| TAXONOMIC CLASSIFICATION | |
| Family | Peramelidae |
| SubFamily | Thalacomyinae |
| Genus | Macrotis large eared |
| Species | lagotis |
| General | |
| Common Names | Greater Bilby Rabbit-eared Bandicoot, Rabbit Bandicoot, Pinkie, Ninu, Walpajirri, Dalgyte |
| Nearest Relatives | bandicoots |
| Size | similar to a rabbit; male 2.5 kg; female about half the male |
| Features | long rabbit-like ears; long nose, tail, and legs; |
| Habitat | mulga shrublands, spinifex grassland, mitchell grassland |
| Distribution | south-western Queensland, Northern Territory, north Western Australia – restricted |
| Status | vulnerable to extinction; some captive breeding programs; plans to reestablish a colony in national parkland near Charleville, Qld. |
| Food | insects and their larvae, seeds, bulbs, fruit, fungi |
| Lifestyle | feed at night; rest in burrows during the day; live singly or in pairs |
| Reproduction | |
| Frequency | 1 or 2 young in each litter; may be 4 litters in a year in favourable conditions |
| Sexual Maturity | 6 months |
References
- Encyclopedia of Australian Wildlife, Readers Digest Australia Pty Ltd, 1997. Readers Digest (Australia) Pty Ltd, Surrey Hills.
- Complete Book Of Australian Mammals, R Strahan (ed), 1983. Angus & Robertson Publishers, London.