Pig-nosed Turtle

Diprotodon optatum – "Two Front Teeth"

Diprotodon was the largest marsupial ever to live in Australia. A gentle giant often compared to a wombat the size of a small car, it could weigh up to 3 tonnes – even heavier than our rhino Tino!

These enormous, wombat-like plant-eaters moved across ancient Australian landscapes, feeding on leaves, shrubs, and other low-growing plants. With their stocky bodies, strong legs, and large heads, they were well adapted to open woodlands and grassy plains. 

Fossils of Diprotodon have been found across Australia, including fossilised footprints that reveal how these massive animals once travelled. They were among the last of Australia’s megafauna, disappearing around 46,000 years ago. Scientists believe that climate change and early human activity both played a role in their extinction.