Long-nosed Bandicoot

• This ultra-fast breeding strategy offsets the heavy losses to introduced predators such as cats and foxes.
• It eats invertebrates, fungi and roots, dug out of the ground with its long snout.
• It lives in woodland, scrub and towns of eastern Australia.

Skeleton type

Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (marsupial mammal)

Habitat & environment

Woodland, scrub and towns of eastern Australia, from Queensland to Victoria

Birth weight

~0.245 grams, one of the lowest birth weights of any mammal

Size at birth

Extremely undeveloped at birth, staying attached to the umbilical cord after delivery

Sexual maturity

3-6 months, among the earliest sexual maturity of any mammal

Gestation / incubation

12-12.5 days, among the shortest gestations known in any mammal

Litter / clutch size

1 to 5 young (most commonly 2-3), with up to 4 litters per year

Lifespan in captivity

Documented record of up to 5.6 years in captivity

Sources consulted: Animal Diversity Web; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); Dimensions.com; EBSCO Research Starters; Zoopedia Wiki; Encyclopedia of Life; Animalia.bio; AnimalHub; Wikipedia (Long-nosed bandicoot)

Best time: All year round in eastern Australia, at night; it leaves very distinctive conical pits in lawns and gardens as it roots for invertebrates.