2. Wombats

3. Fast Facts  Large, pudgy marsupial  Size: 28 to 47 in  Weight: 32 to 80 lbs  A group is called a mob or colony

4. Distribution  They are found in forested, mountainous, and heathland areas

5. Reproduction  Dig burrows with front teeth and claws.  Have a backwards pouch that does not gather dirt over its young  Give birth to a single young after 20-22 days  The young leave the pouch after about 6–7 months. Weaned after 15 months, and are sexually mature at 18 months

6.  Nocturnal and feed on grasses, roots, and bark..  Wombats have an slow metabolism, taking around 14 days to complete digestion  When threatened they can reach up to 25 mph  The wombat's primary defense is its toughened rear hide with most of the posterior made of cartilage. When attacked, wombats dive into a nearby tunnel, using their rump to block a pursuing attacker.

7. Conservation  The field and pasture damage caused by wombat burrowing can be a destructive nuisance to ranchers and farmers.  Wombats have been hunted for this behavior, as well as for their fur and simply for sport.  Some species (the northern hairy-nosed wombats) are now critically endangered, while others (the common or coarse-haired wombat) are still hunted as vermin.

8.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpl82THn ngE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpl82THn ngE http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpl82THn ngE  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BnJUWw Sx1kE&feature=related