DESCRIPTION
The southern hairy-nosed wombat is adapted to digging; it has a stocky and robust build, flattened claws, and five digits.It is also plantigrade. The body length ranges from 77 to 934 mm (30.4 to 36.8 in) with a body mass ranging from 19 to 32 kg (42 to 71 lb).Its short tail is hidden by its fur. The pelage is silky and is typically greyish or tan in colour.
BEHAVIOR
Southern hairy-nosed wombats, along with other wombat species, select native perennial grasses and sedges, but do consume introduced pasture species, forbs, and the leaves of woody shrubs if their favoured food is not available. Much of the southern hairy-nosed wombat’s diet is Stipa nitida, which grows around its warren complex.
HABITAT
Southern hairy-nosed wombats dig and live in burrows which they connect into warrens with many entrances. These warrens are their prime refuges and are shared by up to 10 individuals. A wombat digs with its fore claws while sitting up. It leaves its new burrow backwards and pushes out soil with all its paws.