Leah created this presentation for a Unit 3 VCE Environmental Science assessment.

1. Leah Drendel
EASTERN BARRED
BANDICOOT

2. Description
Colour
The bandicoot is a yellowish brown colour with grey on its underside,
It has also got at least 3 to 4 distinguishing lighter brown-grey bands
across its hindquarters.
Size
It is similar in size to a small rabbit.
Diet
Its diet consists of invertebrates
including crickets, beetles,
worms and earthworms, it also
eats plant materials, such as
berries tubers and bulbs. It uses
its long nose to dig into the dirt
to find food, and when food is
located it will dig recklessly.
They leave funnel shaped holes
after digging.
The Eastern Barred Bandicoot is nocturnal

3. Habitat
The bandicoot is usually found in an environment with tall native
grasslands and woodlands, but because of its habitat deconstruction
for farming land, these bandicoots have adapted to environments
that have been modified to keep out predators and have plenty of
shelter. In Victoria, the males home range varies between 13 to 20
hectares and it is around 2 to 3 for the females with some overlap
between them in some areas.
http://bird.net.au/bird/index.php?tit
le=Eastern_Barred_Bandicoot
http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?bas
e=4045

4. http://www.hobartcity.com.au/go/backyardbandicoots/images/map.gif

5. Reproduction
Breeding can occur at any time during the year but mostly occurs
during July to November. For breeding's to be successful, availability
of water, food and shelter is a priority. Each litter has an average of 2
to 3 young. Gestation lasts just 12 days, so they can have several
litters each year. Young are weaned at 55 days, the offspring then
forage with their mother for another 31 days until they become
independent. Because the bandicoots can have a certain amount of
offspring each year the population should rise dramatically. The
problem is, not many survive because of habitat deconstruction and
predators.
https://encrypted-
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6. Conservation Status
• In Victoria the conservation status of the
Eastern Barred Bandicoot is Critically
endangered under the Flora and Fauna
Guarantee Act. 1988.
• The species is not quite as threatened
throughout the whole of Australia, and
is Listed as Endangered under the
Commonwealth Environment Protection
and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
• In Tasmania the species is listed as
Vulnerable.
• The estimated population size for the
Victorian Eastern Barred bandicoot is
150 individuals
http://bird.net.au/bird/index.php?title=
Eastern_Barred_Bandicoot
http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS2fDv
9TfKQDFN8P_jRvdJA4wSCoHx6jKVdiecdaDsoK9
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7. Populations at a Low
If the populations get to an extremely low amount, not only will the
species have the risk of becoming extinct, but if the populations
were to grow a lot of inbreeding would occur and the recessive traits
will occur more often, and these recessive traits do not always have
their advantages. Demographic variation could occur as well which
means that if there is a low number of species only females could be
born in one season but no males. If this occurs no breeding will
occur, so the numbers will once again drop. Genetic swamping may
also occur if there is two separate populations, one being larger than
the other, with the larger population over-running the smaller
population and wiping out their genetics. At times when all of the
above occurs especially inbreeding the genetics are all the same and
if a disease is brought to the population by one animal it could wipe
out the whole lot because there is no variation within the genetics
and they are not immune to it.

8. Threats
The main threats to the EBB is predators, such as foxes, cats and dogs. Over
99% of the state's native grasslands and grassy woodlands where EBB’s are
most commonly found, have been destroyed. This occurs from 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.
http://bird.net.au/bird/index.php?title=Eastern_
Barred_Bandicoot
https://encrypted-
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9. Helping the environment
Most farmers find the bandicoots as pests like rabbits, because of all the holes they
dig when looking for food. But in fact the bandicoots are digging for and eating the
grass eating grubs that eat the roots of the grasses in your backyard. If the Eastern
barred Bandicoot was to become extinct, these grubs would eat at the roots of the
grass and would die as they can not get the water and air supply that they need to
survive. The Ebb helps in a way, if you want a nice green lawn. Apart from several
little holes. Not only benefitting from a green backyard but there is still a food
supply for stock. But if there were no bandicoots the stock will have no food and
become undernourished, and become no good for sale if you were looking to make
a profit.
http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/image/
141183874
http://ggs3.wikispaces.com/Eastern+barred+
Bandicoot

