Habitat
It's a small marsupial that only lives in small areas of eucalyptus woodland in WA. In the past it was also found in grassland.
Diet
It only eats termites (white ants). It eats about 20,000 termites a day and finds them by scent. Numbats are the only marsupials that feed on insects.
Appearance
The numbat can be up to 24 cm long with a tail 17 cm long. It has reddish-brown fur with white stripes on its back. It has a narrow head with a long sticky tongue to catch termites.
The numbat population has been reduced by loss of habitat and foxes which were introduced at the time of European colonisation. An intensive research and conservation program since 1980 has succeeded in increasing its numbers substantially and reintroductions to fox-free areas have begun. Despite the encouraging degree of success so far, the Numbat remains at considerable risk of extinction and although no longer on the seriously endangered list, it is still classified as vulnerable.
