WHEN NIGHT FALLS in Australia, New Guinea, and neighboring islands, small sharp-nosed animals scurry from their nests and shallow burrows. These frisky animals are called bandicoots. After dark, they scamper about searching for food. With the sharp claws on their front feet, the animals scratch in the soil for insects and worms. Some kinds of bandicoots also feed on young mice and plants.
Bandicoots usually hunt and live alone. Most kinds make shallow burrows or grassy nests. These homes help protect them from their enemies. They also shelter bandicoots from the heat of the desert areas where the animals often live. The rabbit-eared bandicoot digs its den deeper than other kinds-as much as 5 feet (152 cm) underground.
Bandicoots, like koalas and kangaroos, belong to the group of pouched mammals called marsupials (say mar-soo-pea-ulz). There are 19 kinds of bandicoots.
Just two weeks after mating, a female gives birth to as many as six tiny, underdeveloped young. Bandicoots spend their first two months in the safety of their mother's pouch. A bandicoot's pouch is different from a kangaroo's pouch. It opens to the rear! Inside the pouch, young bandicoots are shielded from flying dirt when their mother digs for food or shelter.
INFO
Bandicoot:
Length of head and body: 7-22 in (18-56 cm); tail, 4-10 in (10-25 cm)
Weight: about 2 lb ( 1 kg)
Habitat and Range: plains, deserts, and forests of Australia, New Guinea, and neighboring islands
Food: mostly insects, but also lizards, mice, snails, worms, and some plants
Life Span: 3 to 7 years in captivity, depending on species
Reproduction: 1 to 6 young after a pregnancy of about 2 weeks