The Greater Bilby (Macrotis lagotis) sometimes depicted as Australia's Easter Bunny, belongs to a group of ground-dwelling marsupials known as bandicoots.
There were originally two species of Bilby - The Greater and the Lesser Bilby (Macrotis leucura), but the Lesser Bilby is thought to have become extinct in the 1950s.
An endangered burrowing marsupial, the Bilby is characterized by its long, silky blue-grey fur. Sometimes called the Rabbit-eared Bandicoot, it possesses long ears pinkish in colour. The body is compact in size featuring a pointed snout with a long tongue and a tail black and white in colour. Their strong forelimbs are adapted with long claws to assist in digging their burrows and uncovering buried food.
From the arid interior of Australia to the temperate coastal areas, bilbies were common. But this was a hundred years ago.
Today, changes in their habitat has seen their range reduced and their status listed as 'vulnerable'. They are now in competition with introduced animals and the demand for agricultural land. Sheep and cattle graze on the same plants as do rabbits, while foxes and feral cats have become predators. Even changing fire patterns have contributed to their demise in certain areas due to the impact on the type and availability of their food sources. This has led to only isolated populations surviving in pockets arid regions throughout Australia.
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