Southern hairy-nosed wombats inhabit the semi-arid and arid grasslands and woodlands that receive 200 to 500 mm of rain per year in southeastern Western Australia, southern South Australia, and southwestern New South Wales.

Biogeographic Regions: australian (Native )

Southern hairy-nosed wombats are stocky, robust animals, with a lot of power for digging. The body is close to one meter long with short, powerful legs. They are plantigrade and have flattened claws on each of the 5 digits; these are used for digging. On the hind feet, the second and third toes have fused, creating a digit with two claws that the wombats use for grooming (Cronin, 2000). The robust head is flattened and has narrow, pointed ears that extend over its top (Menkhorst, 2001). The incisors are rodent-like. The palate between the molars is wide (Wells, 1987). All the teeth grow continuously throughout their lives, perhaps an adaptation to accommodate their harsh diet. Since hairy-nosed wombats eat a coarser diet than that of common wombats (Vombatus ursinus), they need to masticate their food more thoroughly than that species, so their temporalis muscle is better developed and the masseteric muscle is more reduced (Nakajima and Townsend, 1994). Lasiorhinus latifrons can be distinguished from other Lasiorhinus species because the nasal bone is longer than the frontal bone. The tail is short and usually hidden by fur. The silky fur ranges in color from grey to tan. Soft, usually white, fur covers the rhinarium, giving the animal its name.

Range mass: 19 to 32 kg.

Range length: 772 to 934 mm.

Other Physical Features: endothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry

Sexual Dimorphism: male larger

Average basal metabolic rate: 16.001 W.

• Terrestrial

Lasiorhinus latifrons require sturdy soil that is able to support the digging of large burrows. They also require perennial grasses and bluebush scrub (Maireana and Chenopodium), essential parts of their diet.

Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; terrestrial

Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest

Southern hairy-nosed wombats are herbivorous, grazing primarily on grasses and herbs. When available, they prefer new green shoots of grass, especially species in the genus Stipa, and will eat them until they are no longer available (“Southern Hairy-Nosed Wombat”, 1997). During droughts, wombats have been known to eat leaves and stems of short bushes, particularly the bluebush species in the genus Maireana (Wells, 1987). There is some evidence that wombats feed on roots during dry periods, with some preference shown for Eucalyptus species (Wells, 1987).

When feeding, southern hairy-nosed wombats choose green shoots if they are present to maximize their water and nutrient uptake. The digestive system has two adaptations that aid wombats in the uptake of water and energy from their food sources. Wombats use fermentation by bacterial colonies in their intestines to help them digest cellulose (Ride, 1970). Additionally, their feces is very dry, containing only 50% water (Ride, 1970).

Plant Foods: leaves; roots and tubers; wood, bark, or stems

Primary Diet: herbivore (Folivore )

When southern hairy-nosed wombats graze in front of their burrows, they may create an area with a higher density of new green shoots, a sign of delayed growth of individual grass plants (Wells, 1987). Additionally, other animals, such as introduced rabbits and foxes, may use wombat burrows. Southern hairy-nosed wombats are known to harbor a number of parasites, but seemingly with no effect on the wombats. Also, they may contract bacterial and fungal diseases.

Ecosystem Impact: creates habitat

Commensal/Parasitic Species:

• Progamotaenia diaphana
• Eimeria wombati
• Eimeria ursini
• Ileocystis wombati
• Macropostrongyloides lasiorhini
• Phascolostrongylus turleyi
• Oesophagostomoides longispicularis
• Oesophagostomoides gilteneri
• Oesophagostomoides stirtoni
• Ixodes victoriensis
• Ixodes tasmani
• Ixodes holocyclus
• Ixodes phascolomyis
• Aponomma auruginans

Since southern hairy-nosed wombats live in burrows, they can easily escape from predators. No predators are known for Lasiorhinus latifrons, but the closely related Lasiorhinus krefftii are preyed upon by dingoes and feral dogs (Banks, et al., 2003). Predation does not appear to be the main limiting factor in wombat longevity. Wombats are extremely dependent on the amount of rainfall in their habitat, which affects their life-span more than predators.

Southern hairy-nosed wombats communicate with each other through vocalizations and scents. A direct encounter between wombats is rare; they rely more heavily on scent to communicate. Wombats spend considerable time investigating scents left recently by other wombats (Wells, 1978). When two wombats do encounter each other, they make a rough coughing noise (Wells, 1978). When the animal is alarmed, it will use a more strident call to alert others (Wells, 1987). However, most communication between Lasiorhinus latifrons individuals occurs through olfaction and scent marking.

Communication Channels: acoustic ; chemical

Other Communication Modes: scent marks

Perception Channels: visual ; acoustic

Because southern hairy-nosed wombats have continuously growing teeth, it is difficult to non-invasively collect data about wombat age. The best means to make an estimate of an animal’s age is to tag and track it over the course of its life. In a study that tracked and tagged adult wombats, individuals lived for 14 years (Wells, 1987). The main limit on the lifespan of Lasiorhinus latifrons is the amount of rainfall in a season rather than predation (Wells, 1987). Wombats are able to escape predators because they live in burrows.

