Bilby is a marsupial native to Australia. It is a rare, endangered species declining due to habitat loss and introduced predators. Bilbies can be found in the desert regions of central Australia, where they live underground for most of the day and are active only at dusk and dawn. Their diet consists primarily of seeds from plants with hard shells.

Characteristics of Bilby

• Bilbies live in colonies of about fifty individuals, generally made up of a set of related mothers and their offspring.
• They are a monogamous species, meaning that when male bilbies breed with female bilbies, they only mate with one female at a time.
• The young Bilbies remain in the natal colony with their mother until they can move out independently.
• The natal colony provides all the bilbies with protection, energy, food, and water.
• Bilby is one of the smallest marsupial species.
• Adult males weigh about 600–700 g and measure about 20 cm in length, with a 16–22 cm head-body length.
• Adult females are considerably larger, weighing 1,100–1,400 g, 24-29 cm long and 30-35 cm body length.

Fun Facts about Bilby

• Bilbies resemble small rats or rabbits.
• Bilbies mostly eat seeds that fall from trees, which are very hard to chew because of their teeth size.
• Bilbies mate from May through August. The gestation period is about 25 days, and females give birth to one young per litter.
• Litters range from one to five young, averaging 2–3 pups, with the firstborn being the largest.
• Life span is estimated between 5 and 10 years in the wild.