442 POUCHED ANIMALS 



FAMILY PHASCOLOMYID^E (WOMBATS). 



COMMON WOMBAT (Phascolomys mitchelli}. 



Coloured Plate XXXI. Fig. 4. 



Of all the marsupials the Wombats, of which there are 

 three species, are the most rodent-like. The colonists call 

 them Bears and Badgers, and there is some excuse for 

 the latter, as the animals excavate remarkably large earth 

 burrows for dwelling-places. A description of the Common 

 Wombat will serve for the whole family. It is clumsy in 

 body, which is covered with coarse hair, brownish grey or 

 even black and yellow, which thickens considerably towards 



SKELETON OF THE WOMBAT. 



the hindquarters. Its hide is particularly tough, and with 

 its thick harsh fur makes most durable door-mats. The 

 dentition of the animal is worthy of notice ; throughout its 

 life its teeth grow without interruption. In each jaw are 

 a pair of powerful incisor teeth strongly suggestive of the 

 Rodents. All the toes, except the great toe of the hind 

 foot, are fitted with claws. The hind feet are partially 

 webbed. Thanks to its heavy body and its short legs, the 

 gait of the animal is only a rolling waddle. 



The Wombat is nocturnal and feeds upon grass and other 

 vegetable substances. It is distributed over nearly all 

 Australia and Tasmania. Though with its incisor teeth it 

 can bite severely, the animal is shy, and rarely offers resist- 

 ance if captured during daylight. It is said to possess the 

 power of sustaining life under water for quite a long time. 



