golden bandicoot
isoodon auratus latin

The golden bandicoot is now a threatened species.

It is believed that the Golden Bandicoot disappeared from the deserts between the 1940s and 1960s.

As with most bandicoots, the Golden Bandicoot has a rather long, flat, pointy nose.

Living in hot, semi-arid environments, the Golden Bandicoot is well adapted to keeping cool.

Being nocturnal, the Golden Bandicoot hunts at night by digging small holes in the ground to find food.

After this, there is little to no parental care, which allows the Golden Bandicoot to be such a prolific breeder.

Since then Golden Bandicoot numbers have increased five-fold.

Large birds are the primary, natural predator of the Golden Bandicoot, but many predatory species have been introduced within its range.

Changes in fire regimes have been cited as another major factor in the decline of the Golden Bandicoot.

The Golden Bandicoot will also burrow in the soil if the temperature rises in order to keep cool.

The Golden Bandicoot is another vulnerable species that is resident on the island, the last recorded sighting being in 2003.

The Golden Bandicoot is quite rat-like in appearance due to its small body, hunched-over posture, and relatively long tail.

The Golden Bandicoot is nocturnal.

Several factors have contributed to the decline of Golden Bandicoot numbers throughout the century including introduced species, exotic predators, and loss of habitat.

ARKive - images and movies of the golden bandicoot (Isoodon auratus)

The golden bandicoot (Isoodon auratus) is a short-nosed bandicoot found in northern Australia.

When feral cats were introduced to Hermite Island, the Golden Bandicoot quickly became extinct just before 1912.

It is home to the Monjon, the smallest of the Rock-wallabies, and the Golden Bandicoot - listed as a vulnerable species.

Individuals have a home range between 12-35 hectares, and the largest Golden Bandicoot population is on Barrow Island with about 20,000 individuals.

And, unlike most marsupials, the Golden Bandicoot has fused toes on its hind feet, forming a comb they use for grooming.

Measurements in the laboratory show that the Golden Bandicoot has a low body temperature that is constantly changing; in this sense it is heterothermic.

The Golden Bandicoot once lived all throughout Central Australia, but by 1992 it had been reduced to a small area in northwest Kimberly and Arnhem Land.

The European Red Fox (Vuples vuples), feral cats, and feral dogs all prey upon the Golden Bandicoot.

A low metabolic rate correlates to less heat being produced by the body, and a low thermal conductance does not allow the Golden Bandicoot to capture and store heat well.

Amongst marsupials, the Golden Bandicoot is known to have one of the highest reproductive rates, and it has one of the shortest gestation periods for mammals, only about 12 days.

ARKive - images and movies of the golden bandicoot (Isoodon auratus)

The golden bandicoot (Isoodon auratus) is a short-nosed bandicoot found in northern Australia.