Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat 
Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat
Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat
Scientific Name:
Lasiorhinus krefftii
Other Names and/or Listed subspecies:
Barnard's Hairy-nosed Wombat, Yaminon, formerly Lasiorhinus barnardi and Lasiorhinus gillespiei, Queensland Hairy-nosed Wombat
Group:
Mammals
Status/Date Listed as Endangered:
EN-US FWS: December 2, 1970
CR-IUCN: 2008
Area(s) Where Listed As Endangered:
Australia
 
Advertisement
 

The Northern Hairy-nosed wombat is also called the Queensland Hairy-nosed Wombat and only about 65 individuals exist in Australia. It is said to be Australia's most endangered marsupial and one of the world's most endangered mammals. Wombats have a thick, stocky body and are heavily built with powerful forearms. Adults grow up to three feet in length and weigh up to 88 lb making them the largest burrowing animals in the world. Their coats are soft, silky and brown in color. They have poor eyesight but have a very good sense of smell.

Hairy-nosed wombats are solitary, and seem to only come together for mating. Individuals dig large tunnel systems called "warrens" deep in the sand with the roots of trees as roofs. They prefer to feed at night and eat grasses and herbs. Little is known about their reproductive behavior. Mating seems to occur in the spring and summer only and females give birth to only one young. The young wombat stays in the mother's pouch for about six months.

Northern hairy-nosed wombats were once hunted for their fur until legally protected. The remaining 62 to 65 individuals were threatened by competition with introduced species such as sheep and rabbits for food, and most of the wombats are aging and their reproductive success is very low. The Epping Forest Nationaly Park was established in 1971 to protect the last population, and by 1982, cattle had been excluded from the area. Also, a recovery plan exists which includes the establishment of a captiving rearing facility, the creation of a second wild population, and a long-term plan to establish a network of populations throughout the historic range.




Wikipedia Article

This article is only an excerpt. If it appears incomplete or if you wish to see article references, visit the rest of its contents here.
Wikipedia Article
Copyright Notice: This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Northern hairy-nosed wombat".

Featured Article

10 Unusually White Creatures You'll Probably Never See in Real Life
Creatures with albinism and leucism are beautiful and rare animals. They have all the characteristics of others of their species except they are white in color. The lack of melanin generally results in the animal looking bleached all over, appearing white or pink. It happens in many animals ranging from squirrels to whitetail deer. Here are ten incredible and rare, white-colored creatures that you'll probably never see in real life.

Read More...


Advertisement


Endangered Species of Our Planet

Donate, Adopt, Get Involved

EEC Conservation Directory
Donate

Mailing List

Would you like to receive a notice and link when the new Creature Feature is posted?

Enter your e-mail address below:

 

Fun & Games

Are you inspired by endangered animals? Check out our games and coloring pages! More to come soon.
color endangered creatures
play hangman