Myrmecobius fasciatus
numbat

Formally, southwest to southcentral Australia east to southwest New South Wales. Now restricted to the western portion of this range, southwestern West Australia.

Numbats generally inhabit eucalypt forests and other dry, open woodlands where fallen, dead trees are present.

Body length is 175 to 275mm. Tail length is 130 to 170mm. Their weight ranges from 280 to 550 grams. The anterior end of the body is brownish/gray with traces of white. There is a black stripe along the head. Numbats have a pointed snout with a small mouth and a long, sticky tongue that can reach as far as 100mm from the mouth opening. The teeth are very small, numerous, and often asymmetrical. The palate extends far back along the skull, a modification seen in other "long-tongued" mammal species such as scaly anteaters (pangolins, mammalian order Pholidota) and armadillos (mammalian family Dasypodidae). The hair is short and thick, especially on the tail. Along the back numbats have 6 or 7 vertical white lines that are in contrast with a background of darker fur. The front legs are stout and all four feet have large, thick claws. Females have 4 mammae and lack a pouch. Numbats are considered to have a relatively large brain.

Numbats are mainly active during the day. They spend the majority of their time searching for food and are considered a solitary species (except during the breeding season). They are territorial, occupying territories of up to 150 hectares in size, and forage alone. Numbats are agile, can easily climb trees, and are often seen basking in the sun.

Numbats consume mainly ants and termites that are found in decaying tree material on the forest floor. They get to this food source by clawing through the dead logs and using their highly specialized tongue to probe the galleries of termite colonies. Numbats are the only marsupials that feed strictly on social insects.

No documented examples.

Numbats are unique and important members of the ecosystems in which they live, they act as important predators of social insects.

Numbat populations have declined severely since western colonization of Australia. They once occurred throughout much of southern arid and semi-arid Australia, from New South Wales through South Australia and southern Northern Territory to southwestern Western Australia. They are now restricted to several remnant populations in southwest Western Australia, including one population that is the result of a reintroduction effort.

Numbats have been severely affected by agriculture; clearing land eliminates the habitat (dead trees) of their food source (termites). They have also been affected by introduced predators such as foxes, cats, domestic dogs, and dingos. They may also have suffered from the suppression of Aboriginal fire regimes in arid grasslands, which made the habitat more suitable for them.

Numbats are considered vulnerable by the IUCN and endangered under the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

Captive numbats have been recorded living for as long as 6 years.