Monday September 7 was National Threatened Species Day, so spare a thought for the nation’s wombats. As wombats fight for survival against a deadly skin disease that kills in months, Western Sydney University are asking Australians to help take a census of wombats using an innovative new website and app.
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WomSAT, launched by Western Sydney University, allows everyday citizens to report wombat sightings and record the animal’s health.
“Our iconic wombats are under threat from a parasitic mite which causes sarcoptic mange,” Belbora resident and WomSAT Project Coordinator Candice Skelton said. Ms Skelton is currently an Animal Science Honours student at Western Sydney University.
The mites initially burrow into the skin causing the wombats to become itchy. In the longer term, they are likely to become blind, deaf and die due to the secondary effects of the infestation. Early physical signs of the infestation include missing patches of fur and scratching.
“Thousands of wombats across NSW, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania are succumbing to a prolonged and painful death because of sarcoptic mange,” she said.
“We need a nation-wide census of wombat populations in order to better understand the challenges facing them and to help protect the species for future generations.”
Western Sydney University is calling on everyone around the country to join the fight by using WomSAT, which easily records the exact location of a wombat using a phone’s inbuilt GPS. The app and website have images and text to guide people on how to identify the wombat and how to visually diagnose mange.
“Wombats with severe mange suffer from painful skin infections and secondary diseases such as septicaemia and fly strike”, says Candice.
“Wombats are naturally nocturnal, however severely affected individuals are often seen grazing during the day to try compensate for the demanding energetic cost of scratching.”
“By logging onto WomSAT.org.au each time a wombat is spotted, Australians can participate in science and alert experts about changes and threats to the population.”
You can also connect with the WomSAT team on facebook, twitter and instragram.
WomFACTS
- There are three species of wombats in the world, and they are only native to Australia:
- Bare-nosed wombat (Vombatus ursinus)
- Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus krefftii)
- Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat (Lasiorhinus latifrons)
- Wombats are marsupials. The females have a backward facing pouch.
- Baby wombats are called joeys. They are born furless and weigh as little as 0.32 grams and are less than 2cm in length. Fur does not begin to grow until they are 4-5 months old. Wombat joeys stay in the pouch until 9-10 months old.
- Wild wombats live for up to 14 years. In captivity they live up to 26 years.
- Wombats grow to one metre long and weigh up to 40kg.
- Colour can vary from grey or black to sandy brown.
- Top speed for a wombat is 40km per hour which they can do for up to 90 seconds.
- Wombats produce cubed shaped faeces.
- The wombats’ closest living relative is the koala.
- Present-day wombats are the closest surviving relatives to Diprotodonts – a ‘three tonne giant wombat’. They were part of the Australian megafauna and were the largest marsupials to walk the Earth, measuring up to 3.8m long and 1.7m tall.
- Wombats are polygamous – meaning they may breed with more than one mate.
- Wombats have a ‘reinforced rump’, due to a tough plate of cartilage across their lower back and rear, which helps protect them from predators.
