Peculiar Creature #6: The Hairy-Nosed Wombat

Unfortunately, this marsupial does not come in three delicious varieties of chocolate, but it's still cool because it's one of the rarest mammals to still be walking the earth! That being said, and sorry to disappoint, the hairy-nosed wombat is highly endangered. It has two different species, the Northern and Southern, and the Northern species is far more endangered. The Southern hairy-nosed wombat is the state animal of South Australia. The species has been having trouble surviving the dry seasons there, because their young often can't survive so it's harder for the population to grow. This species, distinguished from regular wombats because of the fine soft hairs coating its nose, is nocturnal and spends its days in burrows. However, it is the most social of all the wombat species. In the wild, hairy-nosed wombats live for about five years and survive on vegetation for food. The hairs on their noses allow them to closely pick at plants- they have very low metabolisms, and so don't need a lot of water to survive.

Okay, so I obviously have a bit of a tendency to favor the cute baby animals.. but the baby hairy-nosed wombats are simply irresistible! I love their furry cuddle-ability combined with their repulsive yet adorable piggy snout. It truly is heartbreaking to me that so many of these unique animals are endangered mainly due to human influences. People are taking up their habitats, which were scarce in the first place. In the case of Australia, these animals have specifically adapted to life in the desert, and when people start to take away some of their habitats, they start to feel the impact almost immediately! I want to take action to save these Australian marsupials, the bilby included! The Northern hairy-nosed wombat is critically endangered due to human interference as well-- the animal's population is slowly shrinking. Maybe I should become a wildlife conservationist, or even better, a "save the marsupials" advocate! As a side note, how come people always immediately think of kangaroos when they hear the word marsupial? Kangaroos are so normal! How about bilbies or hairy-nosed wombats for a change?