Another quenda to admire
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (376344)
Rockingham, Australia
February 21, 2025 12:27am CST
We stayed with my brother-in-law the other day and had our morning coffee under the patio. He has a large block which has a lot of vegetation including many native species. This is the ideal environment for the Australian marsupial, the quenda, or bandicoot (Isoodon fusciventer). There are several sub-species of bandicoot.
The one in the photo is only young. The adult one we saw was almost twice this size. My BIL throws out a small amount of muesli for them and they are becoming quite tame as long as you don’t move quickly or make loud noises. He has a love/hate relationship with them as they like to dig up worms and grubs, to the detriment of many of his plants.
Please don’t make disparaging remarks about this little quenda (that's a joke) as he is very cute and quite harmless. And nothing like a rat. 
22 people like this
19 responses
@JudyEv (376344)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Feb 25
I think they are lovely. There will be some at our first house-sitting place.
@arunima25 (93129)
• Bangalore, India
21 Feb 25
I remember one earlier post of yours with the picture of quenda and I thought that it belongs to the rodent family. Well, they look so much like them. And from that day, I have remembered that Quenda is a marsupial.
He looks cute.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (376344)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Feb 25
@arunima25 There is a lot of work being done now trying to control foxes and feral cats. These are the main predators of small marsupials.
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@arunima25 (93129)
• Bangalore, India
21 Feb 25
@JudyEv That is nice to hear. Hope that other endangered species also get a revival.
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@ptrikha_2 (49491)
• India
21 Feb 25
Looks quite cute !
However it does looks quite similar to rats although the reason could be that it too perhaps likes to dig and go underground.
1 person likes this
@ptrikha_2 (49491)
• India
23 Feb 25
@JudyEv
I think Australia has a lot more Marsupials than other parts of the world.
May be its Geography favored this animal category?
Just guessing!
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@ptrikha_2 (49491)
• India
23 Feb 25
@JudyEv
Yes that is why Koalas and Kangaroos and even Ostrich are so unique!
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@allknowing (153623)
• India
21 Feb 25
We do not spare bandicoots if we spot them. They are destructive
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@allknowing (153623)
• India
22 Feb 25
@JudyEv In what way could they be different Different may be because there is someone who loves them in Australia and that is the difference
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[em]1 person likes this
@JudyEv (376344)
• Rockingham, Australia
22 Feb 25
@allknowing the Indian bandicoot rat or greater bandicoot rat (Bandicota indica) is not a marsupial but a species of rodent so it IS different to the Australian bandicoot. Some things have the same names in different countries but are not the same. For instance, our bird, the robin, is different to the English robin and they are both different to the American robin.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (168373)
• United States
22 Feb 25
At last, something to put in an animal alphabet that starts with "Q"
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@changjiangzhibin89 (17191)
• China
22 Feb 25
Lovely quenda ! At first sight it is like a rat.To my surprise there are varieties of marsupials over there.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (376344)
• Rockingham, Australia
23 Feb 25
The adults grow to roughly 16–20 inches in length and weigh about 2.65–4.08 lb.
@RasmaSandra (95951)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
21 Feb 25
That is such a cute critter. I would love to have one but I can imagine what would happen to my apartment once the quenda and cats started chasing each other.
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@dgobucks226 (37615)
•
22 Feb 25
Like squirrels cute but harmful to lawns and gardens. You dirty rat (marsupial) 
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@JudyEv (376344)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Feb 25
I'm hoping one day we'll have enough vegetation to have quendas here.
@FourWalls (84558)
• United States
21 Feb 25
Yes, it does, but understand that we only have one marsupial in America, the very ugly opossum. We need some cute ones!!!
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (132163)
• Marion, Ohio
21 Feb 25
I like rats as long as they are not near my house . He is cute
. He is cute1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (89691)
• United States
21 Feb 25
It's so interesting to see an animal I'm not familiar with. He does look a bit cute
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