Details
Macrotis lagotis
Bilby is a mammal associated with deserts and grasslands. It is omnivorous and usually solitary. Habitat change and human pressure make conservation attention important.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Its range is represented here by Australasia, where it uses deserts and grasslands. Mobile species may shift habitat use with season, breeding sites, or food availability.
Typical length 29-55 cm, weight 600 g-2.5 kg. It has a marsupial body plan, with proportions shaped by its habitat and mode of movement.
It is mostly active at night and usually solitary. Spacing, group size, and visibility can change with season, feeding conditions, and breeding activity.
It is omnivorous. Food choice and foraging style are tied to life in deserts and grasslands, so movements often follow available food resources.
As a mammal, it gives birth to live young, and the mother nurses them in cover or within the social group.
Recorded scientifically as Macrotis lagotis. Habitat change and human pressure make conservation attention important. In this guide, size, habitat, and activity pattern are useful first clues for recognition.
