taxonomy
Wombats belong to the Vombatidae family in which two genera and three extant species exist. These are the Common Wombat (Vombatus ursinus) (pictured) which are the largest reaching 91 centimetres from nose to rump, the Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons) and the Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus krefftii). The Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat is titled critically endangered and only a single population is left in the wild occupying less than 10 square kilometres and with habitat quality continuing to decline. According to Strahan (2000), the nomenclature of the Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat is as follows:
Class: Mammalia
Supercohort: Marsupialia
Cohort: Australidephia
Order: Diprotodontia
Suborder: Vombatiformes
Superfamily: Vombatoidea
Family: Vombatidae
Genus: Lasiorhinus
Species: Lasiorhinus krefftii
Supercohort: Marsupialia
Cohort: Australidephia
Order: Diprotodontia
Suborder: Vombatiformes
Superfamily: Vombatoidea
Family: Vombatidae
Genus: Lasiorhinus
Species: Lasiorhinus krefftii
(Humanimal Kingdom 2013)
The image to the left shows a comparison of the three extant wombat species (Department of Environment and Heritage Protection 2013).
References:
Department of Environment and Heritage Protection 2013, 'Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat', Queensland Government, viewed 14 October 2013,
http://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/wildlife/threatened-species/endangered/northern_hairynosed_wombat/
Humanimal Kingdom 2013, 'Vombatidae: The Wombat', CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
Strahan, R 2000, ‘The Mammals of Australia’, 2nd edn, Reed New Holland, Sydney.
Department of Environment and Heritage Protection 2013, 'Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat', Queensland Government, viewed 14 October 2013,
http://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/wildlife/threatened-species/endangered/northern_hairynosed_wombat/
Humanimal Kingdom 2013, 'Vombatidae: The Wombat', CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne.
Strahan, R 2000, ‘The Mammals of Australia’, 2nd edn, Reed New Holland, Sydney.