Western Barred Bandicoot

This bandicoot now only remains on Bernier and Dorre Isalnds near Shark Bay in Western Australia.

It is nocturnal and shy.

They have a longer nose than the Southern brown bandicoot.

This bandicoot also has a backward facing pouch with 8 teats but only2-3 young are carried. The young leave the mother at around 70-80 days

What does it eat?

It eats invertebrates. But it also eats seeds, roots and tubers which it digs up.

It is the smallest member of the Bandicoot family weighing around 250grams.

Upper jaw was 5.4cmL x 2.4cmW

I am unsure if they have the same dental formula as the other bandicoots but if they do then they have a total of 10 incisors, 2 canines, 6 premolars and 8 molars

Lower jaw

On the lower jaw they may have a total of 6 incisors, 2 canines, 6 premolars and 8 molars.

Photographed at the Western Australian Museum

© Museum Victoria Australia 2005

Permission is granted to reproduce this image for non commercial websites.

It makes its nest from dry vegetation in a scrape beneath bushes where it sleeps during the day.

We saw this little marsupial at Barnia Mia at Dryandra Woodlands in the wheatbelt. It is a very shy skittish creature afraid of the other bandicoots and boodie. It made no attempt to fight for the food rather preferring to dart in and dart out again.

Photographed by Mary Heslen at Barnia Mia Dryandra

Western Barred Bandicoot scats

Photographed at the Western Australian Museum

Tracks

The tracks left by bandicoots only show as having three toes as the first toe and the fifth toe don't leave a track. Go to our Southern Brown Bandicoot page to see the feet and tracks made by that bandicoot.

Go here to see the Western Barred Bandicoots pouch http://www.cse.csiro.au/research/
Program2/threatenedspecies/wbb.htm

Photographed by Mary Heslen at Barnia Mia Dryandra