Bandicoot
Perameles sp. (wrongly labelled as Permaleles sp.)
Where is it found?
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Scrubland, grasslands and sandhills
Diet and foraging method
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They use their well developed sense of smell to locate food. They then use strong claws and their long slender nose to dig small holes in the ground from which their food is removed.
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Key adaptations
Their marsupium faces backwards, so dirt is not kicked inside when the female is digging. Bandicoots hind feet are much longer than their front feet, with the second and third toes being fused together. This adaptation creates a strong base for the hopping animals, and also acts as a good tool for grooming themselves.
Social organisation and mating system
Solitary
Polygynous
Did you know that...?
Bandicoots have a bifurcated penis.
Taxonomy
Picture credits:
"Southern Brown Bandicoot Victoria" by Bertram Lobert - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Southern_Brown_Bandicoot_Victoria.jpg#/media/File:Southern_Brown_Bandicoot_Victoria.jpg
"Bandicoot (PSF)" by Pearson Scott Foresman - Archives of Pearson Scott Foresman, donated to the Wikimedia Foundation→This file has been extracted from another file: PSF B-70007.png.. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bandicoot_(PSF).png#/media/File:Bandicoot_(PSF).png
"Bandicoot (PSF)" by Pearson Scott Foresman - Archives of Pearson Scott Foresman, donated to the Wikimedia Foundation→This file has been extracted from another file: PSF B-70007.png.. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bandicoot_(PSF).png#/media/File:Bandicoot_(PSF).png
