Golden Bandicoot

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Golden Bandicoot[1] 
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Peramelemorphia
Family: Peramelidae
Genus: Isoodon
Species: I. auratus
Binomial name
Isoodon auratus
(Ramsay, 1887)

The Golden Bandicoot (Isoodon auratus) is a short-nosed bandicoot found in northern Australia. It is by far the smallest of its genus, being a little over half the size of its relatives the Northern Brown Bandicoot (I. macrourus) and the Southern Brown Bandicoot (I. obesulus).[3]

The Golden Bandicoot is now a threatened species. It was once found throughout much of northwestern Australia, with even a patch on the New South Wales/South Australia border, but it is now restricted to the Kimberley region of Western Australia, and to Augustus, Barrow and Middle Islands off Western Australia (I. auratus barrowensis) and Marchinbar Island of Northern Territory. It is distinguished from the brown bandicoots by its golden colouring and much smaller size.[3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Groves, Colin (16 November 2005). in Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 39. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. 
  2. ^ Australasian Marsupial & Monotreme Specialist Group (1996). Isoodon auratus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 2007-12-26.
  3. ^ a b Menkhorst, Peter (2001). A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia. Oxford University Press, 76. 
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