What is the difference between a wombat and a kangaroo?

Answer 1

Kangaroos and wallabies are both herbivorous marsupials that are native to Australia. Differences include:

• kangaroos have large, strong hind legs and small forepaws, and they move by hopping on their hind legs; wombats walk close to the ground on four legs.
• kangaroos have a pouch in the front of their abdomen, with the opening at the top; wombats also have a pouch, but it faces backwards
• there are over 60 species of kangaroos, and just three species of wombats

Answer 2

Both the koala and the wallaby are herbivorous marsupials which are native to Australia, but there are some differences:

• Koalas have backward-opening pouches while wallabies' pouches open at the top.
• Koalas climb tree; wallabies cannot climb.
• Koalas can only walk and climb; wallabies can walk and hop.
• When a koala walks, it can move all its limbs independently. The wallaby's back legs cannot move independently.
• There are dozens of species of wallabies, but only one species of koala, with some dispute as to whether there are two or three sub-species.
• A wallaby has a tail; a koala does not have a tail.
• Wallabies and koalas are both herbivorous, but koalas live almost exclusively on eucalyptus (gum) leaves, while wallabies eat a variety of grasses and young shoots.
• Wallabies need to drink water more often than koalas do.

Answer 3

Although koalas and wombats are both marsupials of the order Diprotodontia, and their families are both of the sub-order Vombatiformes, there are many differences.

• Wombats are burrowing marsupials, and strictly ground-dwelling; koalas are arboreal, spending most of their time in trees.
• Koalas feed almost exclusively on eucalyptus leaves and flowers; wombats have a less specialised diet, as they feed on grasses, sedges and other vegetation.
• There is only one species of koala, and some disagreement about whether there are two or three sub-species, or indeed, whether there are any sub-species at all; however, there are three distinct species of wombat.
• Koalas are restricted to the eastern mainland states of Australia; wombats live in the southern part of Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria, and NSW, and the southwestern corner of Western Australia.
• Both koalas and wombats have a backward-facing pouch, but for different reasons. Wombats' pouches face backwards so the joey is protected from flying dirt when the mother digs. Koalas have backward-facing pouches because, when the joey reaches around 30 weeks old, the mother produces a substance called pap. This substance is actually a specialised form of the mother's droppings which, having passed through her digestive system, give the joey the enzymes it needs to be able to start digesting the tough gum leaves, making an easier transition for the baby koala to start eating eucalyptus leaves. The joey then feeds by sticking its head out of the backward-facing pouch.