This tactic proves successful for Australian Aboriginals.
Vombatus ursinus
Class — Mammals
Order — Marsupials
Family — Wombatidae
Body size — 70–120 cm
Weight — 20–45 kg
Life span — 15 years
Range — Australia
The wombat ignores the warning not to turn its back on an enemy. It protects the entrance to its burrow by blocking it with its rear, which is exposed. The hind legs of this animal are so powerful that it can push not only large volumes of soil but also unwanted guests.
If the opponent proves to be strong, the wombat uses cunning: it lures it inside the burrow and, pressing it with its massive body, literally crushes it against the walls, breaking bones, or, like a ram, butts with its strong head.
In the tunnels it digs, which can reach up to 30 meters in length, wombats spend the day sheltering from the heat. Only in the evening, when the temperature drops, do they emerge to search for food, which often replaces water for them.
Wombats, like camels, are among the most economical consumers of water. They have a very slow metabolism: it takes 14 days to digest food. To “save” water and energy while in the burrow, the wombat lowers its body temperature.
