What are the physiological adaptations of a bilby?

Answer 1

Bilbies have large ears for thermo regulation (to cool the bilby). Blood flows quickly into the thin tissue around the Bilby's ears, preventing them from getting too hot during the day and from losing body heat quickly at night. Because of these large ears, the bilby has an excellent sense of hearing, which makes up for the fact that its sense of sight is not as well-developed. The ears can also be rotated, much as a cat's ears do, to discern direction and distances of sounds.

Bilbies live in the dry outback, and they have sharp claws for burrowing deep into the arid earth. There are five front digits on each foot, with the central three being longer than the outside ones. Sharp claws also allow the marsupial to dig out plants for eating. Bilbies are omnivores and must forage for invertebrates such as insects, as well as digging out plant bulbs and tubers. The bilby's long tongue helps it when feeding on fungi, root bulbs and insect larvae. It also has a long snout, and an excellent sense of smell. These two physiological adaptations help it to hunt out and catch small prey such as the small invertebrates (insects and larvae) on which it feeds, and also helps it to reach other foods such as bulbs, fruit, fungi and seeds easily.

Answer 2

They don't really look like rabbits much to me, except for their ears, but anyway, here are some facts: -They live in Austrailia. -They're marsupials. -When Europeans came here, there use to be two species of them, but one got extinct, and now the last species is endangered :(. - They're related to bandicoots. -They're only pregnant for around 2 weeks, which is one of the shortest periods of that in mammals. - One bilby could have up to around twelve burrows, to hide from predators and etc. -Bilby means "long-nosed rat". - Their pouches are backwards because it keeps the dirt from going in it while they dig. -They use their long tongues to catch their food, which is mostly found by digging.

Answer 3

There were once two species of bilby. The Greater bilby is a small, large-eared marsupial, about the size of a rabbit, with grey-blue longish silky fur, slightly tinged rufous. Its feet and underbody tend to a whitish colour. Its head-body length ranges from 30-55cm. Its tail, with a length of 20-30cm, is quite unusual, being tricoloured and crested. Its large ears are hairless, and it has strong front paws with sharp claws for digging. It has a long, pointed, pinkish coloured snout.

To see photos of Greater bilbies, click on the related link.

The Lesser bilby, now extinct, was much smaller. Its fur was more grey-brown, and its tail was not tricoloured, being fully white, but was distinctly crested.

Answer 4

The Bilby (Macrotis Lagotis), sometimes known as a rabbit eared bandicoot, is a small marsupial of Australia. It has a number of distinguishable physical features.

1. Large ears.

Bilbies are known for their large ears, which have several purposes. The main reason for having large ears is for thermo regulation (to cool the bilby).

These large ears give the bilby an excellent sense of hearing, which makes up for the fact that their sense of sight is not as well-developed. They can also be rotated, much as a cat's ears do, to discern direction and distances of sounds.

2. Sharp Claws

The bilby has sharp claws similar to those of the bandicoot. These claws allow for burrowing deep into the arid earth for food and shelter. There are five front digits on each foot, with the central three being longer than the outside ones.

3. A Long Tongue

The bilby has a long tongue to help it when feeding on fungi, root bulbs and insect larvae.

4. Backwards-Facing Pouch

The female bilby has a backwards-facing pouch. This prevents dirt from getting into the pouch when the creature is digging.

5. Long Snout

The bilby has a long snout, and an excellent sense of smell.