The Greater Bilby
Once very widespread in Australia, the bilby now only lives on 20% of its territory of origin. This animal has been decimated by invasive species introduced in recent centuries by British settlers. There would only be 9,000 individuals left in the wild.
The Greater Bilby, with its grey fur and long pink ears, is Australia's answer to the Easter Bunny. However, unlike the rabbit population in Australia, Bilby numbers are falling rapidly.
These nocturnal marsupials are the only surviving relative of the Lesser Bilby and have co-existed with Aboriginal people for over 60,000 years. Sadly, since European settlement, they’ve been pushed close to extinction. The Greater Bilby is under threat from predation by foxes and feral cats, and competition for food from livestock and rabbits.
This bushgift supports Bush Heritage’s work with the Martu people, helping to develop the Birriliburu Indigenous Protected Area conservation and land management program in remote Western Australia.
“If anyone is going to save the Bilby and the other animals in this landscape, it’s going to be Indigenous rangers through programs like the Birriliburu partnership,” says Bush Heritage ecologist Dr Vanessa Westcott.
?Where do Bilbies live
Bilbies are generalist animals and were once found across 70% of Australia. Today they're restricted to around 15% – the Tanami Desert of the Northern Territory, the Gibson, Little and Great Sandy Deserts, the Pilbara and Kimberley regions of Western Australia, and the Mitchell Grasslands of southwest Queensland.
Bilbies use their strong forelimbs and claws to build extensive tunnels, which provide shelter from the fierce heat and predators. Each Bilby may have up to 12 burrows, with burrows up to 3m long and 2m deep.
They dig a new burrow every few weeks and these are often also used by other native animals.
Pilliga Forest, New South Wales.
Bilby behaviour
Greater Bilby. Photo Steve Parish. Greater Bilby. Photo Steve Parish.
Bilbies are nocturnal, emerging after dark to forage for food. Using their long snouts, they dig out bulbs, tubers, spiders, termites, witchetty grubs and fungi. They use their tongues to lick up grass seeds. They have poor sight and rely on good hearing and a keen sense of smell. To minimise threats from predators they’ll mostly stay within 250m of their burrow, but sometimes roam further afield depending on the food supply.
Meet The Bilby of Taronga Zoo | Secrets of the Zoo: Down Under
While feeding, Bilbies ingest large amounts of dirt or sand, which characterise their droppings. They don’t need to drink water as they get enough moisture from their food. This characteristic contributes to their success in arid regions. Nevertheless, Bilbies are extremely adaptive, and have lived in a range of habitats throughout Australia.
Depending on the food supply, Bilbies reproduce year round, with females typically giving birth to one, two, or occasionally three tiny offspring. It’s rare for all of them to survive to adulthood.
Newborn Bilbies crawl from the opening of the birth canal to their mother’s pouches (which are backward-facing to prevent sand getting in when they dig).
Babies remain in the pouch for around 80 days. Female Bilbies reproduce from the age of six months.
Threats to bilbies
Once widespread throughout Australia, Bilby numbers fell significantly in the early 20th Century, and 10% of that decline has occurred in just the past 12 years, with the current population estimated to be fewer than 10,000.
Greater Bilbies. Photo Bruce Thomson. Greater Bilbies. Photo Bruce Thomson.
The two main threats are competition for food from livestock and introduced species such as rabbits, and predation by foxes and feral cats. Bilbies are known to enclose themselves in their burrows to escape from predators, which will often try to come in after them.
Changing fire patterns have also affected Bilbies. That's why it's very important that traditional patch burning is undertaken in the areas where Bilbies remain.
Large hot wildfires remove the cover provided by vegetation over vast continuous areas making Bilbies more vulnerable to predation.
Small patch burns act as fire breaks and reduce the size of large wildfires, they also promote food plants for the Bilby.
The Bilby is listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List.
Greater Bilby Keeper Talk at Taronga Zoo Sydney
https://www.bushheritage.org.au/species/bilby