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What does the name 'bilby' mean?

Long-nosed rat. The name comes from the Yuwaalaraay Aboriginal tribe of northern New South Wales. Other Aboriginal names for the bilby are dalgyte, ninu, marrura and walpatjirri. It is also called a 'rabbit-eared bandicoot'. The bilby's scientific name is Macrotis lagotis which means 'long-eared hare-ear'. The bilby is closely related to the bandicoots as both have long snouts, similar bodies and teeth. However bandicoots have much smaller ears than the bilby.

Where in Australia are bilbies to be found?

In the desert. Australia is the only country where the bilbies live. They are found from the Tanami desert in the Northern Territory, across central Western Australia to Broome. They are also found in the western part of Queensland near Birdsville. They live among desert sand dunes and in the flat acacia shrublands.

Which species of bilby is endangered?

The greater bilby. There were only two species of bilbies - the greater bilby and the lesser bilby. The greater bilby is the only species that remains. The other species, the lesser bilby, was last sighted in 1931 and is now thought to be extinct. The bilby was once widespread throughout Australia, however destruction of its habitat, competition for food from rabbits, disease and being preyed upon by cats and foxes have made the greater bilby an endangered species. To raise public awareness of endangered Australian species, a campaign was launched in the 90s to use the bilby instead of the bunny during Easter, hence we now have the 'Easter Bilby' and chocolate bilbies!

What colour is the bilby's fur?

Bluish grey. The fur is long, soft and silky. The tummy and chest area are white in colour and the bilby has a long tail that is black with a long white tip. The large ears of the bilby are almost hairless. The long snout, which is pink and hairless at the tip, enables the bilby to have an excellent sense of smell.

How big is the bilby?

Rabbit size. Including the tail, male bilbies are up to 78 cm and females are up to 65 cm in length. The tail itself is up to 28 cm long. Males weigh about 2.5 kg and females about 1 kg.

Bilbies do not drink water.

True. Like the koalas, bilbies get all the water they need from the moisture in the food that they eat.

Bilbies are what kind of feeders?

Omnivores. Some of the things that bilbies eat include insects, lizards, spiders, fruit, seeds, bulbs and fungi.

What is the function of the bilby's large ears?

Both of these. Bilbies have poor eyesight so they reliy on their great sense of hearing and keen sense of smell to find food. A bilby uses its pointy snout to reach into rock crevices and grass to get at its food. They use their sharp claws to dig the ground and use their long tongues to lick up seeds and insects. The big and nearly hairless ears allow the bilby to lose heat thereby helping to keep it cool.

When does the bilby breed?

All year round. Female bilbies may have up to four litters of two or three each year depending on the availability of food and also how free they are of predators. The gestation period is just 12-14 days, the second shortest gestation of any known mammal in the world. Baby bilbies stay in their mother's pouch for about 11 weeks. The pouch opens backwards so as not to be filled with dirt while digging a burrow. After 11 weeks of age, the mother leaves them in the burrow to forage for food and returns at dawn to suckle them. At about six months of age, they would leave the burrow and begin a life of their own. Bilbies in the wild live for about 6 - 7 years and slightly longer in captivity.

Which of these is NOT true of the bilby?

They live in groups called an army. The bilby is a solitary creature and only comes together to mate. They only come out from their burrows at night due to their poor eyesight and also because nighttime is a lot cooler for the bilby. Bilbies are very territorial and will build a few burrows in their own areas. The burrows are long and deep and spiral downwards steeply. The steep descent makes it harder for predators to catch them. From the Australian Bilby Appreciation Society: A soft toy Bilby has been to the Top of the World! In May 1997, Tashi Tenzing - grandson of Tenzing Norgay - reached the summit of Mount Everest. The following extract is from "Tenzing and the Sherpas of Everest" written by Tashi and his wife Judy, who live in Sydney. "At 9:30pm we roused and began to pack for the summit. The most important item of all to be placed in my pack was the small Buddha my mother had given me years before to place on the summit. In all the years of Everest climbing this had never been done and it was important to me that this symbol of the deeply held beliefs of all Sherpas and Tibetans be placed atop the highest point on earth, the abode of the gods. On the very top of my pack I had attached a small, fluffy toy bilby, which is a highly endangered Australian marsupial. My son had asked me to carry it and it also symbolised my heartfelt wish to conserve the wild places and creatures of this amazing planet." Tenzing and the Sherpas of Everest, by Judy and Tashi Tenzing