SYDNEY -- Oct. 22 is an important day for Australians. It is Wombat Day.
Much like Christmas Day is to celebrate the birth of Jesus, on Wombat Day we celebrate the birth of wombats. There are no gifts or tree, actually not much happens at all.
The tenth annual Wombat Day passed with little fanfare, a small amount of wombat cakes were baked and a bunch of wombats dug some holes.
In celebration of this under-appreciated Aussie legend, here's all the wombat trivia you will ever need.
Wombats live in south-east Australia, including Tasmania, with a few hanging out in Queensland. They are a protected species Down Under.
Although it may have similarities with a badger, it's closest known ancestor is the koala. Except they have upside down pouches and do not climb trees.
They have never been put on a pedestal in Australia, with the koala getting all the street cred. No one knows why, as wombats are obviously the interesting ones.
We don't even eat them. And Australians eat everything.
Wombats are obsessed with digging using their teeth and claws and live in burrows 30 metres long. They also don't give a damn about snow.
Wombats poop square pellets, and 100 a day.
The wombat is given a bad rap because of its fat body, which can tip the scales up to 35 kilograms. Don't be fooled, the average wombat can run at 40 kilometres per hour for 150 metres if it wanted to destroy you.
The common wombat and its cousins, the Northern hairy-nose wombat and the Southern hairy-nose wombat, are native only to Australia. Like all smart creatures.
Yet, most Australians haven't seen one in the wild. They are mainly spotted as road kill with a white cross spray-painted on their stomach.
Being a bit of a fatty and nocturnal, wombats are a nightmare for drivers in the dark. It generally doesn't end well for the wombat or the car.
But don't feel bad. These guys are tough little buggers, they kill their predators by crushing their heads or suffocating their victim with their strong butts.
Which may explain the fact why most tourists prefer to cuddle a koala.
Poor little wombat, he just wants some friends to throw a Wombat Day party with.
