Queensland Barred Bandicoot

Fascinating facts about the Queensland Barred Bandicoot

• Scientists discovered that the fur of this bandicoot glows pink, yellow, blue or white, a phenomenon called photoluminescence. Using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography and electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry, they identified at least two classes of luminophores in the fur extracts.
• From Iron Range down to Paluma, the northern long-nosed bandicoot roams wet sclerophyll forest and rainforest in the Wet Tropics.
• The Queensland Government classifies the northern long-nosed bandicoot as Least Concern under the Nature Conservation Act 1992.
• Four orange-pink molecules in the bandicoot's fur matched the molecular masses of protoporphyrin, coproporphyrin, uroporphyrin and heptacarboxylporphyrin isomers.
• This study marks the first chemical analysis of luminophores in Australasian mammal fur since two tryptophan metabolites were identified more than 50 years ago.

At a glance

About the Queensland Barred Bandicoot

In the moonlit savannas of northern Australia, the Queensland Barred Bandicoot weaves a secretive path, its long, pointed snout twitching as it snuffles out insects and seeds with an air of quiet industry. With a soft, padded gait, it moves through the underbrush, its barred fur blending seamlessly into the dappled shadows, allowing it to thrive in a world of predators and competitors. As it forages, its large, round ears rotate with an almost comical intensity, drinking in the sounds of the night, a testament to its remarkable adaptability in this sun-baked landscape.

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