Bandicoot species

Appearance

• Large rat-like rodent, up to 40 cm including tail
• Dorsally dark brown fur
• Light to dark grey fur ventrally
• Head body length about 25cm
• Long and scaly tail uniformly dark and shorter than head-body length
• Adults of both sexes have a smell which is similar to pigs
• Blunt muzzle
• When cornered, the bandicoot rat erects is bristles and spits like a cat.

Lifecycle

• Bandicoot rats have a rapid rate of reproduction, the usual age of first breeding is at 3 months, the average number of litter being 7, breeding season all year round with a peak in spring.
• Bandicoot rats are quite aggressive even against individuals of the same species and dig extensive burrows. Each burrow will only be inhabited by one bandicoot rat.

Habits

• Bandicoot rats are often living in scrub lands and jungles, but are also common in villages and towns
• They are considered as one of the most damaging agricultural pests, as they hoard a lot of grains in their burrows.
• Originally grain feeders, they often change their diet according to availability and can also change their diet totally to animal matter
• Bandicoot rates have been known to attack poultry and are seen as a threat to infants as a group of them can easily attack and devour a child.