The large short-nosed bandicoot, a marsupial, is found only on the northern and eastern coasts of Australia and nearby islands, mainly Papua New Guinea. It is not, however, found far inland in Australia where the environment is extremely hot and unsuitable for most organisms.

Biogeographic Regions: australian (Native )

These bandicoots can be set apart from other marsupials by two traits. They are both polyprotodont and syndactylous (Seebeck et al. 1990). I. macrourus have typical body and tail lengths of 40cm and 15cm, respectively. On average they weigh 1200g. This rodent-like marsupial has a thick harsh coat but is not spiny. The dorsal pelage is light brown in appearance with speckled black patterns throughout. On the ventral surface it is solid white (Grzimek 1990). This bandicoot also has short, rounded ears and a short nose. One can easily mistake large short-nosed bandicoots for Isoodon obesulus, or small short-nosed bandicoots. The two species differ in both size, with I. macrourus larger, and regional locality, in that I. obesulus are found only on the southern coastline of Australia (Seebeck et al. 1990).

The male is typically 5-7cm longer and half a kilogram heavier than the female (Seebeck et al. 1990).

Range mass: 260 to 1500 g.

Average mass: 1200 g.

Average basal metabolic rate: 3.202 W.

• Terrestrial

The populations of I. macrourus live in two different habitats: one during the dry season and the other during the wet season. During the dry season, this species lives in thick vegetation consisting of tall weeds, small trees, and dense shrubs. This probably occurs because of the sparse food supply that can be found. During the wet season though, I. macrourus "come out" and roams open grasslands where a more abundant food source exists (Friend and Taylor, 1985).

Large short-nosed bandicoots make individual nests or homes on the ground consisting of simple mounds of hay and twigs that are well camouflaged and waterproof. The inside is hollow and large enough for just the single bandicoot. Some bandicoots use hollowed out tree trunks or abandoned rabbit dens for shelter. In general however, I. macrourus show a strong preference for homes in areas of low ground cover (Seebeck et al. 1990).

Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; scrub forest

I. macrourus is omnivorous. They eat insects, earthworms, berries, and grass seeds. Sometimes when food is scarce, the female bandicoot will eat her young. These marsupials forage alone during the night and have a keen sense of smell. This allows bandicoots to find food either laying in the open or burried underground. Hunting at night, however, also has its consequences. The bandicoot is prime prey for many nocturnal cats, foxes, and owls found in Australia (Grzimek 1990).

Average lifespan

Status: wild: 1.0 years.

Average lifespan

Status: wild: 3.0 years.

The large short-nosed bandicoot breeds throughout the year. An average litter consists of 2-4 young. Being marsupials, the newborns are naked and immature and thus undergo extensive development within the mother's pouch (Gemmell and Johnson, 1985). The gestation period (12.5 days) is the shortest recorded for any mammal (Seebeck et al., 1990). Bandicoots are also the only metatherian marsupials that have placentas similar to eutherian mammals. Juveniles are weaned at 60 days post partum. By this time, the marsupial young are capable of sustaining endothermy on their own (Gemmell and Johnson, 1985). I. macrourus have a lifespan of approximately two years.

Female bandicoots produce between 8-11 litters in their lifetime (Gemmell and Hendricks, 1993). Male bandicoots don't play a signifacant role in the care of juvenile I. macrourus.

Average birth mass: 0.1883 g.

Average gestation period: 12 days.

Average number of offspring: 4.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)

Sex: male: 200 days.

Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)

Sex: female: 122 days.

Over the past century, populations of I. macrourus have decreased after the European introduction of rabbits and livestock into Australia. This dramatically heightened the direct competition for food and habitat. Bandicoot populations further suffered after the introduction of the fox and cat, both predators of small animals (Grzimek 1990).

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

Large short-nosed bandicoots are a delicacy to the aboriginal populations of Australia. Also, this species can be bred with relative ease in captivity. This could allow it to serve as a "model animal" for future experimental studies (Seebeck et al. 1990).