Common wombat explained

The common wombat (Vombatus ursinus), also known as the bare-nosed wombat, is a marsupial, one of three extant species of wombats and the only one in the genus Vombatus. It has three subspecies: Vombatus ursinus hirsutus, found on the Australian mainland;Vombatus ursinus tasmaniensis (Tasmanian wombat), found in Tasmania; and Vombatus ursinus ursinus (Bass Strait wombat), found on Flinders Island and Maria Island in the Bass Strait.

The mainland species is the largest of the three, with its largest specimens measuring up to and . The common wombat is herbivorous, mainly nocturnal, and lives in burrows. Being a marsupial, its joeys inhabit a pouch on the mother for around five months after birth.

Taxonomy

The common wombat was first described by George Shaw in 1800.

There are three extant subspecies of the common wombat, confirmed in 2019:[1]

Hackett's wombat (V. hacketti) is an extinct species of genus Vombatus, inhabiting the southwestern part of Australia.[9] [10] [11] [12] Being around the same size as V. ursinus, with an average weight of 30 kg, V. hacketti went extinct at the end of the Late Pleistocene, in the Quaternary extinction event.[13] [14]

Description

Common wombats are sturdy and built close to the ground. They have small ears and eyes, and a large bald nose. Their fur is thick and coarse and its colour varies from light brown to grey and black. The Flinders Island wombat is the smallest of the three subspecies at around in length, while the Tasmanian wombat averages and a weight of . The largest of the three, the mainland species, are around long and weigh on average. Larger specimens can reach and .[6]

They have short, strong legs with long claws and are very efficient diggers. One mark of distinction from all other marsupials is that the wombat has a single pair of upper and lower incisors, which never stop growing.[6]

Distribution and habitat

Common wombats are widespread in the cooler and better-watered parts of southern and eastern Australia, including Tasmania and Victoria, and in mountain districts as far north as southern Queensland.[15] [16] In Tasmania, their preference is heathland, coastal scrub, and open forest.[6]

Common wombats can be found at any elevation in the south of their range, but in the north of their range are only found in higher, more mountainous areas. They may be found in a variety of habitats including rainforest, eucalyptus forest, woodland, alpine grassland, and coastal areas.[17] In some regions, they have adapted to farmland and can even be seen grazing in open fields with cattle and sheep.

Behaviour

Common wombats have been described as ecological engineers,[18] as their burrow building results in soil turnover and aeration, which assists plant growth, and provides habitat for a range of invertebrate and vertebrate species.[19] [20]

Common wombats are a solitary, territorial species, with each wombat having an established range in which it lives and feeds.[21] In this area, they dig a tunnel system, with tunnels ranging from in length, along with many side tunnels, and often more than one entrance. More than one wombat may build their nest, made from sticks, leaves, and grasses, in one burrow.[6]

A wide range of other animals are known to make use of wombat burrows including reptiles, rodents, rabbits, echidnas, wallabies, birds and koalas. Wombats are usually fairly tolerant of non-threatening species, and have a number of burrows that they can occupy.[22] [23] The typically switch the burrow that they sleep in every 1-9 days.[24]

Many wombats can live in the same burrow, and wombats normally live in the same burrow for their whole lifespan unless the wombat is forced out of the burrow by farmers or other animal species, or unless the burrow is destroyed. Often nocturnal, the common wombat does come out during the day in cooler weather, such as in early morning or late afternoon.[25]

Diet

Common wombats are herbivorous,[26] [27] subsisting on grass, snow tussocks, and other plant materials. Foraging is usually done during the night. They are the only marsupial in the world whose teeth constantly grow. Due to the underlying enamel structure of the teeth, the continuously growing teeth maintain a self-sharpening ridge[28] which allows easier grazing of the diet consisting of mainly native grasses.[25] Captive wombats are also fed a range of vegetables.[29]

Their dung is cube-shaped.[6]

Breeding

The common wombat breeds mainly in winter.[6] It can breed every two years and produce a single joey. Wombats appear to mate side-ways[30] The gestation period is about 20–30 days, and the young remain in the pouch for five months. When leaving the pouch, they weigh between 3.5and. The joey is weaned around 12 to 15 months of age, and is usually independent at 18 months of age.[25] Wombats have an average lifespan of 15 years in the wild and 20 years in captivity.

