The Eastern Barred Bandicoot is a small, threatened marsupial native to southeastern Australia. It has suffered a catastrophic decline due to habitat loss, introduced predators like foxes and cats, and its small population size. Conservation efforts include captive breeding programs, reintroductions to fenced areas, and ongoing fox control. The population at Hamilton Community Parklands is currently stable at 50-80 individuals after upgrades to fox-proof fencing and additional reintroductions.

1. SAC 3: OUTCOME 2: CASE STUDY
OF A THREATENED SPECIES –
EASTERN BARRED BANDICOOT
(PERAMELES GUNNII)
Indi Campbell

2. Introduction
 The Eastern Barred Bandicoot (Perameles Gunnii) is a small,
rabbit sized marsupial native to Tasmania and Victoria, South-
eastern Australia. It usually grows up to 35 centimetres long
and weighs less than one kilogram. It is a yellowish-brown
colour usually with 3-4 pale white bars on its hindquarters with
large pointed ears and a tail which grows to 11 centimetres
long.

3. Habitat
 On mainland Australia the original native habitat was primarily
native perennial tussock grasslands with scattered open
woodlands and shrub cover, particularly along waterways. In
recent years, the Eastern Barred Bandicoot has survived in
highly modified habitats such as tree plantations, farmland,
gardens and parklands.

4. Life history and ecology
 The species is short-lived and generally only survives 2-3 years
in the wild, but it can be highly fertile. Gestation lasts 12-13
days, and litters comprise of 1-5 young. Young bandicoots
remain in the pouch for approximately 55 days, becoming
independent and dispersing about three months after birth.
 Eastern Barred Bandicoots occupy partly overlapping home
ranges, with males occupying significantly larger areas than
females. Densities vary markedly within and between sites,
and between years. Recorded densities in Victoria range from
0.45 to 5.25 animals per hectare. The Eastern Barred
Bandicoot is considered to be primarily insectivorous.

5. Behaviour
 Eastern Barred Bandicoots spend their day resting in
their nests. These nests are usually no more than a
shallow slump in the ground with a dome of grass
pulled over the top.
 Usually only one Bandicoot occupies the nest,
although young may share the nest with their
mother for a week after they first leave the pouch.
 After dusk, they immediately emerge and begin
foraging for food. Bandicoots are solitary animals
and only mix with other animals when breeding.

6. Life cycle
 The Eastern Barred Bandicoot has a life span of up
to six years, but generally survives between one to
two years in the wild.
 The sub-species is generally solitary, polygamous
and nocturnal.
 The bandicoot uses a nest for daytime refuge as
well as breeding.
 The bandicoots nests are constructed at, or just
below ground level, often under a covering object.

7. Breeding
 The young are born between late May and December.
 During a single breeding season a female may produce 3-4
litters with a litter size of 1-4 young. A female Bandicoot can
potentially give birth to as many as 16 young in one year.
 After a Bandicoot has fertilised its egg it is just a short 12 days
before the young Bandicoot is born and is roughly the size of
a jellybean.
 At just nine weeks old after being in the mothers pouch
feeding on her milk, the young Bandicoot leaves the nest and
becomes independent.

8. Diet
 Eastern Barred Bandicoots are omnivores
 Eastern Barred Bandicoots mainly eat invertebrates from the
soil. They locate their food using their well developed sense of
smell. They then use their strong claws and pointed nose to
dig small tapered holes from which they extract their food.
 Root-eating grubs such as cockchafers and corbies are some
of the foods the Bandicoots enjoy eating along with also
feeding on beetles, earthworms, berries and fungi.
 Bandicoots do not need to
drink as they obtain sufficient
water from the foods they
consume.

9. Threats
Introduced predators –
 Red foxes are considered to be the primary cause of extinction of a
number of Australian mammals, including the Eastern Barred Bandicoot.
Control of predators is considered a key requirement for the successful
reintroduction of Eastern Barred Bandicoots. Foxes were present at all
five reintroduction sites where populations have now became extinct. If
fox control is continuous and intensive, Eastern Barred Bandicoot
populations can persist in the presence of foxes.
 Cats and dogs will also prey upon Eastern Barred Bandicoots,
particularly the young, but their impact on populations is less severe
than that of foxes. A study showed that of 160 adult deaths have been
attributed to the cat, and 3 to the dog.

