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Numbat


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The numbat is a small-sized marsupial that is found in Western Australia. The numbat has long, colourful fur and despite being a marsupial, the female numbat does not have a pouch on her belly.

The numbat was once found across Southern Australia, but today the numbat is considered to be an endangered species as there are only a few small numbat colonies found in Western Australia today. It has been estimated that there are only 1,500 numbat individuals left in the wild.

Numbats inhabit forests and woodland, particularly those that are mainly made up of eucalyptus trees. Numbats have also been found in grasslands that are relatively close to water.

Numbats are solitary animals with large home ranges, which they spend the daylight hours hunting for termites and in the dark nights in hollow logs and burrows. Numbats have strong front claws and long tongues which they use to get termites out of their nests.

The numbat is an omnivorous animal but it's diet primarily consists of termites and occasionally ants and other small insects. An adult numbat can eat more than 20,000 termites in just one day.

Due to their small size, numbats are prey to a number of larger, predatory animals such as foxes, snakes, dingos and feral cats. Dogs also prey on numbats, along with birds of prey that prey on the smaller numbat babies.

The numbat breeding season is between January and May, when the female numbat gives birth to an average of 4 numbat babies after a gestation period of just a couple of weeks. The numbat babies quickly attach to the mother numbat's teat, where they are protected only by her long hair, as she does not have a pouch.

Numbat babies are not left by their mother until they are a few months old, when she leaves to search for food. The mother numbat leaves her young in a burrow and comes back to give them milk every now and again.

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Numbat Comments (5)

kristen

"this site has really helped with my homework thanks heaps i give you a 10 "

Katelyn

"I need to do a endangered animals project and i chose the numbat because it is very cute and this site has gave me almost all the information i need i will tell my friends so that can help them with their project."

Dave

"This is good information and really helps with my power point for my homework. thanks, i give it a 10"

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Numbat Facts

Kingdom:
A level of classifying all living things on earth, as similar species are broken into 5 groups including plants, animals and fungi....
Animalia
Phylum:
A level of classifying animals within the animal kingdom. Phylum are further divided into subgroups called classes....
Chordata
Class:
A level of classifying animals in a phylum. Classes are then sub-divided into further groups known as orders....
Mammalia
Order:
A level used to classify animals. Classes are broken into sub-groups known as order, which are broken down further into families....
Dasyuromorphia
Family:
A level of classifying animals within an order. Orders are broken down in families and families are broken down further into smaller groups called genus....
Myrmecobiidae
Genus:
A level of classifying animals within a family. Families are divided into sub-groups called genus which generally contain one or two animal species....
Myrmecobius
Scientific Name:Myrmecobius Fasciatus
Type:Mammal
Diet:Omnivore
Size:35-45cm (13-18in)
Weight:280-550g (9.9-19oz)
Top Speed:24km/h (15mph)
Life Span:4-8 years
Lifestyle:Sociable
Conservation Status:
The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing the conservation s...
Endangered
Colour:Black, Brown, Grey, White, Tan, Red
Skin Type:Fur
Favourite Food:Termites
Habitat:
The term habitat is used to describe a specific area where a particular animal lives, within an environment. Many animals have adapted to requiring specific conditions which can only be found in their natural habitat su...
Eucalyptus woodland and grassland
Average Litter Size:4
Main Prey:
When an animal is referred to prey, it means that the animal is either hunted or caught for food. Animals that are referred to as prey are generally hunted by bigger animals, although there are a number of exceptions....
Termites, Ants, Insects
Predators:
When an animal is referred to as a predator, it means that the animal either hunts or catches other animals. Predatory animals are generally dominant within their environment and will generally hunt animals smaller than...
Snakes, Foxes, Birds of Prey
Special Features:Long tail and snout and striped body

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CuscusCuscus
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KangarooKangaroo
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KoalaKoala
Eats the leaves of the eucalyptus tree!
OpossumOpossum
Thought to be immune to certain snake venom!
PossumPossum
There are 69 species on the Austrailian continent!
QuollQuoll
Found across Australia and Papua New Guinea!
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Spends most of the day underground!

 

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