Common wombats may look cuddly, but adults are solidly built, about 1.2 meters (3 ft 11 in) long and up to 35 kg (77 lb) in weight. They are the world’s largest burrowing marsupials and can trot surprisingly fast, reaching speeds of up to 40 km/h (25 mph). The wombat’s rear is especially notable because it has an extra-strong rump made of four fused vertebrae, forming a natural shield. Inside a burrow, this armored rear can block the tunnel entrance and trap or fend off predators. The young, called joeys, are born extremely tiny, often described as jellybean-sized, and crawl into their mother’s pouch to continue developing.

Common wombats inhabit the cooler parts of southeastern Australia. They are found in Tasmania and across the wetter regions of southern Queensland, New South Wales, and Victoria, with smaller populations in South Australia. They prefer well-drained soils suitable for digging and live in eucalyptus forests, alpine and foothill woodlands, heathlands, and coastal scrub.

In Tasmania they range from sea level up into alpine zones, while on the mainland they are most common in hilly areas above 600 meters (about 2,000 feet). Wherever they occur, common wombats rely on deep, loose soil to build their burrow systems.