Isoodon macrourus (Gould, 1842)

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2015, Peramelidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 362-398 : 390-391

3.

Northern Brown Bandicoot

Isoodon macrourus

French: Bandicoot a longue queue / German: GroRer Kurznasenbeutler / Spanish: Bandicut de hocico corto septentrional

Other common names: Brindled Bandicoot, Giant Brindled Bandicoot, Large Northern Bandicoot, Northern Shortnosed Bandicoot, Short-nosed Bandicoot

Taxonomy. Perameles macroura Gould, 1842 ,

“ Port Essington ,” Northern Territory, Australia.

Three subspecies are recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

I.m.macrourusGould,1842—NNorthernTerritoryandNWesternAustralia,includingmanylargeislandsnearNcoast(e.g.GrooteEylandt,TiwiIs).

I.m.moresbyensisRamsay,1877—NewGuinea.

I. m. torosus Ramsay, 1877 — N Queensland (Cape York) S, including Fraser I, Moreton I, North Stradbroke I and South Stradbroke, to Hawkesbury River, in CE New South Wales.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 30-47 cm, tail 8-21.5 cm; weight 0.5-3.1 kg. Adult males 80-90% heavier than females. Largest member of genus. Dorsal fur is light to dark brown, interspersed with black spiny bristle hairs that give animals a sleek but grizzled appearance. Ventral fur is light gray or off-white and less spiky than dorsal pelage. Tail is covered with short, dark hair, ears are naked and held erect; both tail and ears of males may be scarred from fighting.

Habitat. Occurs in grassland, woodland, open forest and on occasion rainforest in both Australia and New Guinea, and successfully exploits gardens and other disturbed habitats if sufficient ground coveris available to allow access. Prefers ground cover comprising dense shrubs or tall grass in southern parts ofits range, but readily uses areas with sparse ground in monsoon tropical regions in northern Australia and New Guinea. In drier parts of range in Australia, this species persists in marshy areas with heavy ground cover, and penetrates west in Queensland to about the 625mm rainfall isohyet by moving along densely vegetated riparian corridors. Nest usually a simple scrape under a dome of sticks, leaf litter, and other debris, with two or more openings; individuals may also use logs, grass tussocks, or crevices in rocks for shelter.

Food and Feeding. Omnivorous, and eats wide variety of invertebrates, small vertebrates such as lizards and birds, and their eggs, also fruits, seeds, plant roots, storage organs, and green plant material, as well as underground fungi. Like other members of the genus, this bandicoot forages on ground surface but also uses its powerful forelimbsto dig for food, leaving behind characteristically conical holes that may descend to depth of 30 cm. The diet varies with locality and season, suggesting that animals track and eat different prey types according to their availability.

Breeding. Females achieve sexual maturity at 3-5 months and males by six months. Breeding can occur year-round, but in southern parts of range there is usually a hiatus in reproductive activity over winter between April and July and in northern regions during dry season between May and July. Gestation is 12-5 days, and young leave the pouch at 50 days and are weaned at 60 days or less. Litter size 1-7, but more usually 3—4, with larger litters borne by females in southern areas compared with those in northern Australia or New Guinea. Relatively large litter size, rapid growth, and rapid development of this species mean thatit is one of the most fecund of the peramelids. In Darwin area of Northern Territory, one study described females as producing up to fourlitters at intervals of 54 days over the breeding season. As in other members of genus, this bandicoot has eight nipples in a backward-facing pouch, use of individual nipples alternating between successive litters.

Activity patterns. Individuals emerge after dark and are active for most of night, covering wide range of habitats in their search for food; males may patrol areas on edge of their home range, especially during the long breeding season. The day is usually spent in resting in the nest or under shelter, but occasional movements have been recorded in early morning orjust before dusk in rugged sandstone country on Groote Eylandt.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Both sexes are solitary. Males and females tolerate each other briefly when females are in estrus, but otherwise interactions are characterized by aggression, chases, and fights. Both sexes produce secretions from glands behind the ears and rub them on ground or vegetation during encounters, perhaps using them as “keep-away” signals to reduce likelihood of further encounters. Home ranges relatively small compared with those of its two smaller congeners, averaging 2-7 ha (maximum 6 ha) in one study in abandoned pasture-shrubland area and 1-5 ha in another study in remnant vegetation within limits of city of Brisbane. Population densities can be correspondingly large, ranging from 0-2 ind/ ha to 2:6 ind/ha in New South Wales and southern Queensland, but lower densities of 0-05 ind/ha to 0-7 ind/ha appear to be more typical in tropical regions. Lower densities, larger ranges and more seasonal breeding in northern compared with southern Australia may reflect less abundant and more strongly seasonal food resources in monsoonal tropics compared with mid-latitude habitats. Corresponding differences in recruitment of young into adult population might be expected between regional areas, but limited evidence suggests that recruitment rates are usually 10-15%. Higher recruitment of young, however, follows disturbances such as fire and mechanical damage to habitat and, as with the Southern Brown Bandicoot (1. obesulus ), the life-history strategy of present species has been interpreted as one that allows rapid colonization of newly created habitat.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Population trend stable. This bandicoot is not considered to be at currentrisk as it occupies an extensive geographical range, has a large overall population, and occurs in many protected areas. Declines have occurred in drier, inland areas near S edge of range of race torosus . While the species continues to decline owing to development, habitat loss, and changes in fire regimes, and overhunting for bushmeat in New Guinea, the declines are mostly local. The larger size of this bandicoot means that it is at less risk of predation from the feral cat (Felis catus), although it still falls prey to Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and domestic and wild dogs (Canis). Historical declines in inland pastoral areas were not extensive, and these appear to have slowed or halted. All subspecies appear to be secure.

Bibliography. Ashby et al. (1990), Brass (1956), Close et al. (1990), Cockburn (1990), Dickman (2014), FitzGibbon, Putland & Goldizen (2007), FitzGibbon, Wilson & Goldizen (2011), Flannery (1995a), Friend, G.R. (1990), Friend, J.A. (1990a), Gemmell (1982, 1990a,1990b), Gordon (1971, 1974), Gordon et al. (1990), Groves (2005¢), Hall (1983, 1990), Johnson & Southgate (1990), Keiper & Johnson (2004), Lyne (1974), Lyne & Mort (1981), Menzies (2011), Pardon et al. (2003), Pope et al. (2001), Tyndale-Biscoe & Renfree (1987), Vernes & Pope (2009), Waithman (1979), Westerman et al. (2012), Zenger et al. (2005).

Figures

On following pages: 3. Northern Brown Bandicoot (/soodon macrourus); 4. Western Barred Bandicoot (Perameles bougainville); 5. Eastern Barred Bandicoot (Perameles gunnii); 6. Long-nosed Bandicoot (Perameles nasuta), 7. Giant Bandicoot (Peroryctes broadbenti); 8. Raffray’s Bandicoot (Peroryctes raffrayana)

Subspecies and Distribution. I.m.macrourusGould,1842—NNorthernTerritoryandNWesternAustralia,includingmanylargeislandsnearNcoast(e.g.GrooteEylandt,TiwiIs). I.m.moresbyensisRamsay,1877—NewGuinea. I. m. torosus Ramsay, 1877 — N Queensland (Cape York) S, including Fraser I, Moreton I, North Stradbroke I and South Stradbroke, to Hawkesbury River, in CE New South Wales.