The greater bilby, often called simply the bilby, is a long-eared, rabbit-like marsupial found in Australia that lives in burrows and is active at night, feeding on insects, fruit or fungi. Formerly widespread, it is now restricted to parts of northwestern and central Australia because of threats including habitat loss, disease and introduced predators such as foxes, and it has been called simply the bilby since the smaller lesser bilby became extinct in the 1950s; other names include dalgyte, pinkie and rabbit-eared bandicoot.
Facts
Classification
System (Realm) Relationship to People Living or ExtinctDerived from this species' own Conservation Status: this atlas's IUCN category list has no Extinct value, so a set conservation-status is itself evidence of living status. Comparison
CITES Appendix Partially Attested
Population EstimateSource gives an upper bound (fewer than 10,000 mature individuals), not a point estimate. Identification
Distinguishing AppearanceLong bandicoot-like muzzle and very long ears 1 Scientific Name Conservation Status Connections
Child Taxon Of
In Biome
Desert, Biomes Source Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Macrotis lagotis
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Greater bilby
Lead, sentence 1
The greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis)
Status
Greater bilbies are a vulnerable species as classified by IUCN
Description, sentence 1
Greater bilbies have the characteristics of long bandicoot muzzle and very long ears.
- Category: Fauna listed on CITES Appendix I
View the Source2. EltonTraits 1.0 (Wilman et al. 2014)
3. Greater bilby (Wikipedia)
4. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Animal Diversity Web: Macrotis lagotis
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyConservation Status: CITES
CITES Appendix I
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive (hunted-fished)
Greater bilbies were once a favorite traditional food and source of fur for Aboriginal peoples of Australia
In Biome: Desert, Habitat Regions, biome: desert or dune
desert or dune desert or dune
View the Source 5. GBIF Species API
6. Zenodo record: Macrotis lagotis (Mittermeier and Wilson, 2015)
Zenodo record 6612148, population statementQuote, Zenodo record 6612148, population statement
Total population size may be fewer than 10,000 mature individuals
Wikidata: Greater Bilby
Wikidata Q371667, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Catalogue of Life
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeChild Taxon Of: MammaliaView the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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