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Another interesting representative of marsupial mammals living in sunny Australia is the rabbit bandicoot, or long-eared marsupial badger, or common bilby (lat. Macrotis lagotis).
But, like many representatives of this infraclass of mammals, bandicoots have already become rare animals and are strictly protected by the laws of the country.
In the genus of rabbit bandicoots, there are only 2 species: the rabbit bandicoot itself (lat. Macrotis lagotis) and the small rabbit bandicoot (lat. Macrotis leucura).
The habitat of these two species does not overlap. The former inhabits small populations in south-west Queensland and southern Western and South Australia. The second species settled in the central regions of the mainland.
It is almost equal in size to an adult rabbit, which is why it is sometimes called a bilby rabbit.
These animals are found in areas with various natural landscapes, from semi-desert areas with their sparse shrub vegetation to dense tropical forests with wetlands (the latter is more relevant to New Guinea species).
Like many marsupials, they live in makeshift burrows, the length of which can reach 1.8 meters. The exit from the burrow is most often located in an inconspicuous place, for example in bushes, under a termite mound or under trampled grass. There is only one entrance and exit, so in moments of danger, bandicoots have to urgently break through a new exit. Thanks to their strong front paws with powerful claws, this is not difficult for them.
Since these are nocturnal animals and also live in burrows, they see poorly. But poor eyesight is more than compensated by excellent hearing and sense of smell.
Bilbies are distinguished from other bandicoots by their long, silky bluish-gray fur, very long, rabbit-like ears, and also a long, well-furred tail; the very tip of the tail is hairless, and the entire tail is sharply two-colored (black at the base and white at the tip).
The molars are large, in adults - with a completely smooth concave surface; in this they differ from the sharp-tubercated native bandicoots.
The ears are large, like a hare's. Body length varies from 20 to 45 centimeters (depending on the species). Plus, a tail 12-22 centimeters long is added to this.
Outwardly, bandicoots resemble large rats, but only with an elongated cone-shaped muzzle.
The hind limbs have a pair of fused toes that form one big one, but with two claws. Animals most often use these claws as combs for their skin.
Bandicoots or bilbies are omnivores. They feed on insects and their larvae, small lizards, various roots, bulbs, seeds and mushrooms. Therefore, a fairly large area of their home area is strewn with small holes.
The breeding season for bilbies begins in March and lasts until May. But in dry areas, these time frames can change, as everything depends on rainfall and food availability. Pregnancy lasts 12-13 days. The female brings from 1 to 3 cubs, although there are 8 teats in her brood pouch.
The hair is thick and soft. The color is most often brown-gray or just gray, the belly is off-white.
Female bandicoots are characterized by the formation of a unique placenta. Therefore, the cubs of these marsupials are born relatively large and grow quickly. The female carries them in a pouch for about 2.5 months. Throughout this period they feed on mother's milk. Then the babies leave their cozy nest and stay in the nest for another 2 weeks, where the female still continues to feed them milk. After which they become quite independent.
Due to the low birth rate and the settlement of foxes and wild cats brought by humans into their habitats, the number of these animals is inexorably declining. Therefore, bandicoots are listed in the IUCN Red List and the Australian Red List (lesser rabbit bandicoot).
Interesting facts:
The Australian Mint released the fourth coin in its stunningly beautiful Australian Bush Babies series in January 2011, featuring a bilby. Previously released coins were dedicated to the baby kangaroo, sugar glider and dingo.
On the obverse of the coins there is a portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, “ELISABETH II AUSTRALIA 2010”. The reverse features a beautiful little bilby with sparkling eyes in color. Artist Elise Martinson was able to convey the innocence and tenderness of the little creature in such a way that it is impossible to tear yourself away from the coin. The reverse background reflects the features of the bilby's habitat and the features of the “friendly” Australian insects.
In Australia, a series of stamps are issued with animals living on the mainland. One of these 25c stamps features a bilby.
