Understanding and Protecting Bandicoot Habitat
The bandicoot is a unique looking creature with a long beak like
nose, small ears, small sharp teeth and an appearance of a rat.
Bandicoots are feared to be on the brink of extinction in Australia with
their population being wiped away from several grasslands. The rough
climate and lack of water in these areas have forced the bandicoots to
fade away. In an attempt to protect the species, various conservation
efforts have been taken in the recent past.
The bandicoots usually prefer an area devoid of any predator because
they love to sleep in the daytime. Bandicoots are also fond of
grasslands and woodlands where it is easy to build shallow channels in
the ground to stay away from their predators. They also find shelter
among the thorny bushes of boxthorn, the blackberry, gorse and in the
piles of wood and rock.
Bandicoots are now usually observed in the densely vegetated regions of
Australia and Tasmania and in the New Guinea and nearby island. They
live mainly in damp, healthy undergrowths, heatlands and in the
rainforest where their furrows are easily recognizable. The bandicoots
feed on spiders, insects, plant roots, invertebrates and tubers and they
scavenge for food at night, on damp and dull days.
Types of bandicoots and their habitat
There are almost 15 species of bandicoots, which are categorized in six
genres. They are the Australian long-nosed bandicoot, the spiny
bandicoot, New Guinea long-nosed bandicoots, short-nosed bandicoots, the
mouse bandicoot and the Ceram Island bandicoot.
The brown bandicoot is found in the coastal areas and on the Great
Dividing Range. The long-nosed bandicoots are spread throughout New
South Wales as well as in the coastal areas. A major population lives in
Garigal and Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park in northern Sydney. The rest
lives in the region of Nadgee Nature Reserve and Ben Boyd National Park
in the south-eastern corner of the province.
How can you protect its habitat?
You too can set up a bandicoot’s home or develop the surroundings of its
habitat. If you find them living in your garden or any nearby hedge
plant, make sure that they are covered with weeds, shrubs, and other
necessary elements, which would allow them to breed. You can even get in
touch with the Council’s Bushcare Officer for guidance.
While making their nest, you should always make it certain that the site
of their nest has plenty of grasses, twigs, logs, soil invertebrates,
leaf litters and rocks. Keep the bandicoot shelter safe from predators
like dogs, cats, owls and hawks by covering them with plants like Acacia
verticillata, Callistemon pallidus, and Pultenaea Juniperina.
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