Bilbies are marsupial omnivores; they are members of the Peramelemorphia biological order and the largest of the bandicoots. Before European colonisation of Australia there were two species. One became extinct in the 1950s, the other survives but remains endangered. This article is about mammals. ... Families: Peroryctidae Peramelidae The order Peramelemorphia includes the bandicoots and bilbies: it equates approximately to the mainstream of marsupial omnivores. ... Families and Genera Chaeropodidae Chaeropus Peramelidae Isoodon Perameles Peroryctes Echymipera Microperoryctes Rhynchomeles A bandicoot is any of about 20 species of small to medium-sized, terrestrial marsupial omnivores in the order Peramelemorphia. ... The history of Australia began when people first migrated to the Australian continent from the north, at least 40,000-45,000 years ago. ...

The term bilby is a loan word from the Yuwaalaraay Aboriginal language of northern New South Wales, meaning long-nosed rat. It is known as dalgite in Western Australia and the nickname pinkie is sometimes used South Australia^[1]. The Wiradjuri of New South Wales also call it bilby^[2]. Kamilaroi is an Australian Aboriginal people who are from the area between Tamworth and Goondiwindi, west to Narrabri and Lightning Ridge, in northern New South Wales. ... Australian Aborigines are the indigenous peoples of Australia. ... “NSW” redirects here. ... Slogan or Nickname: Wildflower State or the Golden State Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Ken Michael Premier Alan Carpenter (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 15  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2005-06)  - Product ($m)  $107,910 (4th)  - Product per capita  $53,134/person... Capital Adelaide Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Premier Mike Rann (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 11  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $59,819 (5th)  - Product per capita  $38,838/person (7th) Population (End of September 2006)  - Population  1,558,200 (5th)  - Density  1. ... The Wiradjuri (many other spellings; see below) are an Indigenous Australian group of central New South Wales. ...

Bilbies have the characteristic long bandicoot muzzle and very long ears. As compared with other bandicoots, they have a longer tail, bigger ears, and softer, silky fur. They are nocturnal omnivores that do not need to drink water, as they get all the moisture they need from their food, which includes insects and their larvae, seeds, spiders, bulbs, fruit, fungi and very small animals. Most food is found by digging or scratching in the soil, and using their very long tongues.

They are excellent burrowers and build extensive tunnel systems with their strong forelimbs and well-developed claws. A bilby typically makes a number of burrows within its home range, up to about a dozen, and moves between them, using them for shelter both from predators and the heat of the day. To prevent her pouch from getting filled with dirt while she is digging, the female Bilby's pouch faces backwards.

There have been reasonably successful moves to popularise the bilby as a native alternative to the Easter Bunny by selling chocolate Easter Bilbies (sometimes with a portion of the profits going to Bilby protection and research). Reintroduction efforts have also begun, with a successful reintroduction into the Arid Recovery Reserve in South Australia in 2000^[3], and plans underway for a reintroduction into Currawinya National Park in Queensland^[4], with a recent success with 6 bilbies released into the feral-free sanctuary in early February 2006. This article is about the holiday figure. ... For other uses, see Chocolate (disambiguation). ... Capital Adelaide Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Premier Mike Rann (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 11  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $59,819 (5th)  - Product per capita  $38,838/person (7th) Population (End of September 2006)  - Population  1,558,200 (5th)  - Density  1. ... Currawinya is a national park in Queensland (Australia), 828 km west of Brisbane. ... Slogan or Nickname: Sunshine State, Smart State Motto(s): Audax at Fidelis (Bold but Faithful) Other Australian states and territories Capital Brisbane Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Quentin Bryce Premier Anna Bligh (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 28  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2004-05)  - Product ($m)  $158,506 (3rd...

Successful reintroductions have also occurred onto Peron Peninsula in Western Australia as a part of ^[5] an initiative of the Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation as a part of Western Shield. Successful re-introductions have also occurred on other conservation lands, also including islands, and the Australian Wildlife Conservancy^[6] Scotia Sanctuary^[7] and Yookamurra^[8] Sanctuaries. There is a highly successful bilby breeding program at Kanyana Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre ^[9], near Perth, Western Australia. Slogan or Nickname: Wildflower State or the Golden State Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Ken Michael Premier Alan Carpenter (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 15  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2005-06)  - Product ($m)  $107,910 (4th)  - Product per capita  $53,134/person... The Department of Environment and Conservation is a department of the Government of Western Australia that is responsible for implementing the states conservation and environment policies. ... Western Shield, managed by the Western Australias Department of Environment and Conservation, is a nature conservation program, safeguarding Western Australias native animals and bringing them back from the brink of extinction. ... Location of Perth within Australia This article is about the metropolitan area of Perth, Western Australia. ... Slogan or Nickname: Wildflower State or the Golden State Other Australian states and territories Capital Perth Government Constitutional monarchy Governor Ken Michael Premier Alan Carpenter (ALP) Federal representation  - House seats 15  - Senate seats 12 Gross State Product (2005-06)  - Product ($m)  $107,910 (4th)  - Product per capita  $53,134/person...

The placement of the bilbies within the Peramelemorphia has changed in recent years. Vaughan (1978) and Groves and Flannery (1990) both placed this family within the Peramelidae family. Kirsch et al. (1997) found them to be distinct from the species in Peroryctidae (which is now a subfamily in Peramelidae). McKenna and Bell (1997) also placed it in Peramelidae, but as the sister of Chaeropus in the subfamily Chaeropodinae.^[10] Genera  Perameles  Isoodon  Chaeropus A bandicoot is any of about 8 species of small to medium-sized, terrestrial marsupial omnivores in the subfamily Peramelinae (the true bandicoots) of the family Peramelidae; or in a broader sense, any of about 21 species of fairly similar animals in the order Peramelemorphia. ... Genera  Peroryctes  Microperoryctes  Echymipera The rainforest bandicoots (family Peroryctidae) are small to medium sized marsupial omnivores native to New Guinea and nearby areas, including far-northern Australia, Seram, and Kiriwina. ... Binomial name Chaeropus ecaudatus Ogilby, 1838 The Pig-footed Bandicoot (Chaeropus ecaudatus) was a small, mostly herbivorous bandicoot of the arid and semi-arid plains of inland Australia. ... Binomial name Ogilby, 1838 The Pig-footed Bandicoot (Chaeropus ecaudatus) was a small, mostly herbivorous bandicoot of the arid and semi-arid plains of inland Australia. ...

Bilbies have a very short gestration period of about 12 - 14 days, one of the shortest in the whole of the mammal kingdom.

Species

• Genus Macrotis
  • Greater Bilby, M. lagotis
  • Lesser Bilby, †M. leucura

Binomial name Reid, 1837 The Greater Bilby (Macrotis lagotis) is the largest of the bandicoots. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ...

References

Dr Colin Groves is a Professor of Biological Anthropology at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia. ... is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

See also

• Australian fauna

Australia is unusual because the animal population evolved largely out of contact with the other continents. ...

External links

• ARKive - images and movies of the greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis)
• Environmental Protection Agency Queensland
• Easter Bilby
• Arid Recovery
• Currawinya National Park