Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat
Lasiorhinus latifrons
- Class
- Mammal
- Rarity
- Common
- Observations
- 366
- Most observed in
- 🇦🇺 Australia
- Conservation
- Least Concern
Description
The southern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons) is one of three extant 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, who lived to be 34, and his mother, Vicky, who lived to be 24. In South Australia in 2010, a tame wombat named Wally was also reported as having reached the age of 34. Hamlet, a wombat at the Toronto Zoo, similarly died at age 34.
Summary adapted from the Wikipedia article “Southern hairy-nosed wombat”.