More than 20 species of small, mostly nocturnal marsupials from Australia and New Guinea, with long pointed snouts, large ears and strong hind legs. They forage at night for insects and grubs, and the northern brown bandicoot even survives in towns.
Quick answers
What is it?Mammal
Carnivore?Omnivore
Dangerous?No
Domesticated?No
Awake when?Night
Largely nocturnal, foraging alone at night by smell.
Hibernates?No
Kept as a pet?No
Do people eat it?No
At a glance
Found inAustralia, New Guinea
HabitatForest, Grassland, Scrub, Towns
ColoursBrown, Grey
SizeSmall
Length28–79 cm
Weight0.18–1.6 kg
Legs4
Covered inFur
Lives alone
Lives for2–4 years
In the wild
- Where it lives
- Australia and New Guinea, plus nearby islands such as the Bismarck Archipelago, Seram and Halmahera.
- What it eats
- Insects and grubs, earthworms, spiders, fungi, roots, berries and seeds.
Did you know
Has the shortest pregnancy of any mammal, around 12 days.
Young spend another 50 to 54 days in the pouch after birth.
The name comes from a Telugu word meaning "pig-rat", first used for an unrelated Indian rat.
Often confused with
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