Australian Species SouthernThreatened brown Isoodon obesulus2007

Conservation status What does it look like? Southern brown The is a bandicoot lifestyle medium sized with a long The southern brown bandicoot is tapered snout, small ears and eyes, a omnivorous, eating both plants and large rump and short tail. Individuals can . It forages for food mainly by weigh between 400 and 1600 grams. digging in the leaf litter and soil to find Its body is mostly covered with coarse insects, fungi, plant root nodules and brown fur, with a softer creamy-white bulbs. It also eats fruit, seeds and other underbelly. Its forelegs, which are shorter plant material found above ground. than its hind legs, have curved claws The prefer to live in areas with used for digging for food. thick vegetation and construct nests under plants on the ground. It does not create Southern brown bandicoot. © K. Long Where does it live? its own burrow, but occasionally uses the Australian Government: burrows of other species. The southern brown bandicoot is the last Isoodon obesulus obesulus: Southern brown bandicoots reproduce remaining species of bandicoot naturally Endangered; Isoodon obesulus from late winter through to summer with occurring within . nauticus: Vulnerable (Environment an average of three young in each Protection and Biodiversity The southern brown bandicoot is litter. Less than half of the offspring are Conservation Act 1999) represented by five subspecies across expected to reach maturity. southern Australia and . Although predominantly nocturnal, they South Australia: Isoodon Two of its five subspecies occur in South are often also sighted during daylight obesulus obesulus: Vulnerable Australia: Isoodon obesulus nauticus, hours. (National Parks & Wildlife Act which is present on the Franklin Islands 1972) off the west coast of Eyre Peninsula, and St Francis Island; and Isoodon obesulus : Isoodon obesulus obesulus, which is now restricted to obesulus: Near Threatened the , Kangaroo (Department of Sustainability and Island and the south east. Both of Environment Threatened Species these subspecies are listed under the Advisory List 2003) Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. : Isoodon obesulus obesulus: Endangered (Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995) p r o t e c t i ng p l ac e s , p r o t e c t i ng s p e c i e s Southern brown bandicoot

Case study: Valley of the Bandicoots The Aldgate Valley Landcare Group and local land managers are establishing a wildlife corridor for the southern brown bandicoot. Known as the “Valley of the Bandicoots”, the five kilometre corridor is made up of around 25 local government reserves and private properties, connected by unsealed roads. The volunteer-based project is achieving the protection of habitat, weed removal and revegetation. The project has received funding from the Adelaide Mount Lofty Ranges Natural Resource Management Board, Australian Government Envirofund and private donations, and is part of the wider Central Hills Green Web project.

Members of the Aldgate Valley Landcare group. © J. Baker

Threats to the southern More public and private reserves including Contacts brown bandicoot roadside reserves are needed to secure habitat, and to increase connectivity across its Vicki-Jo Russell The southern brown bandicoot is most significantly range between patches. Without this, isolated SA Coordinator threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation and populations are at great risk from wildfire, Threatened Species Network degradation. Much of its remaining habitat is further clearance and inbreeding. Improving P: (08) 8223 5155 primarily in patches too small to be able to the management of threats at existing and E: [email protected] support large populations of bandicoots. future reserves is also essential. Visit: www.wwf.org.au/tsn These patches are also degraded by introduced You can find out more information weeds, grazing and trampling by stock, altered about protecting private property by fire regimes, introduced plant diseases, selective What you can do contacting your state TSN Coordinator, clearance of understory vegetation and the ● Residents and land managers who visiting www.environment.gov.au/ live close to towns and cities within construction of tracks and roads. biodiversity/incentives/covenants.html the bandicoot’s range have a unique Snakes, birds of prey and are all native opportunity to contribute to the recovery or by contacting the Department of predators, but bandicoots now also have to of the southern brown bandicoot. the Environment and Water Resources Community Information Unit, email contend with introduced predators, such as ● Practice responsible pet ownership by foxes and both feral and pet cats and dogs. de-sexing pets, keeping pets indoors or [email protected], or freecall under supervision at all times, and never 1800 803 772. Road kills caused by vehicles also increase dumping unwanted pets. the mortality rate of the species. ● Remove proclaimed and known Reference A Recovery Team has been established to environmental weeds from gardens or Visit www.environment.gov.au/ improve the conservation status of the southern properties, taking care to gradually biodiversity/threatened/ts-day/index. brown bandicoot in the Mount Lofty Ranges. remove blackberry as bandicoots use it, and replace with local native small to html How does it benefit from medium shrubs. protected areas? ● Take an active role in protecting remnant vegetation in local reserves, roadsides or Of the 13 per cent of native vegetation that on your own property. remains in the intensively developed Mount Lofty ● Join a community group that undertakes Ranges, only 22 per cent is protected in public rehabilitation work for the bandicoot in or reserves or under private landholder covenants, outside of local reserves. such as Heritage Agreements. In addition, the ● Consider protecting habitat on your vegetation is highly fragmented with 70 per cent land with a conservation covenant or of patches restricted to between one and 10 management agreement. hectares in size. Habitat in the region continues ● Report road kill or injured sightings. to be lost through legal clearance, and further ● Help the southern brown bandicoot by fragmented and isolated by land management reporting any activities you see that are This fact sheet is printed on Revive Silk — an Australian and development practices. likely to harm them or their habitat to the made, recycled coated stock made from 35% Australian recycled waste and 65% sustainable plantation fibre. In and around our towns and cities, public Department of the Environment and Water and private protected areas are of critical Resources — Compliance and Enforcement Branch. Visit www.environment.gov.au/ importance. Protected areas aim to protect and epbc/compliance/index.htm or manage habitat to safeguard the bandicoot. freecall 1800 110 395 for They provide refuge areas large enough more information. to support source populations from which bandicoots can recolonise other suitable e Australian Government a ram of th nd WWF– sed prog Austr but less secure habitat. es Network is a community-ba alia. tened Speci The Threa