Bandicoots in the Backyard

Don investigated some mysterious, funnel-shaped holes in a lawn. That night he returned to the same backyard with a torch, and discovered that bandicoots were coming in from the adjoining bushland and digging in the lawn for grubs, worms and other juicy morsels.

Bandicoots are found in most coastal areas around Australia. They are small, nocturnal marsupials about the size of rabbits. They use their strong front paws and their long noses to find food in leaf litter, among roots and in the soil. Their hind legs are kangaroo-like and very powerful, with the second and third toes fused to form a claw for grooming. They have spiky, grey-brown fur and rat-like tails.

Although bandicoots have a high breeding rate and a very short gestation period (around 12 days), two species are already extinct and four others have become endangered. It is thought that feral animals (such as foxes and cats) and habitat loss are major factors in their decline. Even more common species such as the long-nosed bandicoot (Perameles nasuta) are rapidly disappearing from their bushy suburban habitats.

What to do

If you're lucky enough to have bandicoots visiting your backyard, provide a safe environment for them. Don't buy a cat, or a breed of dog that likes to hunt (for example a fox terrier). If you already have pets, keep them inside at night. Restrict the use of pesticides in the garden, especially on the lawn. Put up with the holes in the lawn. Remember that the bandicoots are doing a great job of controlling your lawn pests, that's why they're digging the holes!

Copyright CTC Productions 2001