Bilby Trivia

Bilbies are known for their large, relatively hairless, rabbit-like ears.

Bilbies are protected under Australian law and a number of breeding and reintroduction projects are underway, as well as projects to control populations of harmful invasive species.

Five to seven years of age is a typical maximum lifespan in captivity.

Bilbies inhabit savanna and subtropical/tropical grassland habitats.

Bilbies inhabit savanna and subtropical/tropical grassland habitats.

A scientific description of the bilby was first published in 1837 by Mr. J. Reid. Reid based his description on a specimen that he erroneously stated to have come from Van Diemen’s Land (now Tasmania), where the species has not occurred in historical times.

The bilby’s scientific name is Macrotis lagotis.

Bilbies tend to live solitary lives, though some may live together in pairs, usually two females.

While native species, such as carpet pythons (Morelia spilota), monitor lizards (Varanidae), and some raptors (Accipitridae) are potential predators of bilbies, the most common and destructive predators are introduced species.

While native species, such as carpet pythons (Morelia spilota), monitor lizards (Varanidae), and some raptors (Accipitridae) are potential predators of bilbies, the most common and destructive predators are introduced species.

While native species, such as carpet pythons (Morelia spilota), monitor lizards (Varanidae), and some raptors (Accipitridae) are potential predators of bilbies, the most common and destructive predators are introduced species.

Bilbies have poor eyesight and mainly rely on hearing and olfaction for perceiving their environment.

Bilbies have poor eyesight and mainly rely on hearing and olfaction for perceiving their environment.

Unlike bandicoots, this hierarchy is not maintained by high levels of aggression. Scent markings outside of burrows seem to signal where an animal is in the dominance hierarchy.

Bilbies are replacing rabbits as the Australian symbol of Easter, as chocolate bilbies are being sold as an alternative to chocolate bunnies. Since the 1990’s, bilby conservation groups have promoted the idea of replacing the Easter Bunny with the Easter Bilby.

Bilbies have a polygynous mating system in which the most dominant male will mate with the most dominant female and additional females while lower males will mate with females equal or below them in the social hierarchy.

Bilbies are endemic to the Oceania continent.

Bilbies were historically found over 70% of continental Australia with populations throughout South Australia, Western Australia, the Northern Territory, and New South Wales. Limited populations were also found in southwestern Queensland.

Bilbies are endemic to Australia.

Bilbies display sexual dimorphism as males have a body mass that is twice that of females. At 800-2,500 grams (1.7 to 5.5 pounds), the male bilby is about the same size as a rabbit. Male bilbies in good condition have even been known to grow up to 3.7 kilograms (8.2 pounds) in captivity. The female is smaller, and weighs around 600 to 1,100 grams (1.3 to 2.4 pounds).

Female bilbies have a pouch.

Bilby females have nipples both deep inside the pouch and nipples that hang outside the pouch. Each type of nipple provides a different type of milk for the offspring living outside the pouch versus inside the pouch.

When environmental conditions are favorable, a female bilby may produce up to four litters a year.

Bilby hindlimbs are slender and similar to those of kangaroos. Rather than hopping, bilbies use their legs to gallop around the desert.

The bilby’s fur is soft, silky, and blue-grey in color with a mix of tan or fawn over the majority of the body. The belly is covered in white or cream fur.

The bilby suffers from an ongoing decline estimated to exceed 10% over the last 3 generations of 12 years that is likely to continue.

Controlled fires are actually important to bilbies because fire promotes growth and seed production of preferred food plants.

The bilby has a digitigrade form of locomotion

Bilbies are nocturnal and leave their burrows as the sun sets to forage and search for mating opportunities. They may return to their burrow periodically throughout the night to rest or if threatened by a predator.

The bilby is evaluated as Vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species because, although it still has a large extent of occurrence (EOO), it is patchily distributed and has a small area of occupancy (AOO), the population size is estimated to be fewer than 10,000 mature individuals, and it suffers from an ongoing decline estimated to exceed 10% over the last 3 generations of 12 years that is likely to continue.

