Living With Wildlife
Bandicoot
Family: Peramelidae
Scientific names: Isoodon macrourus (Northern brown bandicoot)
Bandicoots in the Environment
Bandicoots are nocturnal animals that have excellent vision. They spend the day hidden in logs or nests, which are generally constructed of soft leaves and grasses. Bandicoots are typically solitary and highly territorial – pairs will only form to breed from August through to April. Bandicoots feed on insects and invertebrates, using their strong front paws and long pointy nose to dig and forage through the soil and litter. For this reason, they are considered to be important biological ‘regulators’ of invertebrate communities, particularly populations of spiders, worms and terrestrial beetles.
Feeding
Bandicoots are omnivorous, meaning that they will eat a wide range of food items. However, their diet will vary with the seasonal availability of different food types. In addition to invertebrates, Bandicoots also feed fruits and grasses. In urban settings, Bandicoots will occasionally feed on pet food in people’s gardens.
Threats
The Northern bandicoot is common in rural and urban fringe areas and is one of the few small mammal species in Australia that has successfully adapted to urban environments (unlike its cousin, the Golden bandicoot Isoodon auratus, which is listed as endangered in the Northern Territory). However, in urban areas, Bandicoots will often fall victim to cat and dog attacks, collisions with cars, and lawnmower strikes due to their close proximity to humans.
Interactions With People
In areas occupied by humans, Bandicoots take advantage of reliable food supplies and well irrigated habitats. Bandicoots are occasionally considered a nuisance due to their digging and foraging habits that often result in lawn and garden damage. During breeding season bandicoots can also cause noise disturbance as are result of their noise and fighting behaviour. Sadly, Bandicoots are also occasionally trapped or poisoned because they are mistaken for rats.
What You Can Do
If you have problems with Bandicoots in your area there are a number of things that you can try to reduce these problems:
- Install chook wire or fencing around affected lawn and garden areas to restrict damage.
- Ensure Bandicoots can exit your property/area; this can easily be done by leaving small gaps along your perimeter fences.
- Install sensor or flood lights in affected areas in your backyard to deter Bandicoots.
- Spread fertiliser or organic litter around affected areas, as the strong odour will deter bandicoots.
- Restrict movement of your dog and/or cat during the night.
