Northern Brown Bandicoot
Isoodon macrourus
They have one of the shortest gestation periods of any mammal on Earth, with pregnancies lasting only 12.5 days.
- Scientific name
- Isoodon macrourus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Mammalia › Peramelemorphia › Peramelidae › Isoodon
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Wet and dry sclerophyll forests, open woodlands, tall grasslands, and suburban gardens with dense undergrowth.
- Diet
- Omnivorous; primarily feeds on ground-dwelling insects, earthworms, fungi, plant roots, seeds, and fallen fruit.
- Range
- Northern Australia, Eastern Australia, Papua New Guinea
- Size
- 30-47 cm body length, weighing between 0.5 and 3.1 kg
- Lifespan
- 2 to 3 years in the wild
- Active
- nocturnal
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation, predation by feral cats, red foxes, and domestic dogs, as well as vehicle collisions in suburban areas.
- Safe to approach?
- Harmless but defensive if cornered. Maintain a respectful distance of 2-3 meters and do not attempt to corner, handle, or feed them. If bitten or scratched, wash the wound thoroughly with warm soapy water and seek medical advice to prevent infection from soil-borne bacteria.
The northern brown bandicoot ( Isoodon macrourus ), a marsupial species, is a bandicoot found only on the northern and eastern coasts of Australia and nearby islands, mainly Papua New Guinea. It is not, however, found far inland.
Photo: James K. Douch, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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