Bilby Macrotis lagotis (Reid, 1837) Other Common Names Greater Bilby, Rabbit-eared Bandicoot, Rabbit Bandicoot, Pinkie. Dalgyte, a Noongar name, is one of its many indigenous names. Ninu is a widely-used western desert name.
Distribution The Bilby formerly occurred across the arid and semi-arid zones of 70% of continental Australia. The species is now restricted to 20% of its former range, and survives in parts of the Tanami Desert (Northern Territory), Pilbara and southern Kimberley (Western Australia), and an isolated population in south-west Queensland. The Bilby has been reintroduced to Dryandra Woodland, Francois Photo: Rodney Sales/DEC Peron National Park and Lorna Glen Station. Size For further information regarding the distribution of this species please refer to www.naturemap.dec.wa.gov.au Head and body length 300-550 mm in males Habitat 290-390 mm in females Bilbies were formerly known to occupy habitat ranging from Tail length Eucalyptus and Acacia woodlands in the wheat belt of Western Australia to Triodia grasslands in the desert regions. They require 200-290 mm in males sandy or loamy soil in which to burrow. Bilbies are now only found in areas where foxes do not occur or are not abundant; these include 200-278 mm in females the driest and least fertile parts of their former range. The major habitats they now occupy include sparse grasslands among clayey Weight and stony soils (in south-west Queensland), and mulga scrub and 1.0-2.5 kg in males hummock grasslands on sand plains, sandy dune systems or along drainage or salt lake systems (Western Australia, Northern Territory). 0.8-1.1 kg in females Behaviour Description The Bilby is a nocturnal marsupial. They live in burrows during the Soft silky-furred bandicoot with long and pointed muzzle, large rabbit- day, and can construct a burrow that may be up to 3m long. like ears and silky grey hair. The belly fur is cream to pure white. The Individuals do not construct nest chambers, and may use up to a tail is long with black fur on the proximal half and white fur on the dozen or more burrows within their home range. The entrance is distal half, has a prominent dorsal crest, and is naked on the extreme often against a termite mound, spinifex tussock or small shrub and is tip. The forelimbs are robust and have three clawed and two left open. Home ranges in the sandy deserts are usually temporary in unclawed toes for digging burrows and extracting food from the soil. location and may suddenly shift in response to changing availability The hind foot lacks a first toe. Bilbies are nocturnal. of food. Males, females and juveniles occupy overlapping home ranges.
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Fauna profiles Bilby
Diet Vulnerable The diet includes insects, such as termites and ants and their larvae, IUCN Red List of Threatened Species seeds, bulbs, fruit and fungi, depending on the season and habitat. Near Threatened (Version 3.1) Feeding areas are usually characterised by numerous excavations up to 10cm deep that exposes the roots and bulbs. Large amounts of soil are consumed with the food, and faeces may contain 20-90% Management sand. A national recovery plan has been prepared for the bilby. Recovery actions include: Breeding • Exotic predator control at key bilby populations Bilbies live independent of other individuals or in small groups of two • Increase population numbers by re-introduction within the former to four individuals. They can breed throughout the year, although range of the species. breeding depends on rainfall in the area. Females can commence breeding at six months of age (700 g) and, in captivity, may continue • Monitor trends in occurrence and abundance of Bilby across its to breed up to five years of age. In contrast, males have bred in range. captivity at eight months of age (800 g), although breeding seems dependent upon the rank of the male in the social hierarchy. They Other interesting facts have a backward-opening pouch, which contains eight teats, but is rarely occupied by more than two young. The oestrous cycle is • The Bilby is one of the few extant species of medium-sized approximately 21 days, and gestation lasts 14 days (range 13-16). mammals left in the arid and semi-arid part of mainland The young remain in the pouch 75-80 days following birth and are Australia. then deposited in a burrow and suckled for a further two weeks • It is the sole surviving representative of a unique lineage of before becoming independent. Under ideal conditions, Bilbies can burrowing bandicoots. Molecular data suggest that extant bilby produce four litters annually. populations across Australia are genetically very similar.
Threatening processes Selected references Major threats to the Bilby include predation from foxes and cats, Christensen, P. and Liddelow, G. (1992). Ninu Magic. Landscope competition and habitat destruction from introduced herbivores 7(4): 43. (cattle, sheep, rabbits) and pastoralism. Late last century large numbers of bilbies were hunted for their skins, whilst others were Johnson, K.A. (2008). Bilby, Macrotis lagotis. In Van Dyck, S. and R. killed by rabbit traps and poison baits. There is a possibility that Strahan (Eds.) The Mammals of Australia. Reed New Holland. diseases may also have contributed to their population contractions. Sydney.. At present Bilby distribution is positively correlated with areas of low Maxwell S., Burbidge A.A, Morris K. (1996). The 1996 Action Plan for abundance or absence of foxes, rabbits and stock. Australian Marsupials and Monotremes. Wildlife Australia, Canberra. Conservation status Pavey, C. (2006). National Recovery Plan for the Greater Bilby Macrotis lagotis. Northern Territory Department of Natural Western Australian Wildlife Conservation Act 1950 Resources, Environment and the Arts. Schedule 1 – Fauna that is rare or is likely to become extinct (Threatened ranked as Vulnerable) Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999
Last updated 8 February 2012, for further information please contact [email protected]
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