Southern Brown Bandicoot (Isodon obesulus obesulus, Peramelidae: Bandicoots and Bilbies), Cranbourne, Vic., Australia
The Southern Brown Bandicoot is endemic to the coast and nearby ranges of southern Australia, from SE NSW to southwest WA, and Tasmania. Vulnerable to predation from introduced predators it is usually found in or close to dense low vegetation such as heathland. It feeds on insects, worms etc. also fungi and some plant material which it digs up, as seen here. Normally nocturnal, it is pretty special to see one ‘out and about’ in the daytime. A fairly large individual is seen here searching for food in the beds at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Cranbourne in the SE suburbs of Melbourne.