Macrotis leucura (Thomas, 1887:397)
Lesser bilby, Lesser rabbit-eared bandicoot, White-tailed bilby, Lesser rabbit bandicoot, White-tailed rabbit-eared bandicoot, White-tailed rabbit bandicoot, yallara (Wangkangurru), atnunka (Aranda), nantakarra (Pintupi, Wangkatjungka, Warlpiri), Tjunpi (Kartutjarra, Kukatja, Manytjilytjarra, Ngaanyatjarra, Ngaatjatjarra, Pintupi), Ngatukutiri (Kartutjarra, Manytjilytjarra, Kukatja, Putitjarra), djoonpi, ?wadlyu (Barngarla (Eyre Peninsula); Schürmann, 1844; Tunbridge, 1991:28), ?warda (Tunbridge, 1991:51-52)
Taxonomy & Nomenclature
Synonym/s: Peregale leucura Thomas, 1887:397 (basionym); Peragale leucura Thomas, 1887:397; Thalacomys leucura Thomas, 1887:397; Thylacomys leucurus Thomas, 1887:397 (used by Anonymous, 1964); Peragale minor Spencer, 1897:6; Macrotis minor Spencer, 1897:6; Thalacomys minor Spencer, 1897:6; Thalacomys minor miselius Finlayson, 1932:168; Macrotis minor miseliae Tate, 1948:343
Conservation Status
Extinct
Last record: 1931 (Johnson, 2008; Fisher & Blomberg, 2012; Lee et al., 2017; Johnson, 2023:197); 1960's (Johnson, 2006:169); c.1968 (according to aborigines at Clutterbuck Hills)
IUCN RedList status: Extinct
Ironically this species was last seen by Europeans in 1931 when it was still considered to be locally common by Finlayson. But a generally accepted anecdote states that a skull was found at the base of a Wedge-tailed eagle's (Aquila audax) nest by P. Hanisch in January 1967 (Parker, 1973:12), and subsequently estimated to be less than 15 years old given the skull's good condition. This would set the minimum extinction date as 1952 or later, and is consistent with reports from the local aboriginal tribes that it only became extinct sometime during or after the 1960's (Burbidge et. al. 1988).
Distribution
Northern Territory (south-eastern), Queensland (extreme south-western), South Australia (northern) & Western Australia (mid-eastern), Australia
Type locality: unknown locality (Mahoney & Ride, 1988:44)
Type locality (minor): "sand-hills about 40 miles NE of Charlotte Waters, N.T." (Mahoney & Ride, 1988:44)
Type locality (miselius): "Cooncherie, S.A. (as Cooncherie, on the lower Diamantina...lat., 26°32', approx.)" (Mahoney & Ride, 1988:45)
Anatomy & Morphology
Body mass: 350gm (Johnson, 2006:169).
Biology & Ecology
"Ecology: terrestrial, fossorial, nocturnal, frugivore, predator, desert sand dunes; burrows in dunes, diet includes rodents."
(Mahoney & Ride, 1988:45)
Hypodigm
Holotype: BMNH 83.10.19.17 (male; skin & spirit specimen)
Holotype (minor): NMV C7091 (male; in alcohol without skull) / skull possibly NMV C7294 (as identified by Troughton, 1932:233) (Mahoney & Ride, 1988:44)
Holotype (miselius): SAMA M3465 (male; skin & skull) (Mahoney & Ride, 1988:45)
Other specimens:
MCZ 33873 (skin; female)
MCZ 33874 (skull; female)
SAM M3933 (spirit specimen) (Tunbridge, 1991:13)
Media
References
Original scientific description:
Thomas, Oldfield. (1887). Description of a second species of rabbit-bandicoot (Peragale). Annals and Magazine of Natural History, ser. 5, 19: 397-399.
Other references:
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http://www.nt.gov.au/nreta/wildlife/animals/threatened/pdf/mammals/lesser_bilby_ex.pdf
https://cites.org/sites/default/files/common/com/ac/26/E26-20i.pdf
https://library.dbca.wa.gov.au/static/FullTextFiles/000142.pdf [report of M. lagotis near Hanging Rock, WA, c. January 1982 may refer to this species?]
https://extinctanimals.proboards.com/thread/6290/macrotis-leucura-lesser-bilby