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A
Tweed Valley Wildlife Carers Factsheet |
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This factsheet contains information sourced from members
of Tweed Valley Wildlife Carers, members of other groups,
independent advice, and research.
We hope you find the information below useful, and it helps
to answer your questions on this subject. If you have any
further questions, please feel free to contact us on the
email link below left.
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LIVING
WITH BANDICOOTS |
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Southern
Brown Bandicoot Photo:
Courtesy Warringah Shire Council |
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Bandicoots
Bandicoots, (sometimes wrongly identified
as large rats) are actually small solitary nocturnal marsupials.
There are 9 species in Australia, 2 of which are now extinct,
others, such as the Bilby, and the beautiful Eastern Barred
Bandicoot (pictured below) are rare and endangered with captive
breeding programs set up for both.
The Eastern barred Bandicoot, whilst relatively
common in Tasmania, is in steep decline on the mainland. It
is estimated that there are only 200 left in the wild in Victoria.
3 species are found in NSW: The Northern
Brown Bandicoot is still common north of the Hawkesbury River,
in coastal areas, and on the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing
Range. The Long-nosed Bandicoot (the most common in the Sydney
area) is still widespread throughout NSW, particularly in
coastal areas, and either side of the Great Dividing Range.
The endangered Southern Brown Bandicoot is patchily distributed,
and seems to occur south from the Hawkesbury River to the
Victorian border, and east of the Great Dividing Range.
All species populations are increasingly
fragmented. |
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Eastern
Barred Bandicoot |
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Diet
Bandicoots are omnivorous and opportunistic
feeders. Equipped with sensitive snouts, and strong digging
claws, they forage from dusk to dawn amongst the leaf litter,
roots and earth, feeding on a wide variety of food including
insects, earthworms, insect larvae, beetles and spiders.
They also feed on plant tubers, roots, grass seeds, certain
fungi and berries.
Habitat
Bandicoots live in a wide variety of habitats,
ranging from rainforests, to wet sclerophyll forest, to
dry woodland, to heathland. Living by day (often half buried)
in a sheltered spot on the ground, nests are often located
under debris, lined with grasses and leaves, to provide
protection from the weather and predators. The nest, which
is well hidden, has no entrance, the animal burrowing in
and out of the pile to conceal the opening.
Breeding
The Northern Brown and Long-nosed Bandicoots
have the shortest gestation period of any mammal on earth,
giving birth to 2 - 4 young just 12 and a half days after
mating. Bandicoots have a backward facing pouch, and can
have up to three litters a year. The young, which like many
marsupials are very rudimentary at birth, stay in pouch
for approximately 50 days, weaning occurring at about 50
- 60 days, after which the youngsters fend for themselves.
The Gardener's Friend
Most people become aware (and then sometimes
annoyed) that these small animals have been visiting their
garden, by the distinctive little conical shaped holes they
leave in our lawns. Apart from eating things like spiders,
cockroaches, and earwigs, Bandicoots relish the black beetles,
and beetle larvae (known as curl grubs) which cause die-back
in our suburban lawns.
The little holes are left when our furry
gardeners have found, and dug out one of these grubs. The
hole is quite small. Just kick the soil back in, and in
a couple of days you won't even know it was there. A different
story to the large brown patches as these 'lawn beetle'
grubs munch their way through the grass roots - killing
it for weeks, or even months.
Bandicoots have a voracious appetite, and
will remove an amazing amount of 'pests' from your garden
completely free of charge.
Ticks
Some people mistakenly think that Bandicoots
spread Lymes disease, and are the major carrier for paralyses
ticks. The truth is that the ticks (not the Bandicoots)
are the carrier for this disease, and ticks are just as
likely to be carried by dogs, cats, foxes, and even reptiles.
Bandicoots have quite a small home range, whereas the highly
mobile animals mentioned above, are very susceptible to
picking up these parasites whilst roaming through bushland.
How can I help?
Despite their seemingly amazing breeding
rate, Bandicoots are on the decline from many threats such
as habitat loss, predation by foxes dogs and cats, and collision
with motor vehicles. These endearing little animals need
your help:
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Consider not buying a cat, or a breed
of dog that likes to hunt, like fox terriers. If you already
have pets, please keep them inside at night. Never allow
pets to roam in National Parks. Cats spread the disease
Toxoplasmosis, which is fatal to foraging Marsupials (and
not too good for pregnant women either).
- Restrict the use of pesticides in the garden, especially
on the lawn.
- If you're lucky enough to have Bandicoots visiting your
backyard, try to provide a safe environment for them.
You can live in harmony with native animals such as Bandicoots
by accommodating them in 'wildlife friendly' areas. You
could establish a separate area of your garden, away from
family and pet activities, which provides native birds
and animals with shelter and food. Plant this area with
tussocky grasses, thick groundcovers, dense bushes, and
trees native to your area. Leaf litter, fallen branches,
logs, and rocks, are all essential to wildlife. You could
then use the more formal, manicured area of your garden
for entertaining and relaxing.
- Try to put up with the holes in the lawn. Remember that
the bandicoots are doing a great job of controlling your
lawn pests, that's why they're digging the holes. Bandicoots
will do no long term damage to lawns.
- If you really feel you must deter Bandicoots from your
garden, you could fence them out with 20mm mesh, buried
150mm deep, and 500mm high, or alternatively try sprinkling
dynamic lifter/chook poo in combination with bright lights
in your garden at night.
Bandicoots are protected in NSW,
and it is illegal to trap or kill them without a license.
You can also visit our featured animal story 'A
Bandicoot's Tale'
Some of the images on this
page are very kindly supplied by Warringah Shire Council.
You can visit their interesting page on threatened species
at www.warringah.nsw.gov.au/threatened_species.htm
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To
return to the main factsheet index click here |
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