Even on a continent known for its charismatic animals , wombats stand out . Everything about them is endearing , from theirattitude to obstaclesto thecubic shape of their droppings . Sadly , animal scientist are interested about the damage a disease is doing to their number , and are calling on those who make out theVombatidaeto come to their aid .
There are three species of wombat . Only 200 northern hairy nosed wombat ( Lasiorhinus krefftii ) come through – although number areslowly increasing – and they are believe among the most endangered mammal on the major planet .
However , with all the attention focused onL. krefftii , there is a danger its diminished first cousin will be neglected . This is a trouble , Dr Julie Old , of the University of Western Sydney , told IFLScience , because spare nosed wombats ( Vombatus ursinus ) and southern hairy nosed wombats(Lasiorhinus latifrons)are touch bysarcoptic mange , which can , Old says , defeat a wombat in as little as three month . The mange exposes sufferer to bacterial diseases , mail them indifferent and unsighted and causes them to need more food than they can find .
The mange is cause by theSarcoptes scabieimite , but Old read we do n’t know that much else about it . “ One investigator looked at mange on foxes and wombats to see if it is the same variety , ” Old say IFLScience , but little is known about whether the mite jumps species . Cases of mange have been recorded across south - eastern Australia , but Old say we do n’t get laid much about where the major hot spots are .
So far the northerly hairy nosed wombat has not been affected , but Old believes this is more likely to be because the touch has not invaded their range , rather than from any immunity . “ If it got into them it would presumptively induce extermination , ” she say .
handling survive , but Old says they are labor intensive , requiring either the hard task of capturing a wombat or the ecesis of burrow flapping that treat the wombat as they enter and leave their home . “ Up to six treatments can be required , and they do n’t work when the mange is quite advanced , ” Old said .
If all seems grim for wombat , their write gracility may be just how much people love them . While once peoplemay have eatenmodern wombats ’ giant root to defunctness , today people are bewitch by the waddling beasts withbackwards face pouches and super - bad backsides .
Old is calling for an USA of wombat warrior to use a newly created prick , acknowledge asWomSAT , which allows people to memorialise sightings of wombats and their burrows , including their state of wellness . While Old says she also desire to know about case of route kill to “ learn if there are any hotspots , ” the chief design is to discover where the mange is most frequent and whether it is circulate .
If successful , WomSAT may bring home the bacon a modelling for other programs to tackleAustralia ’s catastrophic personnel casualty of aboriginal mammal .
Wombat - deprived people go outside of Australia , or in one of its urban areas , canenjoy the wombat drift , and if you care to help save the marsupial thendonations can be made here .
A wombat with a severe case of mange , and desperately in need of human intervention . Credit Julie Old
[ H / T : The GuardianandABC TV ]
