Bandicoot
Perameles nasuta
Appearance
- Long, pointed nose.
- Pointed ears.
- Short thin tail.
- Humped back.
- Grey-brown fur although lighter on the belly area.
- Head and body length 12-16".
- The bandicoot has a pouch that opens from the back.
Lifecycle
- Bandicoots have an exceptionally high breeding rate for an animal of their size and a very short gestation period of just 12 days.
- The mother gives birth to up to 6 babies which crawl into the pouch until weaned at around 9 months.
Habits
- They live in areas densely populated with plants.
- They are usually nocturnal and terrestrial, hiding in hollows of logs or nests during the day. They build nests from plant matter such as twigs and leaves, often under an existing bush.
- They can cause damage to habitats - gardens as well as agricultural land eg rice fields.
- Eating habits - insects, worms and plants.