Eastern Barred Bandicoot

The eastern barred or Gunn's bandicoot (Perameles gunni) lives in woodland and heathland of south Victoria and Tasmania in Australia. It is 25–40 cm long with a 7.5–18 cm tail. It is very aggressive and belligerent and lives alone. Males occupy large territories and only consort with females for mating. This species is mainly nocturnal. It emerges from its nest at dusk to forage for earthworms and other invertebrates. It uses its long nose to probe deep into the soil and then digs eagerly when it locates food. The female has 8 nipples, but seldom produces more than 4–5 young after 11 days — this is one of the shortest gestation periods of any mammal. The young stay in the pouch for 8 weeks.