Written by This little uncommon critter, living only in Australia, is officially called Macrotis, which means “big-eared” in Greek, but is also called a rabbit-bandicoot, and dalgyte (suggested by Janina at An Experiment). It’s the only surviving rare species of the bandicoot superfamily after the lesser bilby became extinct in the 1950s. According to the Australian National University, the animal’s name was derived from an aboriginal language ‘Yuwaalaraay’. Luckily the name of the animal is much simpler and actually pronounceable than the language it hails from. And apparently the more uncommon the creature, the more likely to have a multitude of names.
Though not yet extinct, these animals are slowly becoming endangered due to habitat loss and changes caused by humans, as well as competition for food with other animals. Programs have been established to popularize the bilby to help in conservation efforts. This includes rebranding him as a native Australian Easter Bunny alternative by selling chocolate Easter Bilbies. The Easter Bilby concept was actually used for the first time in March 1968, when a 9-year-old girl named Rose-Marie Dusting, wrote a story called “Billy The Aussie Easter Bilby,” which she published as a book 11 years later. Her story helped bring awareness to this little marsupial and galvanized public interested in saving the bilby.
The greater bilby is a solitary animal, who prefers to wander around alone, though sometimes, bilbies are also seen in rather exclusive groups of no more than four members. They have incredibly poor vision so the large ears help with better hearing and the long snoot helps in smelling which is essentially how the animal finds its way around. The bilby gets all of its water from food and never drinks a drop. Since their food includes small animals, insects and their larvae, they also consume quite a bit a mud when they are eating which is kind of gross. But let’s hope this little creature is able to stick around for years to come!
About the Doodlewash
M. Graham watercolors: Burnt Sienna, Ultramarine Blue, Neutral Tint and Titanium White Gouache. Sennelier L’aqaurelle: Opera Rose. Lamy Safari Al Star pen with Platinum Carbon black ink in a 5″ x 8″ 140 lb. (300 gsm) Pentalic Aqua Journal
Australia certainly has its share of extraordinary creatures. Amazing ears!
Thanks Susan! 😃💕Yeah I could almost do an entire month of uncommon creatures from Australia alone! Hehe
ahhhh, the Bilby! so cute Charlie! what a wonderful illustration and great info too; the Bilby is just way too adorable to become extinct. Thanks for sharing the love 🙂 ‘cheers mate …. Debi
Thanks Debi! 😃💕 Yeah it’s super sad to think of this little guy not being with us any more. Here’s to many more years with bilbies among us!
yes! Cheers!!
Weird..no water!? Great sketch and post. Get-along yonder Bandicoot ;). Trying to think of anywords that rhyme with Bandicoot… snoot was pretty good 🙂
Jessica, Australia is a very dry country, the most arid in the world, apart from the Sahara and the Kobi Desert in China. Obtaining moisture only from the food you eat, therefore, is not uncommon. Much like we humans do, who eat moisture-laden fruits and so on. We could survive for a while just doing that!
Thanks Jessica! 😃💕 Lol… Bandicoot with his funky brand of snoot! Okay… maybe not! Yeah… it’s hard to rhyme with that word.
Great and cute Charlie! 🙂
Thanks so much! Glad you liked this little guy! 😃💕
I like all your doodlewash <3
Awww thanks!! 😊😃
My pleasure! 🙂
I wonder if they would actually drink water, if they might not become so close to extinction?! 🙂 Maybe Debi can get a shot of one with her camera for us. Lovely doodlewash charlie – and fun info!
Thanks Jodi! Glad you liked this! 😃💕Yeah it’s super weird they don’t actually drink water, but it’s mostly humans that are causing their problems. But that’s usually the case! Darn dumb humans! 😉
I just read a picture book on the bilby! What a fun and wacky critter. Australia seems to have a lot of those. LOL! Love those magnificent ears you drew on him! <3
Thanks Teresa! 😃💕Australia is a goldmine for weird creatures! Those ears were fun to doodlewash… I think I’d take him over the Easter Bunny any day!
Me, too! 😀
What an extraordinary little animal, I love the ears. Beautifully Doodlewashed Charlie.
Thanks Sharon! 😃💕Thought he was a good addition with Easter fast approaching this year. Hehe
Wow! I wonder if this is why human ears continue to grow in size so that (supposedly) it helps us hear better too! 😜 An awesome Doodlewash Charlie! 🎨👍😃❤️
I wish that were true! Seems our ears get bigger and hairier, and yet our hearing gets worse with age. What gives?? Haha! Thanks so much Jill!! 😃💕
Another cute Aussie! 😊
hehe… so much cuteness in Australia! Thanks Carmel! 😃
I am amazed everyday when I see your sketch. Everyone is so wonderfully done. I love your art Charlie!
