SPECIES: Isoodon auratus auratus — Golden Bandicoot (mainland)
CLASSIFICATION: Vulnerable
It's the smallest of the bandicoot species and as recent as in the 1930's, the Golden Bandicoot was found throughout much of north-west Australia. As is with other bandicoots, this one has quite a long, flat and pointy nose, useful for foraging in the dirt. Found in grasslands, the largest population still in existence is on Barrow Island, estimated at around 20,000 individuals. Clever by design, a female's pouch is rear-opening, preventing it filling with dirt if it were the other way around.
The Golden Bandicoot is now restricted to the Kimberly region in WA and a few island locations off WA and NT. Other than the threat of predation by feral cats and foxes, the Golden Bandicoot also competes with rabbits for resources.
Photo: Bruce Thomson, www.auswildlife.com