How does a bilby behave?

Answer 1

The bilby is a nocturnal marsupial, living in deep spiral burrows during the day, and coming out at night to forage and feed. The average bilby has up to a dozen burrows, some of which are used for shelter, and others which are used as escape burrows if predators threaten the animal. When the bilby forages at night, it often back-fills its burrow to prevent predators from entering during its absence.

A bilby has powerful legs for digging, and it uses its long snout for locating insects and insect larvae to eat. Dozens of small holes up to 25 cm deep and scattered over a large area will be dug while the bilby searches for food.

Answer 2

1. Large ears.

The large ears have several purposes. The main reason for having large ears is for thermo regulation (to cool the bilby). Blood flows quickly into the thin tissue around the Bilby's ears, preventing them from getting too hot during the day and from losing body heat quickly at night.
These large ears give the bilby an excellent sense of hearing, which makes up for the fact that their sense of sight is not as well-developed. They can also be rotated, much as a cat's ears do, to discern direction and distances of sounds.

2. Sharp Claws
The bilby has sharp claws similar to those of the bandicoot. These claws allow for burrowing deep into the arid earth which pawed animals would have difficulty penetrating. There are five front digits on each foot, with the central three being longer than the outside ones.
Sharp claws also allow the marsupial to dig out plants for eating. Bilbies are omnivores and must forage for invertebrates such as insects, as well as digging out plant bulbs and tubers.

3. A Long Tongue
The bilby has a long tongue to help it when feeding on fungi, root bulbs and insect larvae.

4. Backwards-Facing Pouch
The female bilby has a backwards-facing pouch. This prevents dirt from getting into the pouch when the creature is digging.

5. Water Needs
The bilby does not need to drink water. It obtains enough moisture from the food it eats.

6. Long Snout
The bilby has a long snout, and an excellent sense of smell. These two adaptations help it to hunt out and catch small prey such as the small invertebrates (insects and larvae) on which it feeds, and also helps it to reach other foods such as bulbs, fruit, fungi and seeds easily.

7. Reproduction
As a marsupial, the bilby has a shorter gestation period than other mammals. Its gestation period is only around fourteen days.