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antipodi
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Fri Jun 02, 2006 10:53 pm
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 Long-Nosed Bandicoot...An Australian native
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Long-Nosed Bandicoot...An Australian native
   
An interesting mammal that finds its home in Australia is the Long-Nosed Bandicoot. (Yes, it’s related to the Greater Bilby). On this page you will learn lots of cool stuff about the Long-Nosed Bandicoot. To jump to a section, use the Quick Jump below by clicking on the heading.
Sizes
-Head and body length: 8-17 inches
-Tail length: 3 and 1 half-7 inches
-Weight: 6 and 1 half pounds, but the male weighs more than the female.
-Number of young: 1-7, but usually 2-4
Habitat and Habits
-Long-Nosed Bandicoots live in open plains, cleared grassland, wooded areas, undergrowth, and drainpipes near towns
-The male has a larger range than the female.
-They have to be ready to defend their territory with claws and teeth
-They sleep in nests made of grass and sticks
-They build their nests in a sheltered spot of the ground.
-Long-Nosed Bandicoots are prey to many animals including dingoes, snakes, and foxes.
-Rabbits are a threat. Their grazing patterns make the land unsuitable for the Bandicoots.
Food and Feeding
-The Long-Nosed Bandicoot eats mostly insects and larvae
-They use their claws to dig up prey.
-They use their noses to get prey out of crevices.
-Long-Nosed Bandicoots also eat roots, tubers, mice, and other small rodents
-After catching an animal, the Bandicoot kneads it into a pulp before it’s eaten.
Long Nosed Bandicoot and Man
-Aborigines hunt them for food.
-Farmers and gardeners kill them because they damage crops, damage gardens, and dig for insects.
-Their main extinction threat is from humans because we destroy their habitats when farming
-Law in Australia protects these animals.
-Long-Nosed Bandicoots are not as endangered as some of the other Bandicoots.
Features
-The Long-Nosed Bandicoots have a sleek, course, grayish brown coat. They lack the darker back stripes of other Bandicoot species.
- The hind legs are longer and stronger than the front legs, they also carry most of the weight. The Long-Nosed Bandicoot has sharp claws for digging.
-Their pouch opens from the rear. It protects the young from soil while the mother is digging. The young stay in her pouch for about seven weeks before they leave.
- They have a long, slender nose that tapers to a point. They use it for rooting soil, and digging in crevices for prey.
Facts
-The Long-Nosed Bandicoot looks like a cross between a small kangaroo and a shrew.
-The Long-Nosed Bandicoot gets its name from the word Bandictoa, meaning, "pig-rat."
-This bandicoot is among the few that actually make noise.
-If they are disturbed, they make a high-pitched call.
-These critters are nocturnal.
_________________
Antipodi
May one day man and Animals live together in harmony and peace
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