How to Identify a Bandicoot

By eHow Pets Editor

Instructions

Step 1:
Look for the Bandicoot in forests, rainforests, on the plains and in the desert. They build nests of grass on the ground, or hide beneath logs or in rocky crevices during the day, hiding from their natural predators which include dingoes, snakes and foxes. They feed during the night, staying close to their nests to avoid predators.
Step 2:
Begin with the Bandicoot's head. The most prominent feature is its long, tapered snout, which is used to forage for food. They are not finicky eaters; they are content to feast on anything from spiders, seeds, roots and berries to small rodents. They dig small, conical holes to stick their snouts in to eat insects and tubers. It lets out a shrill whistle when it finds food.
Step 3:
Learn to recognize the general characteristics of a Bandicoot. The short front legs, longer hind legs and numerous sharp incisors provide some identification. Its coat is bristly and exhibits in a variety of colors, such as orange, brown, ringed and gray, with a cream-colored belly. A Bandicoot varies in length from 7 inches to 2 feet and has a relatively long tail.
Step 4:
Observe the short gestation period of the Bandicoot, approximately 12 weeks. When born, the babies make their way straight into their mother's pouch and begin to nurse. After seven weeks the youngsters are ready to leave the pouch and are weaned within 10 days. A mother may mate while babies are still nursing and she may produce as many as three litters in one year.
Step 5:
Note that, given the variety of habitats in which the Bandicoot makes its home, it has different ways of obtaining much needed liquids. The species living in rain forests usually have an abundance of water, while those living in the desert must make do with the juices in their food and morning dew. They adapt to their surroundings quite well, eating and drinking wherever they find sustenance.

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