Mastodawn

Sheril Kirshenbaum Jan 15, 2023

I just spotted my first wombats in the wild on Cradle Mountain in Tasmania.

These stocky little marsupials sort of look like a cross between a baby brown bear, koala & pig. They have a pouch like other marsupials, but it’s backwards which prevents dirt from entering as they burrow.

At just over 3 ft long, they’re absolutely charming. But millions of years ago, herds of giant wombats as large as rhinoceros roamed southern #Australia. #wildlife #photography #SharedPlanet

Show thread

TweetingTechno

@Sheril I had one living in my backyard for a while. He was busily trying to dig a new burrow. Unfortunately, my fence was a bit, shall we say, approximate, and he'd chosen a spot that was patched with a sheet of corrugated iron. And about 5 metres from my bedroom window.
Around 1 or 2am, he'd get stuck into some vigorous digging. I'd sit bolt upright to the sounds of 'BANG!!!!! Thump thump thump thump!', realise it was the wombat, fall straight back to sleep, 'BANG!!!!! Thump thump thump thump!' By the third repetition, I'd be lying there wide awake waiting for the next one.
I was both sorry and hugely relieved when he moved on.