Does a wombat look like a beaver without a tail?

Answer 1

Having such a short, vestigial tail which is concealed under its fur offers the wombat better protection from predators. Wombats live in burrows. For defence, the wombat literally uses its backside. It has extra tough, thick skin on its lower back. Because a wombat's burrow is only just big enough for the wombat itself to fit into, in the event of a dog or dingo attack, it will present only that thicker hide to the aggressor, a hide that is difficult for a dingo's teeth to penetrate, and with no tail to grasp, the dingo cannot pull the animal out.

Answer 2

This varies according to the species. Koalas, for example, have no tail at all - just extra thick hide with padding for sitting on gum tree branches all day. Wombats also do not have a tail. Possums have a prehensile tail for gripping tree branches, kangaroos have a long, strong tail for balancing, and most other marsupials such as gliders, numbats, phascogales and quolls all have a tail.

Answer 3

Common wombats do not have a visible tail. Hairy-nosed wombats have a very short tail which is almost invisible.

Answer 4

Wombats are mammals, and mammals are vertebrates, and that means they have a backbone. So yes, the wombat has a backbone and spinal cord.

Answer 5

Not even remotely.

Wombats are much larger, with solid, stocky bodies and strong hind legs and forelegs.

Answer 6

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