Habitat and Ecology
Life History and Behavior
Lifespan, longevity, and ageing
IUCN Red List Assessment
Red List Category
Red List Criteria
- 1994Endangered(Groombridge 1994)
- 1990Rare(IUCN 1990)
- 1988Rare(IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1988)
- 1986Rare(IUCN Conservation Monitoring Centre 1986)
- 1982Rare(Thornback and Jenkins 1982)
Date Listed: 12/02/1970
Lead Region: Foreign (Region 10)
Where Listed: Entire
Population location: Entire
Listing status: E
For most current information and documents related to the conservation status and management of Perameles bougainville , see its USFWS Species Profile
This species probably declined through predation by introduced cats, dogs, and foxes, modification of vegetation by rabbits and stock, and possibly changed fire regimes in parts of the range (Maxwell et al. 1996). Pathogens are a problem in Bernier Island (they seem to be endemic in the population, though discovered recently); the impact of these diseases on the population size is unknown and needs to be studied. The pathogens are also found within captive colonies.
A recovery plan for the species has been developed for the 2005-2010 period (Richards 2005). Recommendations in this plan include: protect wild populations and their habitat so that the species does not fall below the level of natural fluctuations; maintain captive populations; use of population viability analysis to compare the viability of wild, current and potential reintroduced populations, and; enhance community participation and education. The recovery plan also recommends initiating three reintroductions to the mainland within a five year period (2005-2010) (Richards 2005). Some of these, like the reintroduction to Arid Recovery, should be established "in different regions where climatic fluctuations may be out of synchrony" (Short et al. 1997).
Western barred bandicoot
The western barred bandicoot (Perameles bougainville), also known as the marl, is a small species of bandicoot found in Australia. It was once widespread across southern Australia from Western Australia to central New South Wales, but it is now found on Bernier, Dorre and Faure islands in Shark Bay, Western Australia, and in captive populations on the mainland including at Barna Mia in Dryandra Woodland.
The western barred bandicoot is much smaller than its relative the eastern barred bandicoot (Perameles gunnii), and is darker in its colouring, which is a grizzled brown. It measures about 1.5 feet (46 cm) in length. It has two "bars" across its rump and has a short, tapered tail. It is a solitary and crepuscular hunter, eating insects, spiders, and worms and occasionally tubers and roots. When the bandicoot feels threatened, it typically leaps into the air and then burrows to safety.
This species is currently being re-introduced to nearby mainland areas of Western Australia, where predators such as the red fox are the subject of control programs. It has also been successfully reintroduced into the Arid Recovery Reserve at Roxby Downs in South Australia.
|Wikispecies has information related to: Perameles bougainville|
|Wikimedia Commons has media related to Perameles bougainville.|
- Groves, C. P. (2005). "Order Peramelemorphia". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. Mammal Species of the World (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 39. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
- Friend, T. & Richards, J. (2008). Perameles bougainville. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 28 December 2008. Database entry includes justification for why this species is listed as endangered
- Menkhorst, Peter (2001). A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia. Oxford University Press. p. 78. ISBN 9780195508703.
- Flannery, Tim (2005). Country: a continent, a scientist & a kangaroo. ISBN 1-920885-76-5.
- Ellis, Richard (2004). No Turning Back: The Life and Death of Animal Species. New York: Harper Perennial. p. 226. ISBN 0-06-055804-0.
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