Wombats

Front Cover
Csiro Publishing, 2009 - Nature - 153 pages
* Over 100 illustrations, including 28 color plates
* Drawings by Peter Schouten
* New information on the two hairy-nosed species of wombats

One of Australiaâ__s most engaging marsupials, the wombat is also one of the most disparaged and least understood. Often depicted as slow, muddle-headed and clumsy, it can, in fact, outpace a human or a dog over a short distance. Wombats are quick to learn and superbly adapted to their burrowing way of life.

This book gives a full account of the wombatâ__s way of life and examines the many hazards that wombats face. Dealing mainly with the Bare-nosed Wombat, Vombatus ursinus, it includes the latest information on the Southern and Northern Hairy-nosed Wombats, Lasiorhinus latifrons and Lasiorhiunus krefftii, among the worldâ__s most endangered animals. The book also gives practical advice on rearing orphan wombats.
 

Contents

1 Evolution and early history
1
2 The wombat itself
13
3 Burrows
21
4 What goes on in a burrow?
35
5 Life above ground
41
6 From birth to maturity
69
7 Dangers disorders and disasters
99
8 Wombats in the wardrobe
123
Growth and development
133
Handrearing orphan wombats
134
References and further reading
141
Index
151
Copyright

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About the author (2009)

Barbara Triggs has lived in Eastern Gippsland among wombats and other animals since 1972. She is an authority on the identification of mammals from indirect means and is the author of the best-selling field guide Mammal Tracks and Signs.

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