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The Greater Bilby, a small marsupial sometimes known as the rabbit-eared bandicoot, is critically endangered, and can only be found in isolated areas of far western Queensland and the Northern Territory, and areas of the Great Sandy Desert, Pilbara and Kimberley areas of Western Australia. In Queensland, it may be seen in a protected area near Charleville, in the west.
Bilbies live in burrows in hot, dry grasslands and semi-arid spinifex areas. The burrow entrance is often positioned against a termite mound or small shrub, and a single bilby may have up to a dozen burrows that it uses either for shelter during the day, or as a quick escape route from predators.
Amazingly adaptable for their size and the threats to them, bilbies can live in sandstone ridges, gibber plains, rocky soils with little ground cover, a variety of grasslands, and acacia scrub.
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Why are Easter Bilbies better than Easter Bunnies?
Easter bilbies have a wider-reaching purpose than Easter bunnies. The sale of Easter bilbies helps to raise awareness of the plight of this endangered native Australian marsupial. Sales also raise funds which are directed towards conservation of the bilby's habitat, and developing captive breeding programmes aimed at releasing more bilbies back into their native habitat.
Why are bilbies losing their habitat?
Bilbies are losing their habitat because of European settlement. These marsupials used to be found in two-thirds of Australia, but now have been pushed back so that they only live in deserts. This is because settlement has encroached upon their natural habitat, with grasslands being cleared for either housing or agriculture. Introduced rabbits also eat the vegetation that bilbies need, forcing them further inland into semi-arid areas.
What is killing wild bilbies?
Habitat loss is one of the main dangers to bilbies. Prior to European settlement, bilbies were across about two-thirds of Australia, but being highly vulnerable to habitat loss and competition with introduced animals, it has not survived in those areas. Natural predators of the bilby include dingoes and quolls, although due to habitat loss, quolls no longer share habitats with the bilby, which has been driven further inland. Carpet pythons and birds of prey also pose a danger. Feral dogs, foxes and cats are introduced predators of the bilby. Whilst not predators, introduced rabbits pose a threat to the bilby. Not only do they eat the bilbies' food, but their burrowing often causes the bilbies' burrows to cave in, trapping and suffocating the bilbies.
What are hurting the bilbies to make them endangered?
Foxes and cats, which have been introduced to Australia, are one of the main things hurting the bilbies. They successfully hunt bilbies, and their introduction resulted in the extinction of the Lesser bilby. Only the species known as the Greater bilby remains.Rabbits also hurt the bilbies indirectly. Their biggest competition for food has come from the introduced rabbit, Which completely decimate vast areas of native vegetation. Rabbits also burrow where the bandicoots burrow, but their burrows tend to cause the collapse of the bilbies' burrows, resulting in the bilbies being trapped, and suffocating.Man hurts the bilbies by impacting on their habitat. Bilbies used to be found throughout southern Australia, but as European settlement spread further out in search of good agricultural land, bilbies were pushed back into the desert.
Are bilbies aggressive?
No. Bilbies are not aggressive.
Do bilbies migrate?
Bilbies do not migrate.
Do bilbies have pouches?
Yes Bilbies do have pouches.
How do rabbits take over the bilby's habitat?
Rabbits take over the bilby's habitat by eating the native vegetation which forms part of the bilby's diet. Bilbies feed on tubers, among other things, and because rabbits eat almost any vegetation, they eat the part of the tuber above the ground, and this kills the plant. Rabbits also dig shallow burrows in the ground. These destabilise the soil, meaning that the burrows cave in on the bilbies' burrows below, often causing the bilbies to suffocate.
Are bunnies and bilbies marsupials?
Bilbies are marsupials. Rabbits are not.
What are baby Bilbies?
Baby bilbies are known as joeys.
Do dingoes eat bilbies?
Yes. Dingoes are predators of bilbies.
Do bilbies walk around when it is night?
Yes. Bilbies are nocturnal.
