{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "Taxon",
  "slug": "wombat",
  "name": "Wombat",
  "scientificName": "Vombatus ursinus",
  "category": "Mammal",
  "summary": "The wombat (Vombatus ursinus) is a stocky, short-legged Australian marsupial and one of the world's largest burrowing animals. It is the only animal known to produce cube-shaped faeces — a result of unique gut elasticity that moulds droppings so they do not roll away. Wombats are herbivores, largely nocturnal, and powerful diggers with a backward-facing pouch.",
  "conservationStatus": "Least Concern",
  "taxonomy": {
    "kingdom": "Animalia",
    "phylum": "Chordata",
    "class": "Mammalia",
    "order": "Diprotodontia",
    "family": "Vombatidae",
    "genus": "Vombatus"
  },
  "stats": {
    "weightKg": 30,
    "lengthM": 1.1,
    "topSpeedKmh": 40,
    "lifespanYears": 15
  },
  "facts": [
    {
      "label": "Scientific name",
      "value": "Vombatus ursinus (Common Wombat)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Diet",
      "value": "Herbivore (grasses, roots, bark, sedges)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Habitat",
      "value": "Forest, woodland, heath, and alpine grassland"
    },
    {
      "label": "Lifespan",
      "value": "5–15 years in the wild; up to 20+ in captivity"
    },
    {
      "label": "Weight",
      "value": "20–35 kg (44–77 lb)"
    },
    {
      "label": "Speed",
      "value": "Up to 40 km/h (25 mph) in short bursts"
    },
    {
      "label": "Conservation status",
      "value": "Least Concern (Common Wombat; others vary)"
    }
  ],
  "range": {
    "nativeRange": "Southeastern Australia, including Tasmania; lives in forest, woodland, and heath with soft soils for burrowing.",
    "continents": [
      "Oceania"
    ]
  },
  "sources": [
    {
      "citation": "IUCN Red List — Vombatus ursinus.",
      "url": "https://www.iucnredlist.org/search?query=Vombatus%20ursinus&searchType=species"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Animal Diversity Web — Vombatus ursinus. University of Michigan Museum of Zoology.",
      "url": "https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Vombatus_ursinus/"
    },
    {
      "citation": "Wikipedia — Wombat.",
      "url": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_wombat"
    }
  ],
  "lastReviewed": "2026-07-16",
  "canonicalUrl": "https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/wombat/",
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY-NC 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
    "attribution": "Global Animal Guide — https://globalanimalguide.org/animals/wombat/",
    "note": "Free to reuse for non-commercial purposes with attribution and a link back to the canonical page."
  }
}