Don't Wake the Wombat?!

You wanna know something that's really kind of interesting and a little gross, I guess? They have a bone in their backs here that when they actually poop, it's kind of like one of those Play-Doh fun factory machines their poop is square. What? Square poop. Australia is home to a plethora of unique animal species. And whether they are dangerous and potentially deadly, like the eastern brown snake, or absolutely adorable, like the brushtail possum, we were excited to be getting the cameras up close. In this episode, we are back at the Billabong Sanctuary. Located in Nome, a small town just south of Townsville in North Queensland, this family-owned and operated establishment is home to over 50 native species. Broadly listed as one of Queensland's top ecotourism attractions, for nearly 35 years, they have been contributing to conservation efforts while also providing the public with a hands-on education about wildlife. Today, I will be getting to know one of their permanent residents, a unique marsupial known as Wanda, the wombat. All right, guys, now the next animal we're going to meet is just over here off to the side, and this is one of the most bizarre-looking mammals I think I have ever seen. Have you guys ever heard of a wombat? No, you haven't? Maybe you have? Well, get ready, because we're about to meet Wanda. All right, bring her in. This is gonna be wild. Oh, look at you! Oh my goodness! Oh! Are you sure that's not an oversized koala, Coyote? It kind of looks like a giant gerbil meets a guinea pig, but this is, in fact, a marsupial. Look, this is her rump right here. Let me see if I can kind of get her to turn this direction. Can I turn her around? You can push her. Push her up like this? Oh, she's heavy. Oh, there you go. Let's put you right here. What do you think? Wanna lie down right there? There we go. Look at that creature. Like a big bump on a log. All right, I'm gonna actually come behind her here. I think that may be easier. Look at that. That is a wombat. Have you ever seen a wombat before? Never. This is my first time ever being in contact with a wombat. Look at that adorable face. Hi, how are you doing? Well, if she play bites, they do have rodent-like teeth, and they use those teeth to gnaw through bark, grasses, and roots. And how do you get to those roots? You use those incredible claws, right? Can we take a look at your claws? Because that is one of the most impressive things about the wombat is their ability to dig. I know, we're just starting to get to know each other though, right? Wow, those claws are impressive. Now, they have these big paws, right? They spread out like this, almost like the claws of a badger. And they dig, dig, dig, dig, dig down deep into a burrow, and that's where they will get down to the good roots, right? Are the roots better a little deeper down? Now, this is a marsupial related to koalas. And this is like the koala of the ground, right? They don't actually climb up into trees. But believe it or not, this stout little animal, if it needs to, can move at speeds of close to 25 miles an hour. So, short little legs, plump body, and incredible speed. You almost look like a groundhog, did you know that? We have groundhogs in Ohio, and very similar coloration, but you are not related to a groundhog, are you? No, not at all. Wanda looks kind of sleepy. She definitely looks sleepy right now, doesn't she? Now, they're primarily nocturnal, so. You're boring the wombat guy. Is this not interesting enough for you? You know, you're on camera right now. You're gonna be on YouTube, you're gonna be a star. I really wanna see those paws. The paws are so impressive. There we go. Yeah, I saw that. I saw that. There we go. Well, at least it got you up and standing, huh? Okay, now we can see the paws. All right, guys, zoom in on the paws there. And look at those claws. They're serious. Super impressive, right? Now, look at the size of her body. I'm not gonna make any sudden movements, I promise. Now, if they're chased by a predator and they start to go into the ground, come around the backside. Let's take a look at the wombat's rump. Come back here. You stay put. All of the backside of the wombat is a solid mass of cartilage. And come up slowly here. See if you can feel the backside of this creature. Not only is the fur incredibly coarse, but this is solid right there. So what they will do is just kind of push their rump up out of the back of the hole and a predator can't actually get to them. You wanna know something that's really kind of interesting and a little gross, I guess? See, I'm right here by the back end of the wombat. They have a bone in their backs here that when they actually poop, it's kind of like one of those Play-Doh fun factory machines their poop is square. Square poop. Why? Now, why? Good question. Now, they only poop about every 14 days, right? It takes that long for all