Southern Brown Bandicoot (eastern)
Isoodon obesulus obesulus
Australia's Threatened Species Category
Endangered
Listed since: 4/04/2001
IUCN's Threatened Species Category
Least Concern
Listed since: 16/05/2014
Population trend: Decreasing
Other names: Southern Brown Bandicoot (south-eastern)
Priority Species? No
The Australian government's Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032 selected over 100 priority species derive from consultation with threatened species experts and the wider community. While all species are important, focusing on a limited number of species can help target effort and resources so that outcomes can be achieved, measured and shared.
Description
The southern brown bandicoot is a medium-sized, ground-dwelling marsupial which inhabits areas of dense vegetation, including wetland fringes and heathland. The species is omnivorous and forages for food mainly by digging in the leaf litter and soil to find insects, fungi, plant root nodules and bulbs. Bandicoots construct nests under plants on the ground; they do not create their own burrow, but occasionally use the burrows of other species.
Threats
The southern brown bandicoot has experienced severe range contractions and population declines since European settlement with an estimate that the southern brown bandicoot (eastern) has experienced a 50-90 percent decline in its range.
Quollity Conservation Hub's Vulnerability Score:
41
To help compare the relative vulnerability of different species, we have developed a scoring system based on biological and ecological characteristics that influence a species' ability to survive and recover from environmental change and natural disasters.
The framework is adapted from assessment methods used by conservation experts following the Black Summer bushfires to help identify species most in need of conservation action, research, and recovery funding.
Each species is assessed using a range of factors, including its conservation status, lifespan, reproductive rate, habitat and dietary requirements, ability to disperse or recover after fire, and the number and severity of threats it faces.
In general, the higher a species' score, the greater its overall vulnerability and risk of decline or extinction.
Like all conservation assessments, this scoring system is limited by the information currently available. Many threatened species remain poorly studied and receive limited research funding, meaning some assessments rely on the best available scientific knowledge or information from closely related species. As new research becomes available, scores may be updated to reflect our improved understanding.