🐾 LandCare difficulty: AdvancedLegal complexity: High — restricted in many states
Numbat
Myrmecobius fasciatus
The numbat is a small, striped, termite-eating marsupial and an emblem of Western Australia. Once widespread across southern Australia, it has been reduced to a few wild populations by introduced predators and habitat loss.
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Quick facts
| Size | Small banded marsupial ~20-27 cm body plus bushy tail. |
| Lifespan | 5–11 years |
| Native region | South-western Australia |
| Climate | 🍂 Temperate |
| Genus | Myrmecobius |
Habitat & enclosure
Historically ranged across semi-arid and arid southern Australia in eucalypt woodland and spinifex; now confined to remnant and reintroduced populations, many within predator-proof reserves. Foxes and cats are the dominant threat. It is strictly protected; this profile is conservation/education only.
Diet
An obligate termite-eater, consuming many thousands of termites daily gathered with a long sticky tongue. This narrow diet makes it unusual among marsupials and difficult to maintain outside specialized programs.
Behavior & temperament
Unusually diurnal among marsupials, timing its activity to when termites are active near the surface. Captive-breeding and predator-free fenced reserves are the backbone of its recovery, alongside fox and cat control in open landscapes.
Reviewed and signed off by: KinStation Editorial — conservation profile (pending DVM/biologist review)