Mother Wombat Without a Burrow

With the Yea River in flood, some wombats are temporarily without a home, their burrows full of water.

This particular wombat is much fairer in colour than others I’ve seen around here. If you look carefully, you’ll see a baby shielding behind her. Did you know that a female wombat’s pouch opens towards her back legs, so that it doesn’t fill with soil when she’s digging? The baby wombat, called a joey, remains in the pouch for 4 to 10 months suckling a teat. Once out of the pouch, the joey will begin to eat solid foods and will be fully weaned anywhere from 11 to 15 months.

Photo courtesy of Jan Beer.