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Wombats can be likened to the beaver. They are great diggers and live in burrows or tunnels,
sometimes as long as 30 metres, but generally about 3 the 5 metres long. A nest of bark is
made at the end of the burrow and they produce only one off-spring each year.
Because of their great strength and digging habit they can be a nuisance to farmers by breaking
fences and damaging crops and pastures. Because of this unfortunate digging habit they have
been targeted and their numbers are greatly reduced.
There are approximately three different varieties of wombats. The largest is approximately 114
centimeters long and the smallest about 69 centimeters. The colour of the fur and texture also
varies from a yellowish brown to black, and the texture from very coarse to a rather soft silky
type.
They are solitary harmless creatures and when raised from infancy can make playful and affectionate
pets. However the female has been known to bite when protecting her young. So if you do
see one do not rush up and try to pat it, just remember they are wild creatures, no matter how
appealing they may look.
Aussie Slang
If someone calls you a wombat it means you are slightly thick and a little bit stupid. This is not a
terrible insult because Aussies like their wombats and generally it means the person is
slightly exasperated with your behaviour. There are far worse insults than this.
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