Numbats were found across much of arid and semi-arid southern Australia, however, only two naturally occurring populations remain, both in south-west Western Australia. Numbats are diurnal, and have an
extremely specialised diet comprised almost exclusively of termites
.
Do Numbats only eat termites?
Numbats are different than most marsupials. They don’t eat plants.
Instead, they eat termites
. All about numbats, small marsupials that look a little like squirrels.
Do Numbats eat termites?
Numbat populations once dropped as low as 500 adults. To help save this endangered marsupial, the Perth Zoo has been rearing them in captivity for release back into the wild. But
wild numbats eat only termites
, which are too difficult to get in large quantities.
How many termites do Numbats eat?
This small mammal uses its long, sticky tongue to capture termites that live underground. Numbats are animals that live in hollow logs and burrows. They hunt for termites by day and sleep at night. Today, fewer than 1,000 numbats live in the wild.
What is Numbats diet?
Numbats are diurnal, and have an extremely specialised diet comprised
almost exclusively of termites
. As the sun rises and the day heats up, the temperature of the upper layers of soil increases, and termites move in to a network of shallow tunnels and chambers just below the ground surface.
How do Numbats have babies?
They live only in Western Australia in forests. Numbats don’t have pouches either. Instead,
their young clamp onto a teat on the mother’s belly and stay there for five months
. Numbat moms can have up to four babies at once.
Do Numbats jump?
Numbats prefer open woodland habitat dominated by eucalyptus trees. They are nimble and
can leap
and even climb trees.
Do Numbats have teeth?
Although the teeth are variable in number,
the Numbat has more teeth than any dasyurid
. There are at least eight post-canine teeth on each side of the lower jaw. The alisphenoid tympanic wing forms virtually the whole floor of the middle ear, the palate is elongate and complete, and palatine vacuities are absent.
What eats termites in Africa?
In case you were wondering about the dining habits of the most trafficked animal in the world, it’s true — they’re myrmecophagous, which means they eat only ants and termites.
Where do termites eat?
What Do They Eat? Termites are detritivores, or detritus feeders. They feed on
dead plants and trees
. Termites get nutrients from cellulose, an organic fiber found in wood and plant matter.
How do Numbats keep their tongues sticky?
Like many termite-eating animals, the numbat has an unusually long, narrow, tongue, coated with
sticky saliva produced by large submandibular glands
.
How can we help Numbats?
Numbats will survive only if
sufficient woodlands are protected from agricultural encroachment and settlement
. Clearing of downed trees and logs (for wood and firewood) must be prevented if the numbat is to have places to hide.
Where can I see a numbat?
Numbats were found across much of
arid and semi-arid southern Australia
, however, only two naturally occurring populations remain, both in south-west Western Australia.
What is a Numbat for kids?
The numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) is a
marsupial
from open woodlands in western Australia. It is also called the banded anteater, because it eats termites. It is unusual in being one of the few diurnal (daytime) marsupials.
How does a Numbat reproduce?
Numbats have a polygynous mating system, where
one male mates with multiple females
. They breed in December – January. Gestation period lasts for 14 days, yielding 4 babies, which live attached to their mother’s body for the first 6 months of their lives.
What is a bandicoot?
Bandicoots are
small marsupials
native to Australia and New Guinea that use their front feet to dig for food. It’s hard not to like an animal associated with the phrase ‘snout pokes’. As bandicoots forage for underground insects and larvae, they leave behind a series of small conical holes – snout pokes!
