Very cute! We went out with the local Field Naturalists groups to watch the process of monitoring a local reserve, comparing some transects through recently burnt and unburnt patches. We found 3 "cute and fluffies" in the unburnt areas; swamp rat, brown bandicoot and a potoroo.
BAndicoots are a lovely little critter, digging up roots and insects
to feed on. Often people living on bush boundaries are dismayed that
their lawn is dug up...I wish they would move into my garden! Of
course cats and dogs are big problems for them. This one ( a young
female) was covered in fleas. The ear tag was added to identify and
monitor the individual if it is recaptured.
Info on the brown bandicoot:
www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=4836
Olivia Beaumont added this photo to her favorites. (19 months ago)
zosterops 27 months ago | reply
Pouch
Melanie Eliades 27 months ago | reply
Oh isn't she wonderful! I'd love to have these in my garden too! Nice you found them.
Maggi_94 27 months ago | reply
Oh, how sweet !
mgjefferies 27 months ago | reply
Charming, bet it can bite. The fleas are probably specific to the beastie.
zosterops 27 months ago | reply
Thankyou. (I was cursing that I didn't take a photo of the fleas for the field guide...I don't think we have one yet.)
jeans_Photos 27 months ago | reply
How beautiful!
mbenni2010 27 months ago | reply
Lovely shot
Andy Burton Oz 27 months ago | reply
Kristi, how good is this. We've had Long-nosed Bandicoots in the garden for five years now. Southern Browns are nearby but I think are very rare and are possibly becoming more so.
kasia-aus 27 months ago | reply
Unbelievably cute. BTW. Where are the shots of the fleas?
servitude 27 months ago | reply
Hear hear (to Katarina)! I seem to recall someone we all know putting out the challenge for the first flea shot?!!
zosterops 27 months ago | reply
Thanks all. I cringe a bit at the ear tagging. I was much happier that the potoroo was microchipped.
So jealous of your garden!
I was thinking of you only the other day, wondering when you'd be back in the land of the bugs :-)
The worst bit is that I didn't even think of taking their photo....I'm sure they would have happily handed me the bag to look at the fleas if I had thought to ask. No doubt the dog will get them one day, and they will be much bigger ones. The bandicoot fleas were tiny.
zxgirl 27 months ago | reply
Too cute!!!
aaardvaark 27 months ago | reply
Wonderful to see, though not so wonderful since it was in Tasmania. By which I mean, I was educated in my recent trip to Tassie to understand a bit better exactly what a small-mammal wasteland the mainland has become. We don't expect to see small native mammals anywhere, and we don't. I've never even seen a bandicoot.
It was only in Tasmamia that I realised how many small furry creatures there are / were other than roos. And presumably the numbers are way down in Tasmania due to cat even if foxes haven't made it(?) yet.