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NumbatDescription
Class
Subclass
Order
Family
Genus
Species
StatusMammalia
Marsupialia
Polyprotodonta
Myrmecobiidae
Myrmecobius
fasciatus
EndangeredThe Numbat is a unique pouchless marsupial. It is a small (35-45 cm) animal with a reddish brown coat which blends from darker shades on the back to light on the stomach. Across the back are prominent white bands, and it has a bushy tail. Each animal can be identified by its individual markings. The Numbat is the mammal emblem of Western Australia.
Reproduction
Mating occurs during the summer months and the young are born 14 days later. The female usually has 4 babies, which attach themselves to teats and cling to body hair. They will suckle for 6 months. As the young Numbats develop and become too large to be carried, the female will dig a burrow for them whilst she searches for food. When travelling with older babies, the numbat will carry them clinging to her back. By 10 months they will be feeding independently, but will stay close to the mother for another 2 months. Numbats are sexually mature at 1 year.
Life Span
5-6 years in captivity.
Habitat
Numbats inhabit areas of open woodland, dominated by Wandoo, with minimal undergrowth. They require an abundant supply of hollow Wandoo logs on the ground, which provide plenty of protection and shelter, as well as a constant food supply of termites which attack the Wandoo.
Social Organisation
Another of the Numbat's notable features is that it is one of the few diurnal (active during the day) marsupials. It is basically a solitary animal, each with its own home range, the boundaries of which are fairly flexible. Within the home range each numbat has a number of hollow logs. One animal studied has a total of 23 logs, some of which were refuge logs and other regular "home" logs.
Predators
Historically, Aborigines hunted Numbats for food and they were also vulnerable to birds of prey. With the coming of European settlement and the introduction of foxes and feral cats, a greater threat has emerged.
Diet
Numbats, along with Echidnas, are unusual in that they live on a pure termite diet. An adult requires some 20,000 per day. Having located and breached a termite nest, the numbat's long tongue flicks the termites into its mouth.
Diet at the Zoo
Obviously, finding 20,000 termites per day for the captive breeding population is an almost impossible task. A special egg milk custard mix, with vitamin supplements and 10% termites has been developed as a substitute diet.
Distribution
At the time of European settlement, the Numbat had an extensive range, from Western Australia through central and South Australia. This has now diminished to a couple of small areas of Wandoo bushland in the Dryandra and Perup forests in the south west of Western Australia.
The introduction of foxes, domestic cats and dogs have seriously threatened the survival of the Numbat.
They have also suffered massive habitat destruction through clearing for farming. The rate of destruction increased dramatically in the 1960's in the wheatbelt. The remaining small, isolated pockets of uncleared land left the numbat very vulnerable to predation by foxes.
It was also during the 1960's that the Government encouraged Aborigines to leave the nomadic way of life and traditional homelands and settle on missions. In arid areas the disappearance of Aborigines led to changes in landcare. Without the patchwork burning of small fires (an Aboriginal hunting device), vegetation built up, and eventually, when fires broke out they were fierce and massive, destroying both the shelter and food source of the Numbat.
Conservation Measures
To secure the Numbat's future, action on several fronts has been taken.
Dr Tony Friend of the Department of Conservation and Land Management has undertaken extensive and detailed research into the Numbat in the wild, and into establishing a captive breeding program with Perth Zoo. The project was funded by World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Australia.
With control of feral predators, there have been successful reintroductions of Numbats into the wild. However there is still a need to secure the habitat from further destruction.
At Perth Zoo
Numbats are now part of a succesful breeding program at Perth Zoo. In 1993 eight young were born with four surviving to adulthood. In 1994 thirty two young were born with twenty three surviving. Numbats are now breed in sufficient numbers to allow some introductions into protected wild habitats. The breeding colony is kept off display with 1 or 2 numbats on display in Harmony Farm at any one time - the only displayed numbats in the world.
