Today is World Wombat Day! So we’re introducing you to our newest nocturnal friend: Walter the Wombat. The Nocturnal Brigade meets Walter in The Weeping Wombat, the latest book in our Grow & Read early reader collection.

In celebration of World Wombat Day, here are eight fun animal facts about Walter the wombat:

1. Wombats are fast! They might not look like they can move quickly (especially since they waddle a bit when they walk) but they can run as fast as humans.
2. A wombat’s butt is its main form of defense! When predators are near, wombats will dive into their burrows and block the way with their butts. 
3. Wombats are the second largest marsupial, right after the Red Kangaroo.
4. Wombats are native to southeastern Australia.
5. Wombats can jump! There are records of wombats jumping over a meter high.
6. Wombats have a backwards-facing pouch which allows them to dig through dirt to make their burrows without getting dirt inside their pouch.
7. A group of wombats is known as a wisdom.
8. Wombats poop in cubes! Studies suggest the cube shape helps their poop stay in place to mark their territory.

For more information about wombats, check out these resources:
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Accessed November 25, 2014 animaldiversity.org/site/accounts/information/Lasiorhinus_latifrons.html
https://www.environment.sa.gov.au/goodliving/posts/2018/10/wombat-facts