- Bandicoot
Taxobox
name = BandicootsMSW3 Groves]
image_width = 200px
regnum =Animal ia
phylum = Chordata
classis =Mammal ia
infraclassis =Marsupialia
ordo =Peramelemorphia
(in part)
subdivision_ranks = Families and Genera
subdivision = †Chaeropodidae
*†"Chaeropus "Peramelidae
*"Isoodon "
*"Perameles "
*"Peroryctes "
*"Echymipera "
*"Microperoryctes "
*"Rhynchomeles "A bandicoot is any of about 20 species of small to medium-sized, terrestrialmarsupial omnivore s in the orderPeramelemorphia . The word bandicoot is ananglicised form of the Telugu word "pandi-kokku", (loosely,pig -rat ) which originally referred to the unrelated IndianBandicoot Rat . The other two species of peramelemorphs are the bilbies.Classification within the Peramelemorphia used to be simple: there were thought to be two families in the order — the short-legged and mostly
herbivorous bandicoots, and the longer-legged, more nearlycarnivorous bilbies. In recent years, however, it has become clear that the situation is more complex. First, the bandicoots of theNew Guinea n and far-northernAustralia nrainforest s were deemed distinct from all other bandicoots, and these were grouped together in the separate familyPeroryctidae . More recently, the bandicoot families were reunited inPeramelidae , with the New Guinean species split into four genera in two subfamilies,Peroryctinae andEchymiperinae , while the "true bandicoots" occupy the subfamilyPeramelinae . The only exception is the extinctPig-footed Bandicoot , which has been given its own family,Chaeropodidae .The
embryo s of bandicoots, unlike other marsupials, form aplacenta -like organ that connects it to the uterine wall. The function of this organ is probably to transfer nutrients from the mother; however the structure is small compared to those of theplacentalia .* ORDER PERAMELEMORPHIA
** FamilyThylacomyidae : bilbies, 2 species
** Family †Chaeropodidae :Pig-footed Bandicoot
** FamilyPeramelidae
*** SubfamilyPeramelinae
**** Genus "Isoodon ":short-nosed bandicoot s
**** Genus "Perameles ":long-nosed bandicoot s
*** SubfamilyPeroryctinae
**** Genus "Peroryctes ":New Guinean long-nosed bandicoot s
*** SubfamilyEchymiperinae
**** Genus "Echymipera ":New Guinean spiny bandicoot s
**** Genus "Microperoryctes ":New Guinean mouse bandicoot s
**** Genus "Rhynchomeles ":Ceram Bandicoot
** Superfamily †Yaraloidea
*** Family †Yaralidae: fossil bandicoots, 2 speciesReferences
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