After their short gestation, tiny, premature bilby offspring climb into their mother’s pouch and attach to a nipple where they remain for the majority of their time with their mother, 75 days.

Bilbies were once a favorite traditional food and source of fur for Aboriginal peoples of Australia. The rarity and protected status of bilbies means this practice has been all but abandoned.

Bilbies were once a favorite traditional food and source of fur for Aboriginal peoples of Australia. The rarity and protected status of bilbies means this practice has been all but abandoned.

The most important role played by the bilby is that of an ecosystem engineer, an organism that modifies, maintains, creates, or destroys structure within the physical environment.

Bilby tongues are long, sticky, and slender, making it easy to catch termites.

Bilby tongues are long, sticky, and slender, making it easy to catch termites.

Bilbies have an opportunistic, omnivorous diet.

Bilbies inhabit terrestrial and fossorial systems.

Bilbies inhabit terrestrial and fossorial systems.

Reintroduction programs of the bilby have begun in southern South Australia, southwestern Queensland, western New South Wales, and areas of Western Australia with some success due to the addition of predator-proof enclosures and intense monitoring of reintroduced populations.

The oldest bilby in captivity lived about 10 years.

Bilbies inhabit dry habitats.

The bilby’s closest relative, the lesser bilby (Macrotis leucura) became extinct in the 1930’s and 1960’s.

The specific epithet lagotis was chosen from its resemblance to the rabbit, the lagomorph.

Home ranges of males, females, and juveniles are likely to overlap, but not much social contact is made with the exception of mating.

Little has been recorded about bilby mating in the wild due to their decreasing numbers and semi-fossorial, nocturnal lifestyle.

Little has been recorded about bilby mating in the wild due to their decreasing numbers and semi-fossorial, nocturnal lifestyle.

Little has been recorded about bilby mating in the wild due to their decreasing numbers and semi-fossorial, nocturnal lifestyle.

The ears of bilbies are used to help regulate body temperature and by placing their enormous ears against the ground, bilbies are able to hear termites and other insects burrowing underground and can listen for predators.

The ears of bilbies are used to help regulate body temperature and by placing their enormous ears against the ground, bilbies are able to hear termites and other insects burrowing underground and can listen for predators.

The ears of bilbies are used to help regulate body temperature and by placing their enormous ears against the ground, bilbies are able to hear termites and other insects burrowing underground and can listen for predators.

Captive male bilbies seem to possess a linear social hierarchy.

Bilbies are promoted as a mascot for the Commonwealth of Australia Endangered Species Program.

Copulation seems to take place underground with the longest mating sessions recorded taking place for around 18 hours.

Home range sizes of male bilbies are usually much larger than those of females. Female home ranges are from 0.18 to 1.5 square kilometers while males have home ranges of between 1.5 to 3.16 square kilometers.

Today, bilbies are limited to 20 to 30% of their original territory and are found in Great Sandy, Tanami, and Gibson deserts in northwest Australia and the southwest tip of Queensland.

Bilbies do not drink water, but instead obtain water from their food.

Male bilbies have enlarged foreheads, longer canines, and a body mass that is twice that of females.

Male bilbies have enlarged foreheads, longer canines, and a body mass that is twice that of females.

Female bilbies are the only caregivers of young.

Each type of nipple provides a different type of milk for the offspring living outside the pouch versus inside the pouch.

The female bilby oestrus cycle lasts around 21 days. Bilbies have one of the shortest gestation periods of all mammals, only 14 days.

The bilby’s forelimbs are strong and consist of five digits.

Since bilbies have soft fur that does not protect their bodies well from termite bites, they dig tunnels leading to termite chambers and lap them up with their long, slender tongues.

Bilbies are threatened by agriculture and aquaculture and invasive and other problematic species, genes, and diseases.

Bilbies are threatened by agriculture and aquaculture and invasive and other problematic species, genes, and diseases.

The bilby’s generation length is 4 years.

Bilbies have the ability to breed throughout the year, depending on environmental conditions.

Currently, there are no recognized bilby subspecies.

