About Numbats
About Numbats | Threats | Recovery Programs |
Where to see Numbats
Scientific Name: Myrmecobius fasciatus
IUCN Conservation Status: Endangered
Gestation: 14 days
Number of young: 4
Distribution: South-west Western Australia
Habitat: Eucalypt woodlands
Description: The Numbat has a flat head and long nose and its fur is mostly reddish-brown, with black and white bands across the rump and a black stripe through each eye. Individual Numbats can be identified by their unique pattern of bands. This small marsupial weighs between 450 and 700 grams when fully grown. Adult Numbats measure from 20 to 27 cm long and their bushy tail is about 17 cm long. They are also one of only two diurnal marsupials found in Australia.
Breeding and Lifecycle: Numbats breed from late December through to late February. Females give birth to up to four tiny young following a gestation of just 14 days, usually in January. They are carried around on the teats until late July, when they are deposited in a burrow. These young are independent by the spring of the same year. Males are sexually mature at age two and females are sexually mature at age one. During the breeding season, the male’s sternal gland becomes active, exuding an oily liquid that turns the chest fur red. He will then rub his sternal gland against rocks and logs to mark his territory and to announce his presence to females and other males. Numbats are essentially solitary and maintain exclusive territories although males and females can overlap, particularly during breeding season.
Habitat and Distribution: Numbats survive in the eucalypt woodlands in the south-west of Western Australia, where hollow logs and termites are abundant. Prior to European settlement, the Numbat was found across much of southern Australia.
Diet: Numbats are insectivores and eat an exclusive diet of termites. An adult Numbat requires up to 20,000 termites each day. It is because of their diet that the Numbat is diurnal and their daily activity changes throughout the year. Just as the termites become active at different times of the day depending on the season, so do Numbats. In winter, Numbats are active in the middle of the day, while during summer they rise earlier and try to avoid the heat of the midday sun.
Do Numbats make noises?
Yes, Numbats definitely make noises, or vocalisations, during the breeding season, which are a series of soft clicking sounds. They also growl and hiss if approached by an unwanted Numbat. Babies also vocalise to their mothers by making a soft clicking sound but this is different to males' calls.
References:
Friend, J.A. and Whitford, D (1988) Captive Breeding of the Numbat , Myrmecobius fasciatus. World Wildlife Fund Australia Project 50, final report. Department of Conservation and Land Management ( unpublished)
Friend, J.A. and Whitford, D ( 1993) Maintenance and Breeding of the Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) in Captivity. The Biology and Management of Australiasian Carnivorous Marsupials.
Power, V. Lambert, C. and Bradley, M. (1998) Studies on the Reproductive Biology of the Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus ) in Captivity (unpublished) CONFERENCE ASZK (1997)
Power, V. and Monahan, C. (2003) AUSTRALIAN MAMMALS Biology and Captive Animal Management Chapter 4 NUMBATS in. Ed. Jackson, SSpecies Management Plan for Numbats for ARAZPA
Department of Environment and Conservation Numbat fact sheet
R. Strahan (ed), The Mammals of Australia (Revised Edition), Reed New Holland and Australian Museum, 1995, pp 160-162
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