Description:

The tusked wombat (Acridentherium vombatus) is a wombat species that has evolved tusks, similar to those of elephants. Physically, they resemble Diprotodon but exhibit traits of elephants, bison, and other large megafauna found on other continents. These mammals are about 1.2 meters tall at the shoulder and 2 meters long. They weigh between 600 and 1000 kilograms. These animals are typically brown in color, but albino wombats live in the wild. The tusked wombats also have a prehensile lip, which they use to grab leaves from bushes and trees. They have two tusks that evolved from their two front incisors. They typically have a soft light fur coat.

Evolutionary History:

These marsupials evolved from the common wombat (Vombatus ursinus), an adaptive marsupial that lived on the southwest coast of Australia during the Holocene. During the Anthropocene extinction event, these animals managed to survive due to their generalist and burrowing nature. After many animals went extinct in Australia, these mammals evolved to fill the role of cattle and other mid-sized browsing herbivores. Also, during the Novicene, the planet warmed, giving marsupials another chance at filling megafaunal roles. The neodiprotodontids eventually became some of the main megafauna in Australia. This species, however, is unique among them. Most neodiprotodontids have a relatively conservative dentition similar to that of modern-day wombats. This species, however, evolved a weird elephant-like skull. The two front incisors evolved into tusks and a prehensile top lip. This trait makes them the most derived of all the neodiprotodontids.

Distribution:

These mammals mainly inhabit the woody savanna of the Great Australian Plain. They travel over grassland to reach other places to browse for plants.

Diet:

These animals feed on bushes, short trees, and other vegetation that is at their head height. They will occasionally graze on grasses, but this behavior is rare.

Social Behavior and Mating:

These animals tend to be solitary. They spend most of their lives alone and come together to breed. Males make loud calls during the night to attract females. Mating occurs year-round and does not occur in a specific season. Once a female approaches a male, they will circle and sniff each other. If the male gives off the right chemical signals, the two animals will mate. After mating, both individuals separate and, usually, never see each other again. The female raises the calf by herself until the calf reaches maturity. Males use shoving matches to fight over territory.