Whisker morphology and distribution in wombats: a comparative anatomical study

Whiskers are specialised hairs used to collect somatosensory information to support navigation, foraging and socialisation. They are important to many small, arboreal and nocturnal species, supporting their short-vision through object identification and navigation. Whisker number, location and shape can provide information to better understand species and their behaviours. We macroscopically compared the whiskers of 18 bare-nosed (Vombatus ursinus) and 11 southern hairy-nosed (Lasiorhinus latifrons) wombats. Southern hairy-nosed wombats have longer and thicker whiskers with significantly more on the muzzle and above the eyes. Mean numbers of whiskers on the muzzle, cheeks, chin, above the eyes and on the head were 42.22, 13.00, 6.17, 6.50 and 0.39 for bare-nosed wombats, Southern hairy-nosed wombats had 60.00 on the muzzle, 11.18 on the cheeks and 13.09 above the eyes, with none on the chin and head. Based on the morphological appearance of their whiskers, and the absence of a rhinarium, southern hairy-nosed wombats may be more reliant on their whiskers for navigation, due to more complex burrows and interactions with conspecifics. Further studies should examine fresh specimens to determine more accurate whisker counts, microscopic shape and associated muscles to determine the level of movement and control, and observational studies to examine their use.