SOUTHERN BROWN BANDICOOT Isoodon obesulus obesulus Photo courtesy of Alison Kuiter What is a Southern What does a Southern AT A GLANCE Brown Bandicoot? Brown Bandicoot eat? Size: The So uthern Brown Bandicoot Bandicoots eat invertebrates is a ground -dwelling marsupial Approximately the same size as and underground fungi that found on mainland Australia. a small rabbit. they dig for with their claws and long nose. They’re liste d as ‘nationally Diet: endangered’ Australia-wide and A Southern Brown regarded as ‘near threatened’ Invertebrates and underground fungi. Bandicoot’s family life: in Victoria. Southern Brown Bandicoots The Southern Brown Bandicoot Life Span: build oval shaped, mounded is about the same size as a Two to three years. nests of leaf-litter and soil rabbit with a long pointy snout, made under dense small eyes and rounded ears. Habitat: undergrowth or other shelter. It has a compact body, large Coastal or near-coastal rump and lightly furred short, During their life span, female heathland and woodland with thin, tail which is Southern Brown Bandicoots sandy soil. approximately half its body can produce two or three litters length. It has clawed feet to per year each of two or three Threats: help with digging and its fur is young. Breeding season is bristly and greyish or yellowish Foxes, cats, dogs and clearing generally from early winter to brown in colour with a white of their habitat (home). summer. Although it looks like belly. Where does a Southern they have a lot of babies, many die before making it to Bandicoots leave conical Brown Bandicoot live? adulthood due to threats from hollows in the ground when They’re found living in coastal foxes, cats and dogs as well as digging for food (invertebrates areas from Mt Lofty in SA to loss of habitat. and fungi). Their scat (poo) is Sydney in NSW. cylindrical, 25 – 50 mm long and 8 mm in diameter. SOUTHERN BROWN BANDICOOT Isoodon obesulus obesulus Where can I spot a How can I help? Southern Brown • Keep cats and dogs Bandicoot in Victoria’s under control at all parks? times In Victoria they can be found • Control foxes on your within 50km of coastal areas property from Lower Glenelg National • Create, protect or Park in the west to East improve patches of Gippsland. bushland on your property Look out for cone shaped • If you see Southern diggings and cylinder shaped Brown Bandicoots on poo 25 – 50 mm long and your land or in the area, 8mm in diameter. They make please contact your mounded, oval shaped nests of local DSE office leaf-litter and soil built under dense undergrowth or other types of shelter. Why are threatened species so important? Threatened species (like all FASCINATING FACT species) perform important ecosystem functions, eg - A YOUNG control pests and improve soil condition. This means they are BANDICOOT IS an essential component of CALLED A JOEY. ecosystem health. .