Wombat facts

• Wombats are burrowing marsupials native to Australia.
• Wombats are closely related to koalas and have a similar facial appearance, but with small ears.
• Like kangaroos, baby wombats are called "joeys".
• Wombats grow to be up to 35 centimetres high and one metre long, and weigh between 20 and 35 kg.
• The name 'wombat' comes from the now nearly extinct Darug language spoken by the aboriginal Darug people, who originally inhabited the Sydney area.
• There are three extant species of wombat: the common wombat, the northern hairy-nosed wombat and the southern hairy-nosed wombat.
• The northern hairy-nosed wombat is one of the rarest land mammals in the world and is critically endangered.
• It takes around a day for a wombat to dig a burrow.