Macrotis, known as bilbies or rabbit-bandicoots, is a genus of desert-dwelling marsupial omnivores; they are members of the order Peramelemorphia.At the time of European colonisation of Australia, there were two species.The lesser bilby became extinct in the 1950s; the greater bilby survives but remains endangered. The greater bilby, a close relative in the bandicoot family, still exists but is now endangered.

Bilby, (Macrotis lagotis), also called greater bilby, dalgyte, or greater rabbit-eared bandicoot, small, burrowing, nocturnal, long-eared marsupial belonging to the family Thylacomyidae (order Peramelemorphia) and native to Australia. The fate of their closest relative, the Lesser Bilby (M. leucura) is unknown. The Bilby is quite impressive as it does not need to drink water to stay alive; instead it gets all of the moisture that it needs from what it eats. Bilbies are believed to have inhabited Australia for up to 15 million years.

Last Record: 1950s. Lesser Bilby (Macrotis leucura) Distribution: Central Australia.

^ to top. There were originally two species but the Greater Bilby is now commonly referred to simply as ‘the Bilby’ as the Lesser Bilby (Macrotis leucura) is thought to have become extinct in the early 1950s.

Lesser bilbies are omnivorous, feeding mainly on small insects, fruit, and seeds. Their diet generally includes insect larvae, spiders, fruit, fungus, bulbs, and even small animals. At present, however, they are restricted to the

The lesser bilby was an inhabitant of Australia’s driest deserts, and recorded as a living animal on just a handful occasions between its discovery in 1887 and its extinction in the 1950s.

It was last seen alive over 70 years ago and is presumed to be extinct. Sadly, through habitat loss and competition with introduced animals, the number of these small mammals has dramatically reduced over the last 100 years. The proportion of plant to insect proportions depends on the habitat and season. The bilby is mostly an opportunistic feeder. Bilbies do not need to drink water, the water they recieve from the fruit and seeds is sufficient (Wombats 1997). The bilby uses its amazing sense of smell and excellent hearing to help find food above and even underground. Cute and weird.

The lesser bilby gained its fame for its omnivorous diet, eating both animals and plants, and its survival in a harsh desert climate. The large rabbit like ears of the Greater Bilby (referred to as Bilby) have also made it a popular Australian icon at Easter. Its diet consists of mostly insects, fungi, bulbs, seeds, fruit, lizards, small mammals and occasionally eggs. It is currently listed as a vulnerable species. Their diet consists primarily of ants, termites, beetles, larvae, seeds, fruits, and fungi (Schneider 1990). The Bilby is an important part of traditional indigenous culture in the deserts of Central Australia. Prior to the arrival of Europeans, bilbies occupied habitats across more than 70 percent of Australia.