10. Threats – continued
Habitat loss or modification –
 Over 99% of Victoria’s native grasslands and grassy
woodlands, in which the Eastern Barred Bandicoot formerly
occurred, have disappeared. Extensive habitat alteration and
destruction has occurred through the clearing of woodlands,
establishment of exotic pasture grasses, grazing by domestic
stock, altered fire regimes, addition of fertilisers, the
introduction of rabbits and drought.
Small population size –
 It is now identified as a threat that inbreeding effects and very
low heterozygosity measures have been identified within the
mainland Eastern Barred Bandicoot population.

11. Conservation status
 The Eastern Barred Bandicoot is listed as threatened under the
Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. It is considered critically
endangered in Victoria according to DSE’s Advisory List of
Threatened Vertebrate Fauna in Victoria.
 Formerly widespread throughout Western Victoria, the
population of the Bandicoots in Victoria is estimated to be as
low as 150 animals. Since European settlement, however, the
species has undergone a widespread, sustained and
catastrophic decline in range and abundance.
Reintroductions have been attempted at multiple locations
within the species former range in south-western Victoria, and
several small reintroduced populations are currently extant.
The Eastern Barred Bandicoot’s range within Victoria is
encompassed by the Victorian Volcanic Plains IBRA bioregion.

12. Captive breeding
 A captive breeding colony of mainland Eastern Barred
Bandicoots was established in pens at Woodlands Historic
Park in 1988, to be used as a source for releases into the
nature reserve. Although reproduction did occur, recruitment
was lower than expected. In 1992, Zoos Victoria assumed
responsibility for captive breeding and switched to intensively
managed facilities to breed bandicoots for re-introductions.
Bandicoots have since been bred for the recovery program
at all three Zoos Victoria properties and at other facilities
within Victoria and interstate.

13. Re-introductions
 Eastern Barred Bandicoots were first introduced into extensive
fence enclosures, resulting in the establishment of two
confined populations. As part of the management plan for
the species, one population was established in the 300
hectare reserve within Woodlands Historic Park in 1989. The
second population was established at Hamilton in a 100
hectare enclosure within the Hamilton Community Parklands
in 1990.

14. Recovery efforts
 The last confirmed sighting of an Eastern Barred Bandicoot in the wild was
in 2002 at Hamilton in south-western Victoria. Attempts have been made
to establish reintroduced populations at eight sites within the species
former range, of which three currently have extant populations.
 Hamilton Community Parklands – The Hamilton Community Parklands on
the northern perimeter of Hamilton contains an area of 100 hectares of
plains grassy woodland enclosed by a 1.8 meter high electrified predator
control fence. More than 120 bandicoots were released into the reserve
between 1991 and 2003. the population reached a maximum recorded
size of about 90 animals during 1993, but declined markedly and was
presumed extinct by 2005. the fence design was ineffective at excluding
foxes, and in 2005 was upgraded to include a floppy top. Once the
reserve was determined to fox-free in 2007, another 30 bandicoots were
released. Evidence of breeding was noted just three weeks after the
release. The population is increasing and now occupies the entire reserve.
No foxes have gained access to the reserve since the release, and fence
maintenance is regular and ongoing. The current population size is
thought to be 50-80 bandicoots.

15. References
 http://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-
bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=66641
 http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/indeX.aspX?base=4830
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_barred_bandicoot
 https://www.google.com.au/search?q=eastern+barred+bandic
oot&newwindow=1&safe=active&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&
ei=9Dt7U-abHcrukgXam4DoCA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ#imgdii=_
 http://fame.org.au/news_resources/endangered_species/easter
n-barred-bandicoot
 http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/get-involved/volunteer/eastern-
barred-bandicoots-volunteer-program
 http://bird.net.au/bird/index.php?title=Eastern_Barred_Bandicoo
t
 http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/103143/0
04__Eastern_Barred_Bandicoot_2009.pdf