Threats

Whilst bare-nosed wombats are listed as Least Concern by the IUCN, they remain threatened largely due to anthropomorphic factors[31] including habitat reduction, roadkill[32] and sarcoptic mange.[33] Sarcoptic mange is prevalent in the population[34] [35] and remains the most problematic of issues facing bare-nosed wombats, with wildlife carers regularly treating wombats in the field[33] [36] with low-risk moxidectin.[37]

Wombats have also been reported to harbour a range of parasites, including ticks and associated pathogens.[38] [39]

Its main predators are Tasmanian devils and eagles.[6]

There was a significant increase in overall wombat counts throughout Tasmania between 1985 and 2019 although numbers decreased in the last 10 years of that period in the west Tamar area.[6]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Howarth . Carla . Scientists discover wombats on Tasmania's islands are one of three genetically unique subspecies . . 13 April 2019 . 6 June 2024.
  2. Web site: Vombatus ursinus ursinus — Common Wombat (Bass Strait). . Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Australian Government. 7 July 2022 . Text may have been copied from this source, which is available under a Attribution 3.0 Australia (CC BY 3.0 AU) licence.
  3. Web site: Bass Strait Wombat . Threatened Species Link. 6 June 2024 . 6 June 2024.
  4. Knoblauch . Wiebke . Carver . Scott . Driessen . Michael M . Gales . Rosemary . Richards . Shane A . 4 September 2023. Abundance and population growth estimates for bare-nosed wombats . Ecology and Evolution . 13 . 9 . e10465 . 10.1002/ece3.10465 . free . 37674647 . 10477484 .
  5. Web site: Common Wombat. Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment. 13 December 2009.
  6. Web site: Common Wombat . . 3 April 2024 . 6 June 2024.
  7. Book: Spencer. Walter Baldwin. Walter Baldwin Spencer. Kershaw. James A.. 3. Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne. The existing species of the genus Phascolomys. J. Kemp, government printer. Melbourne. 1910.
  8. Web site: Common Wombat. Wombania's Wombat Information Center. 13 December 2009.
  9. Web site: Megafauna. austhrutime.com. 2017-04-20.
  10. Book: Triggs, Barbara. Wombats. 2009-01-01. Csiro Publishing . 9780643096011.
  11. Web site: Anaspides.net. www.anaspides.net. 2017-04-20. 2017-07-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20170720160049/http://www.anaspides.net/earth_life_sciences/megafauna_extinction.html . dead.
  12. Johnson. 2002. Determinants of loss of mammal species during the Late Quaternary 'megafauna' extinctions: life history and ecology, but not body size.. Proc. R. Soc. Lond.. B 269. 1506. 2221–2227. 10.1098/rspb.2002.2130. 12427315. 1691151.
  13. Web site: The Recently Extinct Plants and Animals Database cubit: The Recently Extinct Plants and Animals Database Extinct Mammals: Marsupials: Vombatus hacketti. cubits.org. 2017-04-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20170420235938/http://cubits.org/theextinctioncubit/db/extinctmammals/view/18816/. 2017-04-20. dead.
  14. Book: MacPhee, R. D. E.. Extinctions in Near Time. 1999-06-30. Springer Science & Business Media. 9780306460920.
  15. Thorley RK, Old JM (2020). Distribution, abundance and threats to bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus). Australian Mammalogy. 42, 249-256. DOI: 10.1071/AM19035
  16. Web site: Bare-nosed wombat Vombatus ursinus. . 2022-09-16 . Queensland Government . 2022-10-05.
  17. Thorley . Rowan K. . Old . Julie M. . Distribution, abundance and threats to bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus) . Australian Mammalogy . 2020 . 42 . 3 . 249 . 10.1071/AM19035. 213536628 .
  18. Old . Julie M. . Lin . Simon H. . Franklin . Michael J. M. . Mapping out bare-nosed wombat (Vombatus ursinus) burrows with the use of a drone . BMC Ecology . December 2019 . 19 . 1 . 39 . 10.1186/s12898-019-0257-5. 31533684 . 6749681 . 202641093 . free .
  19. Old . Julie M. . Hunter . NE . Wolfenden . J . 2018 . Who utilises bare-nosed wombat burrows? . Australian Zoologist . 39 . 3 . 409–413 . 10.7882/AZ.2018.006. 135128293 . free .
  20. Fleming . PA . Anderson . H . Prendergast . AS . Bretz . MR . Valentine . LE . Hardy . GES . 2014-04-01 . Is the loss of Australian digging mammals contributing to a deterioration in ecosystem function? . . 44 . 2 . 94–108 . 10.1111/mam.12014 .
  21. Web site: Living with wombats . . 2022-02-17 . NSW Department of Planning and Environment . NSW Government . 2022-10-05 .
