Wombat Day

 

HAPPY WOMBAT DAY!

Wombats are short-legged, muscular quadrupedal marsupials of the family Vombatidae that are native to Australia. Living species are about 1 m (40 in) in length with small, stubby tails and weigh between 20 and 35 kg (44 and 77 lb). They are adaptable and habitat tolerant, and are found in forested, mountainous, and heathland areas of southern and eastern Australia, including Tasmania, as well as an isolated patch of about 300 ha (740 acres) in Epping Forest National Park in Central Queensland.

The name "wombat" comes from the now nearly extinct Dharug language spoken by the aboriginal Dharug people, who originally inhabited the Sydney area. It was first recorded in January 1798, when John Price and James Wilson, a white man who had adopted aboriginal ways, visited the area of what is now Bargo, New South Wales. Wombats were often called badgers by early settlers because of their size and habits. Because of this, localities such as Badger Creek, Victoria, and Badger Corner, Tasmania, were named after the wombat. The spelling went through many variants over the years, including "wambat", "whombat", "womat", "wombach", and "womback", possibly reflecting dialectal differences in the Darug language.

Wombats are marsupials, like kangaroos and koalas, but their pouches face backwards to protect their young from dirt while digging.

They can grow up to a meter long and weigh up to 40 kilograms, making them the largest burrowing animals in the world. 

They have strong teeth and claws that can dig up to 3 meters deep and 20 meters long tunnels, where they sleep and hide from predators.

They are mostly nocturnal and herbivorous, feeding on grasses, roots, and bark. They can survive in dry and cold habitats, thanks to their thick fur and slow metabolism.

The oldest wombat ever recorded was Patrick, who lived for 32 years in a wildlife park in Australia. He was a celebrity and even met celebrities like Nicole Kidman and Steve Irwin.

Here's a quiz (put your score on the comments, as usual):

Quiz: Wombat Day - Google Forms