10. Recovery Plans
There are many plans to help save the EBB
from extinction. The Melbourne Zoo is
running a breeding program to grow the
numbers of the population and hopefully
reintroduce them into the wild. They hope to
release about 50 EBB’s every year. There are
two self-breeding reserves that are
protected by fox proof fences at Hamilton
Community Parklands and Woodlands
Historic Park. The species is also re-
introduced into the wild without any fox
proof fences at ‘Mooramong’ near Skipton,
Lake Goldsmith Wildlife Reserve near
Beaufort, Floating Islands Nature Reserve
near Colac and on a private property ‘Lanark’
at Branxholme.
The population sizes have been declining
since the 1900’s, so the recorvery plan is now
focusing on developing the more resilient
sites, Woodlands, Moomerong, Hamilton and
Mt Rothwell. All other reserves that are
proven to be ‘non productive’ will be
abandoned.
http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/get-involved/volunteer/eastern-
barred-bandicoots-volunteer-program
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=nation
al+recovery+plan+for+the+eastern+barred+b
andicoot&safe=active&source

11. Actions for Hamilton and Mooramong
Hamilton
• Contains a 100 ha fenced off fox proof
area.
• There is an estimate of 120 bandicoots
in the area, this was recorded over 5
nights instead of the usual 2, to get
more accurate results, In November
2012. The population was estimated to
have reached about 200 in 2011.
• Control Predators
• Manage kangaroo numbers to prevent
overgrazing
• Maintain predator proof barrier fence.
• Manage environmental weeds
• Involve the community in the recovery
program
• Hopefully monitor more than once a
year.
Mooramong
• Mooramong is a private property,
containing approximately 1500 ha
• Control Predators
• Monitoring population once a year.
• Make habitat improvements, and
protect it from fires
• Involve the community to promote
t.he recovery program
http://www.fieldherpforum.com/forum/viewt
opic.php?f=2&t=19215

12. Actions for Woodlands and Mt Rothwell
Woodlands Historic Park
• Monitor and Manage Predators
• Upgrade Fencing
• Reintroduce bandicoots from
captive breeding
• Monitor the condition of the
habitat
• Undertake population monitoring
• Covers an are of around 300 ha.
• 45 EBB’s were released with other
captive animals and relocated
animals.
• 3 new born unchipped bandicoots
were recorded in December 2013.
Mt Rothwell
• Build and renew predator barrier
fences.
• Manage all mammalian grazing
pressure to prevent overgrazing
• Also monitor the population and
the condition of the habitat
• The bandicoot was in
competition with increasing
rabbit populations and natural
predators. But with control
programs over the rabbits, the is
an estimated population of about
300.

13. Evaluation
With the help from the Werribee Open Range zoo, The EBB’s are able to reproduce in
the 36 breeding pods that have been designed to help the EBB’s if the conditions are
right. With the right conditions. Each female Bandicoot is able to breed up to 5 joeys
per litter, 5 times a year, although there is usually 2 to 3 joeys usually born. But if the
Melbourne zoo is breeding up to 50 EBB’s a year and say approximately half of them
are females, which will be used for breeding later on. The populations should rise. If
each female has a successful breeding and at least 3 young are born each litter 5
times. That’s 15 for each bandicoot. 15 x 25 = 375. If the breeding in captivity goes well
there could be another 375 EBB’s reintroduced into the wild again each year. If
extremes were to occur and the 25 females had 5 young per litter, 5 times a year at 25
young per female. 625 could be released each year.
In my opinion, If the breeding plans are to be successful hopefully the Eastern Barred
Bandicoot will be less endangered and further away from extinction. Not only the
breeding plans but the regularity of checking the predator proof fences and
monitoring of the species will be an incredibility because if they weren’t monitored
and checked regularly, foxes and cats could have found way in and endangering the
bandicoots, downgrading their population. I think that if the fences are checked as
regular as every 1 to 2 weeks then it would make a huge improvement, as well as the
monitoring.

14. Bibliography
http://bird.net.au/bird/index.php?title=Eastern_Barred_Bandicoot
Viewed 19th May
http://www.zoo.org.au/werribee/animals/eastern-barred-bandicoot
Viewed 19th May
http://museumvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/discoverycentre/wild/victorian-
environments/grasslands/eastern-barred-bandicoot/
Viewed 19th May
http://www.hobartcity.com.au/go/backyardbandicoots/images/map.gif
Viewed 23rd May
http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/file.aspx?id=6385
Viewed 23rd May
http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/get-involved/volunteer/eastern-barred-bandicoots-volunteer-program
Viewed 23rd May
http://www.dse.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/103143/004__Eastern_Barred_Bandicoot_20
09.pdf
Viewed 23rd May
http://vceenviroscience.edublogs.org/
Viewed 23rd May