The Bare-nosed or Common Wombat, once widespread throughout southern Australia, is now found in parts of eastern NSW, Victoria, south-eastern South Australia and Tasmania. The name implies there are a lot around but in truth they’re in decline, although they’re listed by the IUCN as a species of Least Concern.

Wombats live in a variety of habitats – forests, alpine mountains, heathlands and coastal shrublands. The Bare-nosed Wombat prefers wetter forested areas, whereas the Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat lives in more arid regions.

Sarcoptic mange is an emerging infectious skin disease impacting wombats. It is caused by a mite (Sarcoptes scabiei). The mite burrows into the skin of its host, causing inflammation, thickening skin, hair loss and intense itchiness.

Wombats are the protected species most severely affected by sarcoptic mange. It has significant health and welfare implications for individual animals and, if left untreated, affected wombats can become severely sick and die. The NSW Government is currently implementing a 2-year program to help curb wombat mange. The project commenced in early 2023 and will continue until 2024.

A wombat can reproduce after it reaches 2 years of age. Mating occurs between September and December and usually results in one offspring. The newborn wombat, which weighs only one gram and is less than 3 centimetres long, has to crawl from the birth canal into the mother's pouch.

This pouch faces backwards, which stops dirt and twigs getting caught in it when the mother digs. The young wombat will stay in the pouch for between 7 and 10 months.