The Bilby (or Badger with a pouch), Peramelidae, is another unusual mammal from Australia.
The Bilby or Bandicoot is a curious little animal, some as small as a chipmunk and others as big as a rabbit. All have long, narrow feet with long claws,
and usually a long, pointed face; most possess a rather short tail. Their hind legs are enlarged so that they can hop around like kangaroos; their forefeet and claws are suited for digging in the ground in search for larvae and insects.
The Bilby or Bandicoot (pictured) is a fighter with techniques of combat all their own. Two bandicoots will not battle face to face; they prefer to chase one another around. The assault is made by jumping and simultaneously striking with the powerful hind feet. A well-placed blow cuts out a batch of hair and skin from the victim's back.
In killing its prey the technique is similar. Having hunted down a worm or a mouse, the bandicoot kneads it to a pulp on the ground with rapid strokes of its forefeet and then eats it. Its food, for the most part, consists of insects, but it will also eat roots, fruits and vegetables.
The bandicoots are well known and
widely spread over Australia, Tasmania, and Papua New Guinea. The Rabbit Bandicoot (pictured), or Bilby, is the oddest looking, with its large, leathery, rabbit-like ears and long, pointed snout. The Spiny Bandicoot has sharp spines mixed with its fur. And the Pig-footed Bandicoot, now an extremely rare species, gets its name from its hooflike claws. Some species have ornate stripes on the lower back.
The Common Bandicoot, Perameles, is a slender, grey-brown animal with fairly large pointed ears and a sharp, pointed face. It is about 20 inches long, tail and all.
By day this little marsupial seeks shelter in hollow logs or crevices in the rocks; sometimes it will construct a rough nest. At night it becomes extremely active, hunting for insects and digging worms out of the ground with its long, sharp claws. When alarmed, it will spring high in the air.
May and June are breeding time for the common bandicoot. The female produces two young, which she carries about in her well-formed pouch. She is a little smaller than the male, but is colored like him.
There are a number of species of common bandicoots native to Australia and Tasmania. The little plush toy Bilby shown above is made by Wild Republic. Find it at our sponsor's online gift shop: www.jeanniescottage.com.