The population size is estimated to be fewer than 10,000 mature individuals, at 9,000 mature individuals.

After about 3 months, the young leave the burrow and must fend for themselves with no additional parental care.

It is estimated that only 25% of offspring produced will reach adulthood while the rest will become prey for predators or succumb to the elements.

Unfortunately, the bilby’s method of feeding leads to a large consumption of soil and sand as well.

Unfortunately, the bilby’s method of feeding leads to a large consumption of soil and sand as well.

Bilbies have a diet consisting of seeds, especially those of the grasses Dactyloctenium radulans and Yakirra australiense, bulbs, larvae, termites, ants, spiders, fruit, fungi, lizards, and occasionally eggs, snails, or small mammals.

Bilbies have a diet consisting of seeds, especially those of the grasses Dactyloctenium radulans and Yakirra australiense, bulbs, larvae, termites, ants, spiders, fruit, fungi, lizards, and occasionally eggs, snails, or small mammals.

Bilbies have a diet consisting of seeds, especially those of the grasses Dactyloctenium radulans and Yakirra australiense, bulbs, larvae, termites, ants, spiders, fruit, fungi, lizards, and occasionally eggs, snails, or small mammals.

Bilbies have a diet consisting of seeds, especially those of the grasses Dactyloctenium radulans and Yakirra australiense, bulbs, larvae, termites, ants, spiders, fruit, fungi, lizards, and occasionally eggs, snails, or small mammals.

These burrows serve as protection from predators as well as from the harsh sun and other environmental conditions and provide a safe place to cache young while adults are foraging.

These burrows serve as protection from predators as well as from the harsh sun and other environmental conditions and provide a safe place to cache young while adults are foraging.

These burrows serve as protection from predators as well as from the harsh sun and other environmental conditions and provide a safe place to cache young while adults are foraging.

The bilby is also known as dalgyte in Western Australia by the Noongar people. The Wiradjuri of New South Wales also call it bilby. Other vernacular names include pinkie and rabbit-eared bandicoot.

The bilby is also known as dalgyte in Western Australia by the Noongar people. The Wiradjuri of New South Wales also call it bilby. Other vernacular names include pinkie and rabbit-eared bandicoot.

The bilby is also known as dalgyte in Western Australia by the Noongar people. The Wiradjuri of New South Wales also call it bilby. Other vernacular names include pinkie and rabbit-eared bandicoot.

Scent marks by males have little effect on females since males are rarely, if ever, aggressive towards females. Females rarely scent mark their territories.

There is no evidence of pair bonding.

Bilby pouches open to the rear so as to avoid filling with soil when the animal is burrowing.

Bilbies have their own Australian holiday, National Bilby Day, annually held on the second Sunday of September in hopes of raising funds and educating the public on bilby conservation.

Each litter typically consists of one to two offspring, though up to four offspring have been reported.

The bilby’s forelimbs are strong and consist of three clawed digits and two clawless digits.

The first part of the bilby’s tail is the same blue-grey as the body with the remainder of it being black and the final 40% being pure white with a distinct crest.

Upon the introduction of dingos (Canis lupus dingo), feral cats (Felis catus), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), and European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), the home range of the bilby was greatly reduced.

Upon the introduction of dingos (Canis lupus dingo), feral cats (Felis catus), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), and European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), the home range of the bilby was greatly reduced.

Upon the introduction of dingos (Canis lupus dingo), feral cats (Felis catus), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), and European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), the home range of the bilby was greatly reduced.

Upon the introduction of dingos (Canis lupus dingo), feral cats (Felis catus), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), and European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), the home range of the bilby was greatly reduced.

The bilby’s population is not severely fragmented.

Female bilbies reach sexual maturity at around five months old, or 560 grams, while males take around eight months, or at a weight of 800 grams, to reach maturity.

The proportion of insect to plant material that makes up a bilby’s diet depends on the habitat and the season.

The proportion of insect to plant material that makes up a bilby’s diet depends on the habitat and the season.

A single bilby typically makes several burrows within its home range, up to about a dozen, and moves between them.