10 Facts About Wombats You Probably Didn’t Know

Yes, Wombats really do make cube-shaped poo. They’re the only animals known to do it, and it’s the fact most people come looking for. It’s also just the start.

These stocky, burrowing marsupials are full of surprises, from a pouch that faces the “wrong” way to a backside tough enough to stop a fox in its tracks. Whether you’re a curious grown-up or hunting for wombat facts for kids to take to school, here are the ones worth knowing.

Wombat Fun Facts

1. They make cube-shaped poo

Wombats are the only known animals that produce cube-shaped faeces. The corners form inside the gut, where stiffer and stretchier sections of the intestine wall shape each piece as it moves along. There’s a practical upside, too. Wombats stack their droppings on rocks and logs to mark territory, and a cube stays put where a ball would roll away.

2. Their pouch faces backwards

Unlike most marsupials, a female Wombat’s pouch opens towards her back legs. When you spend half your life digging, that’s very sensible design. The dirt flies out behind her, not into the pouch where her joey is growing.

3. Their bottom is built-in armour

A Wombat’s rump is made of thick, tough skin and cartilage. When a predator gets too close, a Wombat dives head-first into its burrow and blocks the entrance with its backside. Anything that tries to push past gets a face full of rump, or crushed against the tunnel roof.

4. Their teeth never stop growing

Like a rodent’s, a Wombat’s front teeth keep growing for its whole life. Gnawing on tough grass, roots and bark wears them down, so they stay at a useful length.

5. They’re master diggers

Short, powerful legs and strong claws make Wombats serious excavators. They dig burrows and whole underground tunnel networks called warrens, with several entrances and chambers for resting. A good burrow keeps them cool on hot days and safe from predators.

6. They’re quicker than they look

Short legs. Stocky build. Slow metabolism. None of it says sprinter, yet Wombats can reach around 40km/h in short bursts. That’s faster than most people can run, so it pays to give a wild Wombat plenty of room.

7. They take their time with dinner

Wombats have a very slow metabolism, and food can take a week or more to pass through their system. That gives their gut time to pull every bit of moisture and nutrition out of a tough, grassy diet. It’s a handy trick in dry country, and it helps explain why the poo comes out so firm.

8. Their closest living relative is the Koala

It’s one of the more surprising facts about Wombats. Koalas and Wombats sit on the same branch of the marsupial family tree, even though one lives up a tree and the other lives underground. Koalas even have a pouch that opens downwards, a feature scientists think may date back to a shared ancestor that dug.

9. There are three wombat species

Three wombat species survive today, and all of them are animals native to Australia.

• Common Wombat (also called the Bare-nosed Wombat): the most widespread of the three, easy to spot by the bald, leathery pad on its nose.
• Southern Hairy Nosed Wombat: smaller, with silky fur, pointed ears and a hairy muzzle, and well suited to drier regions. You can meet them at the Sanctuary.
• Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat: one of the rarest mammals in the world, now surviving only in highly protected conservation areas in Queensland.

10. A baby wombat is called a joey

Just like baby Kangaroos and Koalas, a baby Wombat is a joey. It’s born tiny, about the size of a jellybean, and crawls straight into the pouch. It stays there for several months, then sticks close to mum for a good while after it starts exploring on its own.

FAQs About Wombats

What do wombats eat?

Mostly grass. Wombats are herbivores, and they fill up on native grasses, sedges, herbs, roots, plant shoots and the occasional bit of bark. Those ever-growing teeth make light work of the tough stuff.

Are wombats nocturnal?

Mostly, yes. Wombats do most of their foraging at night and in the cooler hours of dawn and dusk, then spend the heat of the day snoozing in their burrows. On a cool, overcast day you might spot one out grazing in daylight.

Are wombats endangered?

It depends on the species. The Common Wombat is widespread, though some local populations are doing it tough. The Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat is holding on in drier parts of southern Australia. The Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat is critically endangered, and careful conservation work in Queensland is what’s keeping it going.

Are wombats dangerous?

Not usually, but they are strong wild animals. A frightened or cornered Wombat can charge, bite or scratch, and that solid build packs a fair bit of force. If you see one in the wild, enjoy it from a distance. If you find an injured Wombat, contact your local wildlife rescue group.

Why is wombat poop square?

The cube shape forms in the last part of the intestine, where the walls stretch unevenly and press the poo into corners as it dries out. It’s a useful shape for a Wombat. They leave their droppings in prominent spots to mark territory, and cubes don’t roll off.

What is a baby wombat called?

A joey, the same as most other marsupial babies. It lives in mum’s backward-facing pouch for its first several months, safe from all that flying dirt.

Meet the Wombats at the Sanctuary

Reading wombat facts is one thing. Watching a Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat shuffle about in person is another. Come and say hello at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, the Gold Coast’s #1 attraction, and ask a Wildlife Keeper for a few more wombat facts while you’re there.

The Sanctuary is not-for-profit, so every visit supports conservation and the Currumbin Wildlife Hospital.

All included in your Day Pass. Free for Members.