Home › Mammalia › Thylacomyidae › Greater Bilby (Macrotis lagotis)
SPECIES PROFILE
Greater Bilby (Macrotis lagotis)
Macrotis
IUCN STATUS
Vulnerable
CONSERVATION STATUS
Vulnerable
CLASS
Mammalia
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Scattered populations in central and western Australia
DIET
Omnivorous
HABITAT
Arid deserts and grasslands
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Mammalia
ORDER
Peramelemorphia
FAMILY
Thylacomyidae
GENUS
Macrotis
📋 Description
SIZE
29-55 cm long, including tail; weighs 0.8-2.5 kg
COLORATION
Silky grey-blue fur with a white belly; long pinkish ears
ADAPTATIONS
Large ears for heat dissipation, strong forelimbs for digging
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Arid deserts and grasslands
DIET
Omnivorous
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Scattered populations in central and western Australia
REPRODUCTION
Single or twin joeys born after a 14-day gestation, stay in pouch for about 75 days
DIET DETAILS
Eats seeds, bulbs, insects, and small vertebrates
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Predation by foxes and cats, habitat loss, and competition with rabbits
💡 Interesting Facts
1
Desert Diggers: Greater bilbies excavate 3-meter spiral burrows in Francois Peron’s deserts, cooling their 2.5 kg bodies and sheltering lizards. With fewer than 10,000 left, fenced reserves protect them from foxes, preserving their role in turning 1 ton of soil yearly.
2
Easter Symbols: As Australia’s ‘Easter bilby,’ chocolate bilbies fund conservation in Charleville, their long ears dissipating heat in Yookamurra’s 40°C outback. Indigenous stories celebrate their digging, which aerates soil, supporting desert ecosystems despite rabbit competition.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Francois Peron National Park in Western Australia within Shark Bay World Heritage Area has a fenced reserve for bilby sightings
Charleville Bilby Experience in Queensland outback offers a conservation center for bilby sightings
Yookamurra Wildlife Sanctuary in South Australia Murraylands is a private sanctuary for bilby sightings
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
April-October. Cooler months make bilbies more active in deserts for burrowing.
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Join guided night tours to spot bilbies digging burrows.
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