• Bilby

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  Bilby information and facts:

  Type: Mammal
  Diet: Omnivore
  Average lifespan: 6 years
  Size: 29-55 cm in length

• Bilbies are a rabbit size marsupial with large ears. They have great hearing, and the ears also allow the bilby to lose heat. Their fur is soft grey with a bluish tinge. A long pointed snout and a large black and white tail with a white brush tip makes this a striking looking animal Strong claws enables this marsupial to burrow quickly through sandy soil and the Bilbies pouch faces backwards.

• Bilby video.
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  Where does the Bilby live?

  A hundred years ago, Bilbies were common in many habitats throughout Australia, from the dry interior to temperate coastal regions. Changes to the Bilbies habitat have seen their numbers greatly reduced and today the species is nationally listed as vulnerable. They now occur in fragmented populations in mulga shrublands and spinifex grasslands in the Tanami Desert of the Northern Territory; in the Gibson and Great Sandy Deserts and the Pilbara and Kimberley regions of Western Australia; and the Mitchell Grasslands of southwest Queensland.
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  What does a Bilby eat?

  To help it survive in the arid conditions the Bilby inhabits, it gets most of its moisture from the food it eats. Its diet includes lots of small insects like termites, ants, beetles, witchery grubs, centipedes and grasshoppers. Various seeds, types of fungi and roots. They use their sharp claws to rake a lot of their food out of the sandy soil, and their long noses and slender tongue to eat their meals mainly when the sun is down.
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  What does a Bilby look like?

  The fur is long and silky, silvery grey in colour. The underside is white. The Bilby has a long tail that is black with a long white tip. The ears are long and pointed, covered with fine fur. Big ears like this help give the animal excellent hearing, which helps it find prey. An excellent sense of smell also helps it find food. The eyes are round, dark, and big, but the Bilby has poor eyesight. The Bilby has a long muzzle that tapers to a pointed, pink nose.

• When is a Bilby awake?

  Bilbies are nocturnal animals, which means they are active at night, when it is cooler. They are generally alone.

• Bilby images

  
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