Bilbies:

Desert dwelling marsupials

It is only in Australia one would find unique animals such as mammals that lay eggs (platypuses) and swans that are black feathered. There are many more strange or wierd looking creatures Down Under, but the animal we feature today may be rather strange in appearance yet it's considered to be cute too in its own special way.

If anyone of you isn't familiar with this little creature, let us introduce you to it.

The bilby (Marcotis lagotis) which is virtually an Australian icon today is a desert dwelling marsupial which is an endangered species. It is a member of the order Peramelemorphia and a close relative of the bandicoot.

Before Australia was colonized, two species had existed, but with time, one species known as the Lesser bilby had become extinct in the 1950s. The Greater bilby is the species presently in existence and major efforts are under way to protect it also from becoming extinct.

The word bilby in Aboriginal language means rabbit-eared bandicoot or long-nosed rat. It has been nicknamed 'pinkie' in South Australia and dalgite in western Australia.

The Greater bilby too is categorised as the western bilby (Marcotis la'gotis lagotis) and the eastern bilby (Marcotis' lagotis sagitta). Obviously these names have come about as a result of its appearance. Let's check out what its 'strange looks are.

The bilby has a characteristic long bandicoot muzzle (or nose) and long, rabbit-like ears which are between 29and35 cm in length. These huge, almost hairless ears aid the bilby to keep cool and also increase its level of hearing.

The bandicoot-like muzzle or snout is pink and hairless at the tip. The tail, which is longer than that of a bandicoot (about 29 cm) is black with a white crest at the end, and a naked spur-like tip. Its soft, silky fur is bluish-grey in colour with fawn thrown in. The little creature is 55cm in length (excluding tail) and weighs about 2.5 kg. Females however are almost half this size.

Even though bilbies have good hearing, their eyesight is poor. But they have strong forelimbs and well-developed claws. And guess what? This makes them excellent burrowers.

Bilbies are known to build extensive tunnel systems. Typically, a bilby would build about a dozen burrows within its home range. Then, when it wants to beat the heat or play 'hide and seek' with predators, it would move between these tunnels.

It goes into the burrow an hour before dawn and emerges only about an hour after dusk. It is believed to be a strictly nocturnal (night time) animal.

We mentioned earlier that the bilby is a marsupial. Now some of you may be aware that marsupials have pouches in which their offspring grow. For instance, the kangaroo is a marsupial and it has a pouch in which the baby kangaroo grows and also jumps into as and when it wants, even when it is quite grown up.

So, the mama bilby also has a pouch, but there is a small difference. Since the small sized bilbies are burrowers, the possibility of dirt getting into this pouch is strong. Therefore the pouches of bilbies are formed facing backward, not forward like those of kangaroos.

By the way, there is another interesting fact when it comes to bilbies and reproduction. According to researchers, the bilbies have the shortest gestation (time of pregnancy) among mammals. It amounts to 12-14 days the most. And even though the females have the capacity to nurse up to eight young in one go, they normally litter only two baby bilbies at a time.

The tiny bilby babies live in the pouch for 70-80 days. Then they are released into the burrow for mother dear to nurse. They continue to suckle mother's milk for another two weeks while in the burrow. These little ones are able to take care of themselves only when they are about six months old. Then they start eating solid food.

Now, if you are wondering what the bilbies eat to grow and survive, here's the menu.

As bilbies are omnivorous they eat insects, their larvae, seeds, bulbs, fruits, fungi and very small animals. Most of their food is found by digging or scratching the soil.

And their long tongues come in handy to get at their food. Well, now we know what they eat, but hey, what about water? Don't they get thirsty, especially since they live in arid (desert) country? Of course, all creatures need water to survive, but bilbies generally get their requirements of water from the food they eat.

This solitary species of animal once inhabited about 70 per cent of Australia, but sadly its numbers have reduced greatly today. And guess who its number one enemy is - not humans in this instance, but the cute and harmless furry creature we all love generally, the rabbit. To be more specific, the European wild rabbit.

With a national recovery plan in action to save the endangered bilby, it is not surprising that Easter bunny is not as popular among some Australians as it used to be.

The bilbies enemy who dominate the Easter festivities is now being replaced; Easter bilby's are taking over, slowly but surely. Who knows, the rabbit might just have to hop, hop away for good, at least in Australia. Even if the bilby cannot conquer the world, it may certainly conquer Australia, going by the mileage the bilby campaigns have gained so far.