Western Australia's animal emblem - the numbat

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Several readers remarked on the photo of the numbat which I posted in my last post. It is a pretty little creature and the native emblem of Western Australia. The numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) is an insectivorous marsupial which was once much more prevalent than is now the case. It is found in the wild in Western Australia and has recently been reintroduced into South Australia. There is also a captive colony at Perth Zoo. It is a ‘monotypic species’ meaning it is the only one of its kind. Other animals in this category include the black rhino, sea otter and moose. The numbat is found in open eucalypt woodlands. Although classed as a marsupial, it does not have a pouch. It is gentle and timid. Despite having the alternative name of banded anteater, its main diet is termites which it finds by scent. It does not have the strong claws of some animals that eat termites. It is reddish-brown in colour with five or six stripes across the back and a long, pointy snout. The tongue is about half the length of the combined head and body. It has no defence against predators and is regarded as endangered. Some are now kept safely behind fencing at Barna Mia, a wildlife breeding centre near Dryandra. The farm where I grew up backed onto the Dryandra forest and I would sometimes see numbats when I rode my pony through that area. There is also a captive colony at Perth Zoo. The one in the photograph is one of a few leading a very safe life in Perth Zoo.