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.

These marsupials have a squat, bear-like body with short, powerful legs and large claws made for digging. Their fur is coarse and thick, usually sandy-brown, gray, or black, sometimes flecked with lighter patches. They have a broad, hairless nose and small rounded ears.

One of their most distinctive traits is their teeth. Wombats have exactly two upper and two lower incisors that are rootless and grow continuously. These chisel-like teeth stay sharp for life and are used to gnaw through tough grasses, roots, and even compacted soil. Female wombats also have a backward-opening pouch that keeps dirt out while they dig.

Common wombats are mostly nocturnal. They emerge at dusk to graze for several hours through the night and return to their burrows by day. A grazing session can last three to eight hours, during which a wombat may travel several kilometers in search of its preferred native grasses and sedges.

They are strict herbivores, feeding mainly on grasses, sedges, mosses, and the roots or bark of shrubs. Because this diet is low in nutrients, wombats have an exceptionally slow digestive system. Food can take two to three weeks to pass through, allowing maximum extraction of water and nutrients.

This efficiency comes with an unusual side effect: cube-shaped droppings. The fibrous scat is often stacked on rocks, logs, or fence posts. Its flat sides prevent it from rolling away, helping the wombat mark the edges of its range.

Wombats are solitary and territorial, each maintaining its own burrow and feeding area. They mark boundaries with scent glands and droppings, and disputes between neighbors can turn physical. When two wombats meet, they may grunt, charge, or nip at each other, usually aiming for the ears or rump until one retreats.

Their burrow systems are among the most impressive in the animal kingdom. A single wombat can excavate an underground network of tunnels with one or more entrances. Burrows may stretch over 20 meters (65 ft) long and reach depths of about 2 meters (6.5 ft). The wombat digs using its broad forefeet, pushing soil backward with its body to clear the passage. When inside, it can reverse into the tunnel and use its tough, armored rump to block the entrance, sealing the burrow and deterring predators.

Common wombats reproduce slowly. Females usually raise one joey at a time and tend to have a new offspring about every two years. After mating, the embryo develops for roughly one month before the tiny newborn, only about 2 cm (less than an inch) long, crawls into its mother’s pouch to continue growing.

The joey remains in the pouch for about five to six months, nursing and developing until it is strong enough to venture outside. Once it leaves the pouch, it often rides on the mother’s back or follows close behind until about 12 to 18 months of age, when it becomes fully weaned and independent. Young wombats reach sexual maturity around two years old, ready to begin the cycle again.

Their backward-opening pouches, perfectly suited for a digging lifestyle, keep the young protected even as mothers excavate new tunnels. And fittingly for such an intelligent burrower, a group of wombats is known as a “wisdom.”