Peramelidae - Australian bandicoots
 There are 10 species in this family of marsupials. They are found
in Australia, Tasmania, and New Guinea.
They are
11-32 inches
in length.
They have small, compact bodies; pointed heads; long, hairy tails; and strong front claws. They have short front paws and longer hind paws that allow them to hop. The
second and third toes on their front paws are fused together.
Their pouch opens from the back. They are mostly nocturnal and eat insects, plants, small rodents, and lizards. Species in this family include: the
pig-footed bandicoot, the
golden bandicoot, the
northern brown bandicoot, the
southern brown bandicoot, the
bilby, the lesser
bilby, the
western barred bandicoot, the
desert bandicoot, the
eastern barred bandicoot, and the
long-nosed bandicoot. One species in the family, the pig-footed bandicoot, is probably extinct. It was last seen in the wild in the 1950s. |
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