The Long-nosed Bandicoot, Perameles nasuta, is a marsupial found in forests, woodlands and heath along Australia’s east and south coasts. Once widespread, they now only occur in isolated populations. Their home range in this species is 1-4 ha. for females and 18-40 ha. for males.

The Long-nosed Bandicoot can be distinguished from the endangered Southern-brown Bandicoot by its larger, pointed ears. Compared to the Long-nosed Potoroo it has a longer nose, is larger overall, and its tail is relatively shorter. Bandicoot’s tails are about ½ their body length, while the Potoroo’s tail is almost the same length as its body.

They are quite shy, preferring dense cover of sedges, bracken or ferns. They rest during the day in shallow nests that have been dug into the ground, lined with grass and leaves they gather with their arms. The upper surface of the nest is sometimes hidden, flattened and partly covered with soil and leaf litter. They can close the entrance once inside. Burrows, rock crevaces and hollow logs are also used as nests.

They find insects by smelling them as they hop along, sniffling and snuffling. Their acute sense of smell detects worms and grubs under the soil. Their front feet have three toes with long curving claws, which are used to dig narrow, pointed holes. Their narrow snout fits neatly into the hole to get the worm or grub at the bottom of the hole, as seen in the photo below.

The photos below were taken with infra-red motion-detecting camera, between Red Hill Rd and the Community Garden at Manna Park, NSW. A peanut-butter based bait was placed in the tea infusers, but the Bandicoot seemed to ignore these and forage for insects on the adjacent ground.

Click on any photo to download a higher resolution image (T.Hastings 16^th and 17^th August 2010).

This short video clip was taken at the same time and place as above photos, and shows the Bandicoot hopping past: