Weight:
Females: 32.5 ± 2.6 kg (71.5 ± 5.7 lb); males: 30.1 ± 3.2 kg (66.2 ± 7.0 lb) (Strahan 1995).
Up to 40 kg (88 lb) (Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat Rec. Team 1998).
Habitat:
The northern hairy-nosed wombat prefers flat, semi-arid grassland with deep, sandy soils and open acacia and eucalypt woodland along inland river systems, where there are patches of dense scrub and ground cover consisting of native grasses. The current habitat of the northern hairy-nosed wombat in Epping Forest has a vegetation of flat grassland and eucalypt woodland, with some patches of closed scrub on deep, sandy soil (Flannery 1990, Strahan 1995).
Age to Maturity:
In the closely related southern hairy-nosed wombat, Lasiorhinus latifrons, sexual maturity is reached at 3 years in females and at 2 - 3 years in males (Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat Rec. Team 1998).
Gestation Period:
Research on the closely related southern hairy-nosed wombat, Lasiorhinus latifrons, has shown that gestation lasts for 21 days (Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat Rec. Team 1998).
Birth Season:
Most young are born in November - April (Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat Rec. Team 1998).
Birth Rate:
There is 1 young per litter. Females breed, on average, twice every three years (Strahan 1995).
Breeding rate (measured as the proportion of females breeding in any one year) correlates closely with summer rainfall. This averaged 50-75% in the period 1985-89, but was only 20% in 1993 during a major drought. (Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat Rec. Team 1998)
Early Development:
Pouch life ranges from 6 - 9 months, although little data are available. This is followed by a period when the young remains in the burrow while the mother goes out to feed. Weaning apparently occurs around 1 year of age. (Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat Rec. Team 1998)
Dispersal:
A young northern hairy-nosed wombat leaves its mother at about 12 months.
Maximum Age:
At least 30 years (captivity) (Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat Rec. Team 1998).
Diet:
The northern hairy-nosed wombat feeds almost exclusively on perennial native grasses. It has extremely low water requirements (amongst the lowest known for any mammal) (Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat Rec. Team 1998).
Behavior:
The northern hairy-nosed wombat is a nocturnal grazer. It is completely terrestrial and well equipped with short, powerful legs and long, strong claws for digging its large, often complex burrows. The northern hairy-nosed wombat lives in a harsh climate with very hot summers and long periods of dry weather. It copes by minimizing the amount of time spent above ground and choosing the most comfortable times of night for excursions (although it will sun itself on winter afternoons). (Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat Rec. Team 1998, Nowak 1999, Strahan 1995)
The northern hairy-nosed wombat constructs complex tunnel systems comprising a number of separate burrows. Burrows have 1 - 7 (average 2 - 3) entrances and are distributed in loose clusters which may contain up to 20 burrows within a few hectares (half a dozen acres) and are occupied by 4 - 5 wombats. The burrows of one colony of hairy-nosed wombats in the early 20th century covered an area 800 m (2600 ft) long and about 80 m (260 ft) wide. Each individual makes use of most of the burrows in a cluster but avoids encounters with other wombats and spends most of its time alone. The entrances are connected above ground by a network of trails, and additional trails radiate out to feeding areas and other burrow clusters. Burrows in use are carefully maintained and marked around the entrance with piles of dung and splashes of urine; dung piles are also placed at intervals along trails. Each burrow contains moist air whose temperature remains the same throughout the year. The burrows are usually located close to trees whose roots may provide support in the soft, sandy soil and crowns provide shade. (Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat Rec. Team 1998, Nowak 1999, Strahan 1995)
In the dry seasons adult wombats are active above ground for about 6 hours per night. In the wet seasons, activity decreases to about 2 hours per night. (Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat Rec. Team 1998)
Social Organization:
Wombats are usually not social animals. Burrows are occupied by a single wombat 70% of the time. However, burrow sharing may occur in the larger, multi-entrance burrows and usually involves females rather than a male and female. Feeding ranges of female wombats tend not to overlap; however, male ranges overlap those of females. Although casual movements between burrow groups are rare, at least 50% of adult females change burrow groups at some time in their lives. (Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat Rec. Team 1998)
Mortality/Survival:
Recent estimates using mark-recapture methods indicate adult mortality levels of around 5% in good years (range 0 - 14%). (Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat Rec. Team 1998)
Density/Range:
In the dry seasons, adult wombats occupy core feeding ranges of approximately 6 hectares (15 acres). In the wet seasons, feeding range size is halved. (Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat Rec. Team 1998)