Wombat Awards

The wombat awards are a totally official list of the ways this marsupial takes the cake. Yum, cake.

Winner—Olympic 100 meters

Move over, Usain Bolt. Wombats can run 25 miles per hour for 90 seconds. During his record-setting 100-meter sprint, Usain Bolt’s average speed was 23 mph for about 10 seconds.

Road trip award

Wombats will never bug you for a potty break. They don’t pee and it takes 8–14 days for them to digest food.

Ecology award

Wombats are the most water-efficient mammals due to their ability to recycle water in their systems by directing urea to a two-part colon that absorbs water.

Winner—Best digger

Wombats can move up to three cubic feet of dirt per day. Their digging is essential to ecosystems, aerating the soil and allowing moisture to seep down deeper to support native plants.

Bodyguard award

When threatened, wombats wedge themselves into their burrows to protect others inside. They can use their rumps to crush the skulls of predators against the top of their burrow. They can also donkey-kick, scratch or bite. One wombat bit through a naturalist’s rubber boot, trousers, thick wool socks, and 2 centimeters into his leg!

Winner—Biggest brain & Largest burrowing mammal

Among marsupials, wombats have the biggest brains. Wombats are also the largest mammals who build and live in burrows.

October 22 is wombat day!

Excellent traditions on Wombat Day include cake and ice cream, giving wombat-themed gifts to your favorite wombat lover, adopting a new plush wombat, and visiting a wombat at the zoo.

All hail the state animal of South Australia.

You guessed it!