Scientific classification:
Kingdom: Animals
Type: Chordates
Class: Mammals
Squad: Bandicoots
Family: Rabbit bandicoots (Thylacomyidae)
Genus: Rabbit Bandicoots
View: Rabbit bandicoot (lat. Macrotis lagotis (Reid, 1837))
Macrotis leucura Thomas, 1887 (IV, 16)
Why is it listed in the Red Book?
Rare species, may not currently exist. The decline in numbers is associated with uncontrolled hunting and the introduction of foxes.
How to find out
Body length 24-27 cm. Tail length 14-22 cm. Muzzle is long, cone-shaped, hairless at the end. The ears are very long and bare. The hairline is high and silky. There are two color forms.
One, lighter, with a chestnut-gray back and sides; the proximal 3/5 of the tail have a gray stripe along the top. A darker form with a blackish-gray back and sides and a dark gray belly; the proximal 2/3 of the tail have a blackish stripe along the top. The end of the tail with a ridge of hair on the dorsal side.
Where does it live?
They were widespread in the central regions of Australia. The last discovery was made in 1967, when the skull of a lesser rabbit bandicoot was discovered in an eagle's nest in central Australia.
Lifestyle and biology
They inhabit arid places, sandy plains covered with sparse vegetation and small saltworts. They stay alone. Active at night. Burrows up to 1-2 m deep, closed from the inside, serve as shelter. Animals dig them up themselves. They eat mainly rodents, as well as seeds.
The breeding season is between March and May, but is usually regulated by rainfall and food availability. There are 1-3 cubs in a litter.
The rabbit bandicoot (lat. Macrotis lagotis) is one of the rarest marsupial mammals. It differs from other representatives of the Bandicoot order (Peramelemorphia) in its extraordinary desire for the construction of underground structures and addiction to food of animal origin.
The bandicoot digs holes so quickly that it is almost impossible to catch it even with a shovel. It will easily give a huge head start to even the most experienced and fastest digger. For this reason, its two-colored (black at the base and white at the end) tail with a bald tip has long been highly valued among the Australian Aborigines. The owner of such a treasure is considered a dexterous, cunning person and enjoys well-deserved authority in his native tribe.
Rabbit bandicoot meat is edible and was consumed by European settlers.
They hunted it not with a digging stick, but with the help of firearms, so by the end of the 19th century, the previously numerous animals became significantly smaller. Foxes and dogs brought from Europe also contributed to the extermination of rare animals. At one time in Australia, the silky fur with a bluish tint of the eared handsome man was very popular and was quite expensive. It was called Bilby rabbit fur.
Behavior
Just a hundred years ago, rabbit bandicoots were found on 70% of the Australian continent, inhabiting forests, savannas and bushes. Now small populations have survived only in desert and semi-desert areas, mainly in the western regions of Australia.
The animal is active at night and sleeps during the day in a hole dug with its own hands.
The shelter, up to 2-2.5 m deep, has one entrance hole and a spiral shape. During sleep, the bandicoot does not lie down, but sits on its hind legs, placing its muzzle between its front legs and covering its eyes with its long ears. It goes out in search of food at dusk, moving around the surrounding area in small jumps.
Most bandicoots lead a solitary lifestyle, but married couples are also often found. On one home site, one animal can dig up to 12 underground shelters, in which it rests alternately.
The rabbit bandicoot is omnivorous. It digs up food with its strong front paws. The diet consists mainly of insects and their larvae, worms and roots of various plants. The necessary moisture is obtained from food, so representatives of this species may not drink water at all for a long time.
Reproduction
Previously, these marsupials, living in more favorable conditions with seasonal changes in climatic conditions, reproduced from March to May. Now in dry areas they breed all year round.
Pregnancy lasts about 14 days. The female brings one or two babies. Newborns are very small and helpless, like all marsupial mammals. They stay in the bag for up to two weeks. Females become sexually mature at the age of 180-220 days, and males at 270-420.
Description
The body length of adult individuals ranges from 29 to 55 cm. The tail length is 20-29 cm. The weight reaches 0.6-2.5 kg. Males are much larger than females.
The fur is long and silky. The upper part of the body is colored blue-gray, and the lower part is light gray. The head is elongated, the snout is pointed and hairless. The ears are long. The front paws are armed with strong claws. The hind legs are longer than the front legs and are adapted for jumping.
