One of the 2 bandicoots on WAnimals
Mammals · Peramelemorphia · Peramelidae
Southern Brown Bandicoot
Isoodon obesulus
The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary
It has one of the shortest gestations of any mammal, barely 12-15 days, followed by a long spell developing inside its mother's pouch.
Weight
400 g – 1.9 kg
Size
28 cm – 36 cm
Lifespan
3 years
Diet
Omnivore
Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.
Activity
Nocturnal
Active mainly at night.
Social structure
Solitary
Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.
Sighting difficulty
Easy
Fun facts
- ecologíaIt can dig dozens of small pits a night hunting invertebrates underground, aerating and turning the soil rather as an oversized earthworm would.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (marsupial mammal)
- Habitat & environment
- Heath, open woodland and scrub with dense ground cover in southern Australia and Tasmania
- Birth weight
- 0.35 grams
- Size at birth
- Extremely undeveloped at birth, finishing its development in the pouch over some 53 days
- Sexual maturity
- Female: 4-5 months | Male: 6-7 months
- Gestation / incubation
- 12-15 days, among the shortest gestations of any mammal
- Litter / clutch size
- 1 to 5 young per litter (most commonly 2-3), up to 4 litters per year
- Lifespan in captivity
- Documented record of 6.5 years in captivity
Sources consulted: AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); ACT Government fact sheet; Wikipedia (Southern brown bandicoot); Animalia.bio; Grokipedia; Oxford Academic (Mammalian Species monograph); Animal Diversity Web
Where to find it
See its range on the interactive mapBest time: All year in southern Australia, at night; it gives itself away by the conical holes it digs while searching for invertebrates.
Where to watch it
Parques y spots de buceo donde se ha documentado esta especie — se muestran 10 de 22 documentados.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Southern Brown Bandicoot — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Long-nosed Bandicoot
Perameles nasuta
Brown Antechinus
Antechinus stuartii
Common Brush-tailed Possum
Trichosurus vulpecula
Least ConcernBare-nosed Wombat
Vombatus ursinus
Least ConcernSugar Glider
Petaurus breviceps
Feathertail Glider
Acrobates pygmaeus
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