Peramelemorphia

Short bandicoot ( Isoodon sp.)

• Pig- bandicoot ( Chaeropodidae ) †
• Bilby ( Thylacomyidae )
• Actual bandicoot ( Peramelidae )

The bandicoot or bag badgers ( Peramelemorphia ) are an order of marsupials with three families and 22 species, of which three species are considered extinct. After her English name ( bandicoots ), these animals are also sometimes referred to as Bandikuts. The term comes from the south Indian Telugu language and means " pig rat ", it was originally for a rodent genus that Bandikutratten ( Bandicota ) used.

Description

Bandicoots are small to medium-sized, ground-dwelling animals. They owe their name to their long, pointed snout. The hind legs are longer than the front legs, which leads to a hoppel ends of locomotion. Claws on the front legs are used for digging for food. Common to all bandicoots is the ground-dwelling life; Differences are found, however, in the colonization of habitats, ranging from sandy desert areas up to the moist rain forest.

Distribution and habitat

Bandicoots are found in Australia, New Guinea and some islands of eastern Indonesia. They inhabit a variety of habitats, from desert areas to tropical rain forests.

Way of life

Bandicoots are - except in the mating season - strict loners who conspecifics react hostile. Many species exhibit territorial behavior, their territory is marked with scent markings. In addition to the sense of smell, sense of hearing is an important role. Bandicoots are mostly nocturnal, they spend the day in self-dug caves, hollows or grass nests, which are often protected in shallow depressions or behind bushes. Also, hollow logs or abandoned Kaninchenbaue they assume occasionally. Bandicoot, who are surprised in their nest from an enemy, break out completely unpredictable and undirected. With this behavior, they succeed in most cases, to confuse their opponent and escape.

Food

Bandicoots are omnivorous, their diet ranges from insects, small vertebrates (mice, lizards and others ) to plant material such as fruits or seeds. Your food will track it with the long snout on the earth's surface or in self-dug holes. The spitzhöckrige bite the bandicoot, consisting of 46 to 48 teeth, were more similar to the Dasyuridae.

Reproduction

Generally bandicoots have a short gestation period, it often is only two weeks. In contrast to other marsupials a primitive placenta is present with them. The bags are well developed and open rearward. Newborns often have claws to reach the mother's pouch, they fall off then. Bandicoots have six to ten teats, but there are usually only two to five young born. This results from the fact that often come immediately after weaning new pups, for these are the teats with which the older pups were weaned, so large that they hang on the other teats.

Threat

The bandicoots are stronger than other Australian marsupial groups threatened by the arrival of Europeans in their inventory. The threat from introduced predators such as foxes and cats that competition from sheep and rabbits and the loss of habitat through colonization have led to at least three of the 22 species are already extinct. In some other species, the data are so meager that they are probably gone as well.

System

Today, the order of the bandicoot is divided into three families:

• The Pig- nose Beutler ( Chaeropodidae ) comprise only an extinct Article
• The bilby ( Thylacomyidae ) consist of two types, including an extinct Article
• The authentics bandicoot ( Peramelidae ) summarize the remaining 19 species, together with an extinct species. They are divided into two subfamilies: The Australian bandicoots ( Peramelinae ) live in rather dry habitats and have a flattened skull on. They include two genera, the short bandicoot ( Isoodon ) with 3 species and the long bandicoot ( Perameles ) with 4 species, of which one species is considered extinct.
• The Guinea - bandicoot ( Peroryctinae ) mainly live in rain forests and have a cylindrical head. This group includes twelve species in four genera.

A cladogram of the bandicoot looks like this:

Bilby ( macrotis)

Guinea - bandicoot ( Peroryctinae )

Long bandicoot ( Perameles )

Short bandicoot ( Isoodon )

Pig- bandicoot ( Chaeropus )

Media

A bandicoot named Crash Bandicoot is a hero eponymous video game series, which is mainly released for the Sony PlayStation, but also for other systems. Crash Bandicoot was some time as the unofficial mascot for the PlayStation.