Do you like watching videos with funny cats and dogs on the Internet? If so, try looking for videos of wombats – these little bear-like creatures are also very cute. They live in Australia and are herbivores that dig burrows for themselves. In addition to their cute appearance, they have many interesting features. For example, you may have seen posts about wombat poop being square in shape. This is because their intestines have areas of different elasticity that compress the feces differently, giving them a square shape. This helps them mark their territory by keeping the square feces from rolling off the surface. Wombats have another amazing feature – they are able to run at speeds of up to 40 kilometers per hour. So they can overtake the fastest man in the world?
Wombats are not only very cute, but they are also excellent short-distance runners. Photo source: dailytelegraph.com.au
Contents
- 1 The wombat is Australia's cute animal
- 2 What do wombats eat
- 3 What is the character of wombats
- 4 Ancient animals of Australia
- 5 Running speed of wombats
Wombat – cute animal of Australia
Wombats in Australia are herbivores that look like small bears or overly large komyaks. They can also be compared to koalas, and they are indeed close to each other on the evolutionary tree. The body length of wombats can reach 130 centimeters, and their weight can be 45 kilograms.
Wombats are small, but quite heavy creatures. Photo source: cheb.mk.ru
The body of wombats can be described as thick, dense and gangly. They have four short but strong legs with five toes. The fingers are equipped with long claws, with the help of which wombats dig deep holes up to 20 meters long and up to 3.5 meters deep. They rest in dug caves during the day, and at night they go out in search of food.
What do wombats eat
The source of energy for wombats is grass shoots. Sometimes they can feed on plant roots and even berries, but this is not their main food. The upper lip of wombats is divided into two parts, thanks to which they can bite off even the smallest shoots. Since they are active at night, they have a very developed sense of smell. Wombats have a very slow metabolism, so they can digest one meal for up to 14 days.
Wombats are herbivorous creatures. Photo source: discoverwildlife.com
What is the character of wombats
Wombats have almost no natural enemies; only dingoes and Tasmanian devils can pose a threat to them. Most wombats are friendly with people, and some families even keep them as pets. But you should be careful with wild animals, because they can perceive any sudden movement as an attack and injure the offender with their teeth or claws.
Wombats get along well with people and can even be trained. Photo source: reddit.com
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Ancient animals of Australia
Wombats are not a specific species of animal, but a whole family of marsupial mammals. Today it consists of three species of wombats, but in ancient times there were more varieties. Like many other animals in Australia, they were large creatures. For example, the ancient wombat of the species Phascolonus gigas, according to scientists, weighed more than 200 kilograms. The first wombats appeared on Earth approximately 18 million years ago.
Ancient wombats were much larger than modern ones. Image source: deviantart.com
Wombats running speed
Wombats seem clumsy, but they are actually very nimble. Many sources say that the running speed of wombats reaches 40 kilometers per hour. This is hard to believe, but people who deal with wombats confirm this. Sometimes these small creatures run out of the hole, grab food and disappear back into hiding. From the outside it may seem that this sortie is happening at lightning speed.
Wombat running on video
If wombats can run up to 40 kilometers per hour, does that mean they can break Usain Bolt's record? This Jamaican athlete is considered the fastest runner in the world, because in 2009 he was able to run the 100-meter distance in 9.58 seconds. While running, he reaches speeds of up to 44.7 kilometers per hour.
Usain Bolt is the fastest man in the world. Photo source: livesport.ru
According to scientists, wombats can really run as fast as Usain Bolt. However, they are not able to beat him in the 100-meter race because they only run short distances. They cannot cover a long distance at maximum speed, because they simply do not have enough stamina.
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In addition to wombats, Australia is home to many other amazing animals. You know very well about kangaroos, but do you know how they are born? We think that everyone should know about this to broaden their horizons!