The Bandicoot is a small marsupial and almost every area of
Australia has its species. Once abundant in the backyards of suburban homes, unfortunately like many other native mammals, many species have been declining in numbers for a variety of reasons.
The bandicoot ranges in length from about 6 to 22 in (15 to 56cm) and weighs under 2 lb (.9kg) depending on the species. Its fur is coarse and may be orange, greyish or brown in colour with soft fur underneath. In some species the fur is striped. Its head is long and narrow with a long snout, and they have sharp teeth.
The common gestation period is about 12.5 days, the shortest known for any mammal. The average litter is two to four, and is about 0.25 grams in weight. Bandicoots are born with their eyes shut. The eyes open at about 44 or 48 days after birth. They spend their first nine to ten weeks in their mother's pouch. They grow quickly and are weaned at the age of about 11 weeks.
At birth the young is about half an inch long with well developed fore-limbs. The fore-feet have three claws each which aids the climb into the pouch and the nails are shed after the little creature has settled itself there. The young attach firmly to the teats in the pouch but they can be removed. The young bandicoots remain fused to the teat for about five weeks. Hair appears when the animal is about six weeks old and a week later their bodies are covered with a fine smooth coat. At nine weeks the coat is almost like that of an adult.
There are two main types - the long-nosed and short-nosed. There are also a few rare species such as the rabbit-eared bandicoots. Bandicoots are one of the few native
mammals to have remained abundant close to the major cities of Australia. In suburban Sydney it is the long-nosed species that can be seen.