Conservation Reserve
- Khancoban area in Kosciuszko National Park
- Lower Snowy River area in Kosciuszko National Park
- Mount Wilson area in Blue Mountains National Park
- Selwyn area in Kosciuszko National Park
- Southern Blue Mountains area in Blue Mountains National Park
- Thredbo-Perisher area in Kosciuszko National Park
- Tumut area in Kosciuszko National Park
- Wollemi National Park
- Wombeyan Karst Conservation Reserve
- Yarrangobilly area in Kosciuszko National Park