General Description

Upper body fur brown and grey, marked with three or four white bars; underparts and feet white. Long nose and ears. White tail. Body up to 35 cm, tail up to 11 cm.

Biology

Eastern Barred Bandicoots eat plants, small invertebrates, fungi and fruit, and are active at night. Females are pregnant for just 12 days, which allows them to produce up to five litters per year. The mainland subspecies of Eastern Barred Bandicoot is listed as extinct in the wild. Eastern Barred Bandicoot's were once common across the grassy woodlands of Victoria, but these environments were lost to housing development and agriculture. Predation by foxes and competition with rabbits are also linked to their decline. In the 1980s, a small population was found living among old car wrecks at the Hamilton tip in western Victoria. Thanks to the efforts of many dedicated conservationists and volunteers, the species now occurs at three predator free sanctuaries where the bandicoots can recover in their native grassland habitat.

Distribution

South-eastern mainland Australia and Tasmania.

Habitat

Grasslands with dense tussock grass and low shrubs.

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