  22. News: . 20 January 2020 . Australian bushfires: animals that take refuge in wombat burrows usually uninvited, experts say . AFP Fact Check . 13 December 2022.
  23. News: Nimmo . Dale . 15 January 2020 . Viral stories of wombats sheltering other wildlife from the bushfires aren't entirely true . ABC News . 13 December 2022.
  24. Carver . Scott . Stannard. Georgia L . Martin . Alynn M. 6 September 2023 . The Distinctive Biology and Characteristics of the Bare-Nosed Wombat (Vombatus ursinus) . Annual Review of Animal Biosciences . 12 . 1 . 1–26 . 10.1146/annurev-animal-021022-042133.
  25. Web site: Wombats, Wombat Pictures, Wombat Facts. https://web.archive.org/web/20100207180114/http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/wombat/. dead. February 7, 2010. National Geographic Society. 11 April 2010 . 21 July 2011.
  26. Old . Julie M. . Vallin . Blaire L. . Thorley . Rowan K. . Casey . Fiona . Stannard . Hayley J. . 2024. DNA metabarcoding analysis of the bare-nosed wombat (Vombatus ursinus) diet . Ecology and Evolution . en . 14 . 5 . e11432 . 10.1002/ece3.11432 . 38770127 . 11103767 .
  27. Old . Julie M. . Vallin . Blaire L. . Wolfenden . Jack . Casey . Fiona . Stannard . Hayley J. . 2024. Nutritional composition of plants and preliminary assessment of nutrition in free-ranging bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus) . Australian Mammalogy . en . 46 . 2 . 10.1071/AM23013 .
  28. Ferreira . J. M.. Phakey . P. P. . Palamara. J.. Rachinger . W. A. . Orams. H. J. . 1989 . Electron microscopic investigation relating the occlusal morphology to the underlying enamel structure of molar teeth of the wombat (Vombatus ursinus). . Journal of Morphology . 200 . 2 . 141–149 . 10.1002/jmor.1052000204 . 29865656. 46929011.
  29. Stannard . Hayley J. . Purdy . Katherine . Old . Julie M. . A survey and critical review of wombat diets in captivity . Australian Mammalogy . 2021 . 43 . 1 . 66 . 10.1071/AM20028. 225365567 .
  30. Web site: Stannard . Hayley . Old . Julie . A rare video of wombats having sex sideways offers a glimpse into the bizarre realm of animal reproduction . . 28 March 2023 . en.
  31. Thorley . Rowan K. . Old . Julie M. . Distribution, abundance and threats to bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus) . Australian Mammalogy . 2020 . 42 . 3 . 249 . 10.1071/AM19035. 213536628 .
  32. Mayadunnage . S. . Stannard . H. J. . West . P. . Old . J. M. . Identification of roadkill hotspots and the factors affecting wombat vehicle collisions using the citizen science tool, WomSAT . Australian Mammalogy . 6 July 2022 . 45 . 1 . 53–61 . 10.1071/AM22001.
  33. Old . J. M. . Sengupta . C. . Narayan . E. . Wolfenden . J. . Sarcoptic mange in wombats-A review and future research directions . Transboundary and Emerging Diseases . April 2018 . 65 . 2 . 399–407 . 10.1111/tbed.12770. 29150905 . free .
  34. Stannard . Hayley J. . Wolfenden . Jack. Hermsen . Eden. Vallin . Blaire T.. Hunter . Nicole E.. Old . Julie M.. 2021 . Incidence of sarcoptic mange in bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus) . Australian Mammalogy . 43 . 85 . en . 10.1071/AM20001. free .
  35. Mayadunnage . Sujatha . Stannard . Hayley J. . West . Peter. Old . Julie M.. 2023 . Spatial and temporal patterns of sarcoptic mange in wombats using the citizen science tool, WomSAT . Integrative Zoology . 19 . 3 . 387–399 . en . 10.1111/1749-4877.12776. free . 37865949 .
  36. Old . Julie M. . Skelton . Candice J. A. . Stannard . Hayley J. . The use of Cydectin® by wildlife carers to treat sarcoptic mange in free-ranging bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus) . Parasitology Research . March 2021 . 120 . 3 . 1077–1090 . 10.1007/s00436-020-07012-8. 33438043 . 231595549 .
  37. Schraven . Andrea L. . Stannard . Hayley J. . Old . Julie M. . A systematic review of moxidectin as a treatment for parasitic infections in mammalian species . Parasitology Research . April 2021 . 120 . 4 . 1167–1181 . 10.1007/s00436-021-07092-0. 33615411 . 231989259 .
  38. Beard . Danielle . Stannard . Hayley J. . Old . Julie M. . Parasites of wombats (family Vombatidae), with a focus on ticks and tick-borne pathogens . Parasitology Research . February 2021 . 120 . 2 . 395–409 . 10.1007/s00436-020-07036-0. 33409643 . 253981632 .
  39. Beard . Danielle . Stannard . Hayley J. . Old . Julie M. . Morphological identification of ticks and molecular detection of tick-borne pathogens from bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus) . Parasites & Vectors . December 2021 . 14 . 1 . 60 . 10.1186/s13071-020-04565-6. 33468211 . 7814742 . free .

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