the bark and roots and grasses to process through their system. Then when they drop out that square poop, they actually use their poop to mark their territories. So scientists think that they're square so that they don't roll away. Or I'm guessing in many instances so that dung beetles don't come in and roll them away. There are many species of dung beetle here in Australia and those beetles will push the turds away. However, if they're square, they will stay put and then the territory is marked. Pretty cool, huh? I guess. Yeah, I know, right? I'm kind of on the business end of the wombat here. So let's come back around to the front. It's amazing. She is so solid. The mass of this creature's body is very impressive. Here's one thing that's also really interesting. Now, this is a female, right? Because they're marsupials, they have pouches, right? Because they're diggers, you wouldn't wanna be throwing all of that dirt into your pouch, right? So kangaroos and koalas have pouches that face forward. The female wombat has a pouch that faces backwards. So I don't think she's gonna let us kind of hold her up and see that pouch, but the pouch does face backwards so that when they're digging, that dirt doesn't go inside and get on Joey. Right, you don't wanna get dirt on your Joey, do ya? So Pat, I have a question. Is this wombat fully grown? It is fully grown, right? She will get a little bit bigger. A little bit bigger. Bigger? Yes. Oh, wow. It's actually a small wombat. This is a small wombat. So what's the heaviest one? 25 kilograms, they can get as big as 30, 40 kilograms. 30 to 40 kilograms. Wow, that's a big creature. Oh, we got some food. All right, well let's see if Wanda wants to eat. Carrot, yes! Let's try that. Wanda, let me try it first. That's actually really good carrot. Wanda, carrot? Okay. Now we're friends. All right. Well, I found a way to bond with the wombat. It's called a carrot. You know, carrot is one of my favorite snacks. It's a healthy snack, Wanda. Just so you know. Very proud of you. There you go. Yeah, now let me see if I can kind of like hold it up like this. Let me see if you can see those teeth. Oh! Crushers right there. And I see why she's able to chew through bark. Yeah, that's good, huh? Are we buddies now? She had to think about it there, you see that? She stopped for a second. What else do wombats eat besides carrots, Coyote? Well, out in the wild, wombats would be eating grasses and bark and roots. Pretty much a real high fiber kind of diet. What would be a predator to a wombat? What are they looking out for? Well, obviously if a wombat wandered down near the edge of the water, could be eaten by something like a crocodile, but primarily the dingo is the only real threat to a wombat of this size. A smaller one, I imagine, would be taken by something like an eagle or a large hawk, but you're definitely not gonna be able to pick up a creature of this size if you're a bird of prey. I can't imagine the talons would be able to even pierce through that thick fur and skin. Okay, got down to the nub of the carrot there. That's about as far as you go. Don't wanna lose the tips of your fingers to a wombat. They've been bitten by many creatures, and I don't think the wombat is one that I wanna add to the list. There you go. A little more fiber for that diet, huh? Well, she didn't like the jokes, but she likes the treats. You know, whatever you gotta do to make friends with a wombat, this definitely worked. I oftentimes find that it is food that gets the animal to liven up a little bit. There you go. Yeah, this is a little different than the carrot, huh? We're gonna chomp away at that. Now you're waking up, huh? Hi, Wanda. So, Wanda is a rescued wombat, and sadly, her mother was hit by a car, and they found her as a little joey inside of her pouch. And she was saved, and she was actually hand-raised, and is now here at the sanctuary, and is part of a wombat breeding program. That's right, you've got a boyfriend, don't you? I think she's done eating leaves. She doesn't really like these grasses as much as she did the carrot. Looks like she's looking for an escape route. Yeah, getting ready to jump off of there, huh? That was pretty cool, man. You notice the sun is starting to get low in the sky, and once it gets dark out, Wanda is gonna become very active. As a nocturnal creature, she's gonna be out and about, searching for food. But we did have a carrot, and we had some grasses, and I think at this point, it's time to call it a day. But that was pretty cool, hanging out with the one and only wombat. I'm Coyote Peterson. Be brave. Stay wild. We'll see you on the next adventure. If you thought Wanda was an adorable marsupial, make sure to go back and watch, as I got nose-to-nose with her smaller cousin, Blossom, the brush-tailed possum. And don't forget, subscribe, so you can join me and the crew on this season of Breaking Trail.