Southern Brown Bandicoot

Common Name: Southern Brown Bandicoot

Scientific Name: Isoodon obesulus

Native to: Australia. Found in northern Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, southern Western Australia and Tasmania.

What does it look like: The Southern Brown Bandicoot is a medium-sized marsupial with a compact body, a short nose, rounded ears, and a short tail. On average, males are 50cm long, while females are 40 cm. They have short, prickly hair that is dark grey to yellow-brown, with lighter undersides. 

Habitat and Diet: The Southern Brown Bandicoot prefers habitats with lots of ground cover and shelter, such as open forests and scrub. They are nocturnal animals – in the daytime, they sleep in a nest made from grass and other plant materials, and they emerge to feed at night. Southern Brown Bandicoots will emerge from their nest around 2 hours before sunset to forage for various insects, worms and plants. 

STEM Fun Fact: Bandicoots can actually help farmers and gardeners! Bandicoots can eat a variety of insects that may damage farm crops by eating their roots.