The lifespan of rabbit bandicoots in natural conditions is not precisely known. In captivity, with good care, they live up to 7 years.
Long-eared marsupial badger, rabbit bandicoot, common bilby... All these names belong to the same animal, a small marsupial mammal, whose homeland is the sun-scorched plains of the Australian mainland.
The sultry deserts and semi-deserts in the center of Australia are rabbit bandicoots (lat. Macrotis lagotis) were not chosen by chance: it is here that their favorite herbs from the cereal family and acacia trees with juicy, appetizing leaves grow in abundance.
The common features of all bandicoots - an elongated muzzle and long ears, indicating excellent hearing - are also inherent in ordinary bilbies. And among the main differences are a longer tail, large round eyes and a softer, silky coat than the others. Rabbit bandicoots grow 30-55 centimeters in length, weigh from 1 to 2.5 kilograms and are quite comparable in size to ordinary rabbits.
In addition to acacia and grasses, the menu of common bilbies includes spiders, insect larvae and small mammals. These omnivores, going hunting at night, dig up food even from sun-scorched soil, using their strong forelimbs and sharp claws.
They also serve as a tool for rabbit bandicoots to dig spiral tunnels in which they hide from the heat and from predators. Rabbit bandicoots dig several such labyrinths at once, and sometimes the number of deep holes spiraling underground reaches one and a half dozen.
Unlike other marsupials, the entrance to the pouch of female rabbit bandicoots is located in the lower abdomen, which allows the baby in the pouch to not come into contact with the ground when its mother digs a hole.
The rabbit bandicoot is another representative of marsupial mammals living in sunny Australia. But, like many representatives of this infraclass of mammals, bandicoots have already become rare animals and are strictly protected by the laws of the country.
In the genus of rabbit bandicoots, there are only 2 species: the rabbit bandicoot itself (lat. Macrotis lagotis) and the small rabbit bandicoot (lat. Macrotis leucura).
Photo by Stephen Mitchell The habitat of these two species does not overlap. The former inhabits small populations in south-west Queensland and southern Western and South Australia. The second species settled in the central regions of the mainland.
These animals are found in areas with various natural landscapes, from semi-desert areas with their sparse shrub vegetation to dense tropical forests with wetlands (the latter is more relevant to New Guinea species).
Photo by Michael Barritt & Karen May Like many marsupials, they live in makeshift burrows, the length of which can reach 1.8 meters. The exit from the burrow is most often located in an inconspicuous place, for example in bushes, under a termite mound or under trampled grass. There is only one entrance and exit, so in moments of danger, bandicoots have to urgently break through a new exit. Thanks to their strong front paws with powerful claws, this is not difficult for them. Since these are nocturnal animals and also live in burrows, they see poorly. But poor eyesight is more than compensated by excellent hearing and sense of smell.
Outwardly, bandicoots resemble large rats, but only with an elongated cone-shaped muzzle. The ears are large, like a hare's. Body length varies from 20 to 45 centimeters (depending on the species). Plus, a tail 12-22 centimeters long is added to this.
The hair is thick and soft. The color is most often brown-gray or just gray, the belly is off-white.
The hind limbs have a pair of fused toes that form one big one, but with two claws. Animals most often use these claws as combs for their skin.
Bandicoots or bilbies are omnivores. They feed on insects and their larvae, small lizards, various roots, bulbs, seeds and mushrooms. Therefore, a fairly large area of their home area is strewn with small holes.
The breeding season for bilbies begins in March and lasts until May. But in dry areas, these time frames can change, as everything depends on rainfall and food availability. Pregnancy lasts 12-13 days. The female brings from 1 to 3 cubs, although there are 8 teats in her brood pouch.
Female bandicoots are characterized by the formation of a unique placenta. Therefore, the cubs of these marsupials are born relatively large and grow quickly. The female carries them in a pouch for about 2.5 months. Throughout this period they feed on mother's milk. Then the babies leave their cozy nest and stay in the nest for another 2 weeks, where the female still continues to feed them milk. After which they become quite independent.
