The northern hairy-nosed wombat is confined to a section of Epping Forest National Park in central Queensland, with a second population developing in Richard Underwood Nature Refuge near St George. Fossil evidence shows the species once ranged from central NSW to Port Douglas in northern QLD. It can grow up to a metre long and weigh 40kg and has longer, more pointed ears than the common wombat. It is predicted this species has an average lifespan of 20 years. Females give birth to one joey at a time, which is generally between November and April. Joeys stay in the pouch for six to nine months before making their foraging debut during the summer months once they are a year old. Wombats are nocturnal and only leave the burrow to feed when conditions are ideal.