What do Wombats Eat

 

Wombats, the cute and cuddly Australian marsupials, are a unique animal and a very popular attraction at zoos and tourist parks across Australia. But what do wombats eat? This article will cover exactly that question and also look at what preys on wombats as well as five interesting facts about wombats.

First, we will look at the question what do wombats eat. Well, wombats are herbivores which means that they eat no meat. Wombats predominately feed on grass, herbs, bark, roots and sedges (a large family of flowering plants). Wombats large incisor teeth not only help them dig tunnels but also help them chew on the very tough vegetation. So now you know the answer to the question what do wombats eat. Now let’s look at what preys on wombats.

Dingoes and Tasmanian Devils are the most common predators of wombats. Wombats have some amazing defence mechanism to escape from their predators. Firstly, wombats can move very quickly (up to 50 km/h) and maintain that high speed for 1-2 minutes. If attacked in their tunnels, wombats can crush their prey against the roof of the tunnel, suffocating and killing their prey. Finally, wombats have a toughened behind made of very tough cartilage. This makes it very difficult for both dingoes and Tasmanian Devils to injure wombats and ultimately kill them. Now you know the answers to the question what do wombats eat, what animals prey on wombats as well as wombats defence mechanisms. Now let’s look at five interesting facts about wombats.

Fact 1: Wombats grow to about 1m (3ft) long

Fact 2: Wombats have extremely short tails

Fact 3: Female wombats give birth to a single child after a pregnancy of 20-22 days

Fact 4: Baby wombats live in mothers pouch for 5-7 months

Fact 5: It takes two weeks for wombats to digest their food