Turns out wombats *can* run at 40km/h

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A southern hairy nosed wombat on the ground near its burrow. Credit: Albert Wright

April 11, 2024

Matthew Ward Agius

The plot has thickened in one of Australia’s biggest and most important long-standing assumptions – that a wombat can run at 40km/h.

In February, Museums Victoria’s public information team claimed to have debunked long-circulating claims that wombats – particularly southern hairy-nosed wombats (Lasiorhinus latifrons) – run at speeds of 40km/h.

Why was this fact thrown out? As reported by Cosmos, Museums Victoria could only trace the claim to one source, a 1984 publication by Flinders University archaeologist Emeritus Professor Rod Wells, which he explained was likely the result of survey vehicles keeping pace with the marsupials.

“I think that probably goes back to the late 1960s/early 1970s when we would pursue southern hairy-nosed wombats and catch them using something akin to a lacrosse net. I do not recall anyone using a stopwatch to check their speed,” Wells said.

Museums Victoria had said this isn’t sufficient evidence to prove wombats can run at 40km/h. The idea generated widespread debate and interest and after reading about it, South Australian wombat researchers have come forth with a counterclaim – they say southern hairy-nosed wombats do hit that speed.

More:
https://cosmosmagazine.com/nature/animals/turns-out-wombats-can-run-at-40km-h