Chaeropus ecaudatus
pig-footed bandicoot

Chaeropus ecaudatus was found throughout central and south Australia and in Victoria. No specimens have been seen since the early 20th century.

Chaeropus ecaudatus resided in a variety of habitats. In the central deserts it occupied sand dunes and sand plains. In Victoria, it lived in the grassy plains. In other areas, the pig-footed bandicoot favored open woodland containing shrubs and grass.

Detailed measurements of the pig-footed bandicoot may not be completely reliable; however, the body length has been estimated at 230-260 mm, with a tail length of approximately 100-150 mm. Chaeropus ecaudatus had course, orange-brown fur on the dorsal side of its body, and a lighter fawn color on its underside. Its rather long orange-brown tail ended in a black tuft. It had a compact body and pointed head, similar to other bandicoots, with long "rabbity" ears. The pig-footed bandicoot's legs and feet, however, were much different than other species in its family. Both its forelegs and hindlegs were long and thin, ending in particularly unique feet. Chaeropus ecaudatus was syndactylus, its forefeet having only two functional toes with hoof-like nails, markedly resembling those of a pig. On its hindfeet, the second and third toes were fused, and only the fourth was used in locomotion. The pig-footed bandicoot had about 46-48 teeth inside its long jaws. The incisors were flattened and polyprotodont, and the cheek teeth were selenodont. Its exact dental formula is not reported (Strahan, 1995).

Chaeropus ecaudatus is believed to have been a solitary animal that was not as fully nocturnal as other bandicoots. Depending on which environment it lived in, the pig-footed bandicoot may have built grass-lined nests, or dug short burrows with a nest at the end (Seebeck, 1990). These bandicoots were ground-living and probably used their sense of smell to find food on the ground, or in the holes they dug. The most notable behavior of the pig-footed bandicoot was its locomotion. Chaeropus ecaudatus' movement was extremely varied, depending on which gait it took. A slow gait looked similar to a bunny-hop, with the weight of the body taken by the forelimbs while the hindlimbs were brought forwards together. The intermediate gait was an awkward quadrepedal run with the hindlimbs moving alternately. In contrast to this, the Aborigines reported that the pig-footed bandicoot could reach great speeds upon being pursued by breaking into a smooth, galloping gait (Grzimek, 1990). Unfortunately, not much is recorded about C. ecaudatus' social or mating behavior.

There are many conflicting reports about the diet of C. ecaudatus. Its tooth and intestinal structures imply a more herbivorous diet than most bandicoots. In contrast, the Aborigines report that it ate termites and ants, and may have even been partial to flesh (Strahan, 1995). However, in captivity it ate grass, lettuce, roots, and grasshoppers, confirming a more herbivorous, rather than omnivorous diet (Grzimek, 1990).

The pig-footed bandicoot did not possess any great economic value for humans. However, Australian natives did enjoy its meat as a delicacy, and used its tail tuft as an ornament.

Much controversy exisits over when C. ecaudatus was last seen. The last reliably dated museum specimen was from 1901. However, the Pintupi people in the central deserts report that it survived there until the 1950's. The collapse of the species seems to have been rapid once the Europeans began settling the continent. Before European settlement, the natives burned small grass areas which soon regenerated, providing a fresh supply of food and shelter for bandicoots. Invasion by Europeans stopped this burning, and consequently, completely changed the pig-footed bandicoot's habitat. The beginning of livestock ranching and the intense grazing of sheep and cattle throughout this species' favored habitats also altered plant composition important to the bandicoot. Although Europeans eventually introduced rabbits, foxes, and cats (which are all competitors for the pig-footed bandicoot), this was not an immediate cause of their extinction; the decline of the pig-footed bandicoot began before these new fauna were introduced (Seebeck, 1990).

There is some disagreement over the taxonomic classification of pig-footed bandicoots. Chaeropus ecaudatus is listed under the subfamily Peramelinae, which includes all of the non-spiny bandicoots. However, some scientists feel that the pig-footed bandicoot deserves a separate subfamilial or even familial status, due to the uniqueness of its physical characteristics. The origination of the name, Chaeropus ecaudatus, is an interesting story. The pig-footed bandicoot received its name from the discovery of a specimen that had lost its tail in a mishap during its life. The describer of this animal assumed it was tailless, when, in fact, C. ecaudatus had the longest tail of all bandicoots. The error was not recognized until it was too late to rename it. Now, with its Latin name, Chaeropus ecaudatus will forever be called a "tailless pig-foot"!