Common Wombat - Taxonomy

Taxonomy

The common wombat was first described by George Shaw in 1800. There are three subspecies, though their distinctness is somewhat uncertain:

• V. ursinus hirsutus, the nominate form, is found on the Australian Mainland.
• V. ursinus tasmaniensis, is found in Tasmania. It is smaller in size than V. ursinus hirsutus.
• V. ursinus ursinus, was once found throughout the Bass Strait Islands but is now restricted to Flinders Island to the north of Tasmania. Its population was estimated at 4,000 in 1996 and is listed as vulnerable by the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and IUCN Red List.