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Long Nosed Bandicoot
Photo: C
& D Frith
Australia's Wet Tropics
Rainforest Life
Long Nosed Bandicoot:
Perameles nasuta
- A carnivorous marsupial with a reverse pouch.
- Greyish-brown colour on the back, creamy white underside.
- Forefeet and the upper surface of the hind feet are also creamy white.
- Muzzle is long and pointed, much more so than in Short-Nosed Bandicoots.
Habitat:
- Days are spent in shallow nests which have been dug into the rainforest floor and
lined with grass and leaves they gather with its forelegs. The upper surface of the nest,
which is sometimes flattened and partly covered with soil, may be well concealed under
rainforest litter. When the nest is in use, its entrance is closed.
- Its natural habitat ranges from rainforest to wet and dry woodland and areas of
little ground cover.
- This bandicoot is well known for digging holes in suburban lawns.
Diet:
- In searching for food, the bandicoot digs holes with its forefeet; these holes
are large enough to fit its snout underground.
- Whilst digging, the Long-Nosed Bandicoot moves about sniffing the ground and a
shrill, grunt-like sound often indicates the presence of food.
- These bandicoots feed on insects and foodstuffs found underground, in rotted logs
and rainforest floor.
Social Behaviour:
- It is a solitary animal, and males and
females are rarely in contact, except for times of reproduction.
- Meetings between males and females are restricted to their mating seasons.
Viewing Opportunities:
- Will often be seen after dark at Chambers Wildlife Rainforest Lodge digging in
the rainforest floor.
- Commonly seen on Lake Eacham roadway illuminated by the car headlights.
Mating and Rearing:
- Mating occurs at night, and breeding takes place throughout the
year. Some females begin to breed at only 5 months of age. The breeding season is
throughout the year.
- Litter size is usually 2-3. The young are about 13mm long and weigh only 0.25g.
The pouch opens backwards so the journey to the nipples is rather short, but the young
stay connected to the placenta by a long umbilical cord until they have secured themselves
to nipples.
- Growth is rapid –at about 40 days the first hairs emerge, at 45-50 days the
eyes open, and weaning occurs at about 60 days after birth. When the young are about 50
days old the mother may mate and produce another litter several days after the previous
one has been weaned.
Additional
Bandicoot Information
Long Nosed Bandicoots of the Lamington National Park.
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