Awww thanks Teri! 😊 I feel like I just keep doodlewashing things and not really thinking about the outcome. I’m so pleased you like them and think they’re good! 😃💕
He is a cutie, ain’t he, Charlie! Thank you! You’ve done him proud in your doodle. I believe that a portion of sales of Bilby Easter chocies go to help fund keeping this wonderful animal alive through activities such as conservation programs. I’ve been buying Bilby chocs for years! Also, you can see how those kangaroo-like back legs allow them to hop along, just like a kangaroo, and you know how well they do that! <3
Thanks so much for the suggestion, Janina!😃💕 Thrilled you liked the outcome and think I did him proud. Yes… I read that sometimes the proceeds go to help fund conversation which is super cool. I wish we had Easter bilbies here! I want some! 😊
How very cute! Amazing how many exotic animals can be found in Australia! I hope they can manage to survive as a species.. Must be so tough being a solitary creature to lose so much of their habitat.. Great doodlewash, Charlie!
Thanks Kari! 😃💕Yeah… humans sort of jacked things up for a lot of those strange creatures in Australia when they started to expand. Many have gone extinct, so here’s to keeping the bilby around for years to come!!
Such a good choice Charlie (thanks Janina!) … I have never seen one in the wild, but I would love to. The Easter Bilby idea is growing steadily, maybe this will help! He really is a cutie.
Thanks Anna! 😃💕I think it would be so cool to see one of these little creatures in the wild. Of course, I’ve never been to Australia so that would prove extra difficult. 😊hehe… but one day I hope to visit!
Adorabilby cute Charlie ….looks a little like my pet opossums I used to have, only difference is they had rounded ears…….chocolate Easter bilbies love it.
Thanks Rebecca! 😃💕 Oh my! you had pet possums?? That’s wild… I wouldn’t have even thought of them as pets. Yeah… the longer the ear, the more chocolate you get I guess. hehe
Yes I had two, a little strange as a pet, they ate live meal worms, and cat food, I stick to conventional pets nowadays.
Hehe…yeah…conventional pets seem to be lower maintenance!
I am feeling all educated after reading that, but also rather thirsty. Off to eat some mud to see if it helps. Thank you!
Haha! Excellent! But the mud is just a side effect when you are licking up insects… just be sure to eat some fruit to wash it down! lol
Looks like one of those combination creatures from a medieval manuscript! A lot of animals in Australia (as in all islands) became extinct when Westerners came and not only changed the actual habitat, but introduced alien species. Hope this little guy survives! (K)
Isn’t it wild looking, Kerfe?!… I really like these and hadn’t heard of them before. True… humans really did a number on the native creatures there. Since this guy is in the “cute” category, he’s got a better chance for conservation. People prefer the cute species of animals when it comes to protecting them.
So true about the cute factor. But earthworms need our love too!
So true!! I agree!!
So funny to see this! I am visiting Sydney right now and just bused all the way downtown this evening to Haigh’s Chocolates to pick up chocolate bilbies to take home for Easter.
Awww cool!! 😃Send some my way, Cindy! lol… When I was researching them, the chocolates looked so cool! Hope you’re having a wonderful trip!!
I’m not sure if I’ve seen this critter or not before. I have seen a tiny mouse/kangaroo-type creature which looks like this one, but the bilby name is new to me. They may be the same or they may be different – at least I know more about the bilby now… thanks, Charlie!
Yeah…this one jumps like a kangaroo so might be the same thing. The more uncommon the creature the more weird names they seem to get and its confusing! Hehe
I’m very much enjoying that fur, it looks so stroke-able (‘stroke the greater bilby’… in a totally non-euphemistic way, Charlie, you understand!) Looking at those impressive ears, it’s a shame I didn’t have one of these around as a child… we could have been allies!
Yeah…stroke the bilby just doesn’t have the same ring as stroke the lizard! Haha! But this totally could have been your childhood ally…he’s so cute… You need one. Just don’t let the seal eat it!
Beautiful painting, extraordinary creature…and so cute. Fervent wishes that the Bilby sticks around.
Thanks Haunani!! 😃💕 I never thought about just how many of these uncommon creatures would also be nearly endangered when I started this project. It’s nice to learn more about them and in a tiny way, raise a bit of awareness for them!
What a charming little fellow. My dog looks a bit like him. Wonderful Doodlewash Charlie!
hehe… kind of cutie isn’t he? The bilby and your doggie! Thanks Cathe! 😃💕