Do wombats live in pretty much anywhere?

Answer 1

No. Wombats are native to Australia.

Depending on the species, wombats live in the southern part of Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria, and NSW, and the southwestern corner of Western Australia. They range from grasslands to mountains and hillsides - wherever they can dig burrows and find food. They tend not to be found in desert regions, because there is insufficient food.

Wombats dig burrows in which to live. Burrows average about 50 cm high by 50 cm wide, just enough width for the wombat and nothing else. This is because, if threatened, a wombat can present just its padded backside to a predator, and the predator has no way of grabbing hold of the wombat or penetrating its thickened hide.

The distribution of the Common wombat is now between the Great Dividing Range and the coast from Stanthorpe in Queensland and right around almost to Adelaide and all of Tasmania. Prior to European settlement, the habitat would have been very much the same, but the population more dense and less patchy than currently.

The Northern hairy-nosed wombat current distribution is now almost exclusively in and around the Epping Forest National park near Clermont in Queensland. Prior to European settlement, the habitat would have extended down from Clermont through central NSW and into Victoria.

The Southern hairy-nosed wombat current distribution is along the southern areas of South and Western Australia, mostly along the Nullabor Plain and as far east as Murraylands, and away from population centres. Prior to European settlement, the habitat would have been very much the same, but the population more dense and less patchy than currently.