Average lifespan

Status: wild: 14 years.

Range lifespan

Status: captivity: 20 (high) years.

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 17 years.

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 18.0 years.

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 24.5 years.

Average lifespan

Status: captivity: 20.0 years.

Little is known about the mating system of Lasiorhinus latifrons. During the breeding season, males are aggressive towards each other, biting the ears, rump, and flanks of other male wombats (Wells, 1995). Females ready for mating may emit a coughing call when they are pursued by males. However, much of the process of selecting a mate is unknown.

Mating System: polygynandrous (promiscuous)

Southern hairy-nosed wombats breed in synchrony with highest growth rates of the native grasses that make up their diet. Because of their dependence on the germination of grasses, their reproduction is affected by the amount of winter rainfall (Wells, 1987). During periods of drought, native grasses do not grow, and wombats do not breed. When the grasses begin to germinate, female wombats become ready for reproduction. Males also reach their peak reproductive activity when females are active (Temple-Smith et al., 2000). During the breeding season, males are aggressive towards each other and maintain dominance hierarchies (Cronin, 2000). Mating occurs in the burrow, with males usually remaining in one warren, while females move among them. When wombats copulate, the male lengthens the time of intromission by turning the female on her side and mounting her from behind (Wells, 1995). Female wombats usually give birth between September and December. A single young is born after 21 days of gestation. The juvenile then moves to the pouch where it completes its development. Young begin to leave the pouch between six and eight months of age, and leave permanently by nine months. Young wombats may continue to suckle at the pouch until they have reached 15 months of age (Cronin, 2000). Females are able to reproduce again after weaning is complete. At three years of age, both sexes reach sexual maturity.

Since the breeding of Lasiorhinus latifrons occurs in the summer, young wombats are weaned in the early spring, making them vulnerable to food stress and dependent on the amount of rain received in April (Wells, 1987). Wombats usually require two to three years with enough rainfall to successfully raise young. Without enough rainfall, there is not enough grass to sustain juveniles through their growth (Wells, 1995). Additionally, overgrazing of the land can destroy perennial grasses in favor of annual grasses that do not meet the nutritional needs of juvenile wombats.

Breeding interval: Southern hairy-nosed wombats breed once yearly, if optimal rainfall conditions prevail.

Breeding season: Breeding occurs from September to December.

Range number of offspring: 1 to 2.

Average number of offspring: 1.

Average gestation period: 21 days.

Range weaning age: 6 to 9 months.

Average time to independence: 1 years.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 3 years.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 3 years.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); viviparous

Average birth mass: 0.5 g.

Average gestation period: 21 days.

Average number of offspring: 1.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)

Sex: male: 547 days.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)

Sex: female: 547 days.

Southern hairy-nosed wombat females invest heavily in their young. Since the young of all marsupials are born very early in development and depend on their mother’s milk to complete development, the mother spends a lot of energy producing milk over a long period of time. Additionally, once the young leave the pouch, they return sporadically for more milk while learning how to burrow and graze from their mothers.

Parental Investment: altricial ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-independence (Provisioning: Female)

Southern hairy-nosed wombats have withstood massive habitat loss due to human clearing of land. They are considered threatened, but are not listed as an endangered species (Cronin, 2000). Currently, one of the main threats to their survival is the spread of rabbits throughout Australia. Rabbits, and domestic livestock, compete with wombats for forage, leading to overgrazing in many areas. Once the land is overgrazed, dominant grass species shift from perennial ones, the native diet of wombats, to annual species that do not provide wombats with all of their metabolic needs (Wells, 1995). Additionally, human clearing of the land removes the vegetation that the wombats rely on during drought periods (“Southern Hairy-Nosed Wombat”, 1999). Hunting of wombats by aboriginal people is not considered a serious threat. Wombats are valued by aboriginal people, who will often leave their own land to hunt wombats elsewhere so that they can keep their own wombat populations healthy (Davies, 1998). Low wombat reproduction rates means that populations do not quickly recover from disruptions.

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

Southern hairy-nosed wombats are sometimes agricultural pests. When they dig their burrows, they can destroy crops. The coexistence of wombats and livestock pose a resource competition problem (Nowak, 1991). Additionally, livestock can sometimes break their legs when they break through into a wombat burrow (Nowak, 1991). Burrows also provide problems for farmers because they are good habitats for other pest species such as rabbits (Nowak, 1991). Many farmers also incorrectly believe that wombats destroy fences on their properties (Nowak, 1991).

Negative Impacts: crop pest

Wombats are hunted throughout their region by aboriginal people. These native cultures consider wombats a part of their culture and enjoy eating their meat. However, they are cautious not to hunt them too frequently, as it takes a lot of time and energy to capture a wombat (Davies, 1998). Wombats have also been captured and domesticated as pets (Nowak, 1991).

Positive Impacts: food