Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat
Encyclopedia
The Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus krefftii), also known as the Yaminon, is one of three species of wombat
s. It is one of the rarest large mammals in the world and is critically endangered
. Its historical range extended across New South Wales
, Victoria
and Queensland
as recently as 100 years ago, but it is now restricted to one place, a 3 km² range within the 32 km² Epping Forest National Park
in Queensland. In 2003 the total population consisted of 113 individuals, including only around 30 breeding females.
and able to breed somewhat faster (two young every three years).
The northern hairy-nosed wombat's nose is very important in their survival because they have very poor eyesight so they can smell their food in the dark. It takes about a day for a northern hairy-nosed wombat to dig a burrow
with their sharp claws (The wombat's claws are about 5 cm in length).
Its diet is made up of coarse grass and various types of root
s. Its habitat
has become infested with Africa
n buffel grass, which out-competes the native grasses the Yaminon prefers to feed on.
One young can be born, often during the wet season. It stays in the pouch for 6-9 months, leaving its mother after a year.
s are an example of divergent evolution, an evolutionary concept occurring when a single group of organisms splits into two groups and each group evolves in increasingly different directions. The wombat, with all marsupials, diverged from placental mammals during the Cretaceous
. The Hairy-nosed Wombat shares marsupial ancestors with kangaroo
s and the koala
.
s. Both species have long, strong claws, well designed to dig burrows. This being analogous, both species has evolved this similarity over a period of time.
" by the IUCN.
Its range is restricted to about 300 ha (750 acres) of the Epping Forest in east-central Queensland, 120 km northwest of Clermont. A two metre-high predator-proof fence was constructed around 25 km² of the park in 2000. Recently, a second colony of wombats has been established at Richard Underwood Nature Refuge at Yarran Downs near St George in southern Queensland. This second colony was established in 2008 and is also in a reserve surrounded by a predator proof fence.
Wombat
Wombats are Australian marsupials; they are short-legged, muscular quadrupeds, approximately in length with a short, stubby tail. They are adaptable in their habitat tolerances, and are found in forested, mountainous, and heathland areas of south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania, as well as...
s. It is one of the rarest large mammals in the world and is critically endangered
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
. Its historical range extended across New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
and Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
as recently as 100 years ago, but it is now restricted to one place, a 3 km² range within the 32 km² Epping Forest National Park
Epping Forest National Park
Epping Forest is a national park in Queensland, Australia, 855 km northwest of Brisbane. The park is a scientific national park so it is not open to the public. Only scientists, rangers and volunteers may visit the park....
in Queensland. In 2003 the total population consisted of 113 individuals, including only around 30 breeding females.
Description
Yaminons can be 35 cm high, up to 1 m long and up to 40 kg. The females are a little bit bigger than the males because they have an extra layer of fat. It is slightly larger than the Common WombatCommon Wombat
The common wombat , also known as the coarse-haired wombat or bare-nosed wombat, is a marsupial, one of three species of wombats and the only one in the genus Vombatus. The common wombat grows to an average of long and a weight of .- Taxonomy :The common wombat was first described by George Shaw...
and able to breed somewhat faster (two young every three years).
The northern hairy-nosed wombat's nose is very important in their survival because they have very poor eyesight so they can smell their food in the dark. It takes about a day for a northern hairy-nosed wombat to dig a burrow
Burrow
A burrow is a hole or tunnel dug into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. Burrows provide a form of shelter against predation and exposure to the elements, so the burrowing way of life is quite popular among the...
with their sharp claws (The wombat's claws are about 5 cm in length).
Behaviour
The Northern hairy-nosed wombat is nocturnal, and has been known to share burrows.Its diet is made up of coarse grass and various types of root
Root
In vascular plants, the root is the organ of a plant that typically lies below the surface of the soil. This is not always the case, however, since a root can also be aerial or aerating . Furthermore, a stem normally occurring below ground is not exceptional either...
s. Its habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
has become infested with Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
n buffel grass, which out-competes the native grasses the Yaminon prefers to feed on.
One young can be born, often during the wet season. It stays in the pouch for 6-9 months, leaving its mother after a year.
Phylogeny
Placental and marsupial mammalMarsupial
Marsupials are an infraclass of mammals, characterized by giving birth to relatively undeveloped young. Close to 70% of the 334 extant species occur in Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, with the remaining 100 found in the Americas, primarily in South America, but with thirteen in Central...
s are an example of divergent evolution, an evolutionary concept occurring when a single group of organisms splits into two groups and each group evolves in increasingly different directions. The wombat, with all marsupials, diverged from placental mammals during the Cretaceous
Cretaceous
The Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
. The Hairy-nosed Wombat shares marsupial ancestors with kangaroo
Kangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
s and the koala
Koala
The koala is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia, and the only extant representative of the family Phascolarctidae....
.
Analogous Structures
Though the Northern Hairy-nosed wombat shares many similar structural features to that of the Marmot, these mammals are not closely related. The Marmot is a placental mammal living in such environments as mountainMountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
s. Both species have long, strong claws, well designed to dig burrows. This being analogous, both species has evolved this similarity over a period of time.
Homologous Structures
A homologous structure and characteristic which is present in all Wombats, including Hairy-Nosed Wombats, have a pouch which opens at the female Wombat's rear end. This characteristic is not common among other marsupials. Having its pouch opening at its rear end is an advantage due to the wombats constant burrowing, as the risk of dirt entering the pouch and harming the offspring is very high. The pouch opening being at the Wombats rear end also provides better protection when the mother walks and runs, and also against predators.Preservation
The Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat is listed as "endangered" by the Australian Species Profile and Threats Database (SPRAT), and "critically endangeredCritically endangered
Version 2010.3 of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 3744 Critically Endangered species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and subpopulations.Critically Endangered by kingdom:*1993 Animalia*2 Fungi*1745 Plantae*4 Protista-References:...
" by the IUCN.
Its range is restricted to about 300 ha (750 acres) of the Epping Forest in east-central Queensland, 120 km northwest of Clermont. A two metre-high predator-proof fence was constructed around 25 km² of the park in 2000. Recently, a second colony of wombats has been established at Richard Underwood Nature Refuge at Yarran Downs near St George in southern Queensland. This second colony was established in 2008 and is also in a reserve surrounded by a predator proof fence.