Southern Brown Bandicoot

About the Southern Brown Bandicoot

The southern brown bandicoot (Isoodon obesulus) is a short-nosed bandicoot, a type of marsupial, found mostly in southern Australia. A subspecies in Western Australia is also known as the quenda in South Western Australia (from the Noongar word kwinda). This subspecies was elevated to species in 2018.

The species was first described as Didelphis obesula by George Shaw in 1797. There are three subspecies recognised by the Atlas of Living Australia: Isoodon obesulus affinus – Tasmania and Bass Strait Islands Isoodon obesulus nauticus – Restricted to the Nuyts Archipelago

Isoodon obesulus obesulus – NSW, Victoria, SA The quenda (Isoodon fusciventer) and the Cape York brown bandicoot (Isoodon peninsulae) were previously considered subspecies of the southern brown bandicoot before being elevated to full species status.

Southern brown bandicoots have a stocky body with a short snout and short, rounded ears. They show sexual dimorphism, with females being smaller than males. On average, males measure 50 cm (20 in) in total length, and weigh up to 1.2 kg (2.6 lb), while females measure 40 cm (16 in) and weigh no more than 1 kg (2.2 lb). They have coarse, bristly... Wikipedia →