Bilby - Amazing Facts

The bilby 'also known as the rabbit-eared bandicoot', is a rabbit-like marsupial. It lives in deserts, dry forests, dry grasslands, and dry shrubby areas in Australia. The bilby's pouch faces backwards. These big-eared, burrowing mammals are at risk of extinction.

The bilby, like all bandicoots, could be a nocturnal animal 'most active at night'. Digging with its sturdy, clawed feet, this solitary mammal excavates long, advanced burrows. Its underground dens are up to 1.5 m long.

The bilby is 38 cm long with 20 cm tail. Its sense of hearing and smell are glorious however its vision is poor.

The bilby is an omnivore 'eating plants and animals'. It eats insects 'like termites', lizards, mice, worms, snails, fruit, seeds, and a few plants. The bilby wants little or no water; it gets the water it wants from its food. It obtains food principally at dawn and at dusk.

The bilby is hunted by foxes and feral cats 'cats that have reverted to the wild'. The bilby retreats into its burrow for cover.