Southern hairy-nosed wombat
| Southern hairy-nosed wombat | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Diprotodontia |
| Family: | Vombatidae |
| Genus: |
Lasiorhinus Gray, 1863 |
| Species: | L. latifrons |
| Binomial name | |
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Lasiorhinus latifrons (Owen, 1845) |
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| Southern hairy-nosed wombat range | |
The southern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons) is one of three species of wombats. It is found in scattered areas of semiarid scrub and mallee from the eastern Nullarbor Plain to the New South Wales border area. It is the smallest of all three wombat species. The young often do not survive dry seasons. It is the state animal of South Australia.
Among the oldest southern hairy-nosed wombats ever documented were a male and a female from Brookfield Zoo just outside Chicago. Their names were Carver, which lived to be 34, and his mother, Vicky, which lived to be 24. In South Australia in 2010, a domesticated wombat named Wally was also reported as having reached the age of 34. The oldest currently living captive southern hairy nosed wombat is Hamlet at the Toronto Zoo at age 33.
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 772 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. The wombat grooms itself with its second and third toes, which are fused together, except at the tips. The head is robust and flattened and the ears are pointed. The snout resembles that of a pig. The animal gets its name from the hairs that cover its rhinarium. The wombat's incisors resemble those of rodents, and its molars are widely spaced by the palate. The teeth keep growing for the entirety of the animal’s life, which is likely an adaptation to its harsh diet. Compared to the common wombat, the southern hairy-nosed wombat has a larger temporalis muscle and a smaller masseter muscle. Also, unlike the northern hairy-nosed wombat, the southern hairy-nosed wombat’s nasal bone is longer than the frontal bone.
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Wikipedia