Common Wombat
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| Vombatus ursinus (Shaw, 1800) |
The Common Wombat (Vombatus ursinus) is one of three species of wombat and the only one in the Vombatus genus. It is widespread in the cooler and better watered parts of southern and eastern Australia, and in mountain districts as far north as the south of Queensland, but is declining in Western Victoria and South Australia. The Common Wombat can breed every two years and produce a single joey, which leaves the backwards facing pouch after nine to eleven months (weighing between 3.5 and 6.5 kilograms). The joey is weaned at around 12 to 15 months of age and is usually independent at 18 months of age.
[edit] Bass Strait subspecies
The Bass Strait subspecies (Vombatus ursinus ursinus) is only found on Flinders Island to the north of Tasmania. Its population was estimated at 4000 in 1996 and is listed as vulnerable by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and IUCN Red List.[3][4]
[edit] References
- ^ Groves, Colin (16 November 2005). in Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 43-44. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
- ^ Australasian Marsupial & Monotreme Specialist Group (1996). Vombatus ursinus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 06 May 2006.
- ^ http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=66644
- ^ Australasian Marsupial & Monotreme Specialist Group (1996). Vombatus ursinus ssp. ursinus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 15 March 2007.
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