There are two species of bandicoot found in Tasmania:
Under Commonwealth legislation, the Victorian subspecies of the eastern barred bandicoot is considered endangered on mainland Australia and the Tasmanian subspecies is listed as vulnerable.
The two mainland subspecies of the southern brown bandicoot are listed under Commonwealth legislation as vulnerable/endangered, while the Tasmanian subspecies is considered secure.
Bandicoots have one of the shortest gestation periods of any mammal, with young being born just 12 days after mating. Due to this short gestation period, bandicoots can reproduce quite quickly in ideal conditions, however the young are particularly vulnerable, with many dying from disease or predation.
Eastern barred bandicoots do not dig burrows, but make shallow depression like nests, hidden in thick vegetation with grasses pulled over the top. At birth, the young are smaller than a jellybean, and at 9 weeks old, bandicoots leave the nest and become independent.
Bandicoots in your backyard
Have you spotted lots of small holes about your yard?
Many people go about their lives unaware of bandicoots sharing their yards, tending only to notice when these little gardeners leave finger-deep conical holes in their lawn or garden. These little holes are indicative of bandicoot presence, as these small mammal’s feast on larvae underground, particularly pasture and lawn pests including the red-headed cockchafer. Bandicoots are omnivorous and they will also eat insects, spiders, berries, roots and tubers, and even fungi.
This act of eating underground food aerates your lawn, keeping it healthy and free of lawn grubs, also preventing future problems such as defoliation of trees by beetles as they emerge from their larval stage come summer.
Discouraging holes in the lawn
If you wish to reduce the amount of diggings in the lawn, there are some effective strategies you can use:
- Eliminate Lawn Grubs: Soapy water can be tipped onto the lawn to remove some lawn grubs. However, the red-headed cockchafer feeds underground and is extremely difficult to reach with surface chemicals and sprays. Once the food source is removed, the bandicoots will likely move on.
- Install adequate fencing: Chicken wire can be placed around areas you wish to keep ‘bandicoot free’. The wire needs to be at least 500mm high and dug into the ground to a depth of 150mm.
Threats to Bandicoots
The greatest threats to bandicoots are vehicles, cat or dog attacks and land clearing/suburbanisation.
How you can help
There are a variety of things you can do to help:
- Be patient, lawn pests will often do more long-term damage to lawns than the short-term presence of bandicoot diggings.
- Create a bandicoot friendly garden. When planning, think of;
- Native food sources: lawns, leaf litter, branches and rocks harbour larvae, beetles and other insects
- Nesting spaces: native grasses and sedges such as Poa, Lomandra and Dianella are great!
- Protection: prickly shrubs and plants can provide cover and prevent predators from being able to easily access bandicoots – think plants like prickly currant bush (Coprosma quadrifida), prickly Moses (Acacia verticillata) and Hakea species!. Larger thick shrubs provide shelter from aerial predators such as owls and hawks. Native plants such as Callistemons, Leptospermum and Banksias are great for this. Not only will bandicoots love your little native haven, but these plants will bring in plenty of native birds and bugs too!
- Be mindful that fencing can prevent wildlife from getting in (and out!)
- Use non-lethal methods to manage lawn health and lawn grubs – some poisons are harmful if ingested by animals feeding on the grass or grubs.
- Prevent cats and dogs from free roaming in areas where bandicoots occur – particularly of an evening and on dusk. Don’t feed stray cats.
Injured and orphaned Bandicoots
Bandicoots are a protected species as defined in the Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulations 2021. There is a network of specialised, permitted rehabilitators available to rehabilitate and release these animals.
If you find an injured or orphaned bandicoot, please call Bonorong’s 24 hour Wildlife Rescue Service on 0447 264 625.
More information
Contact Wildlife Services
GPO Box 44,
HOBART, TAS, 7001.
Phone: 03 6165 4305
Email: Wildlife.Services@nre.tas.gov.au