Isoodon macrourus
Silhouette: Steven Traver · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
The northern brown bandicoot (Isoodon macrourus), a marsupial species, is a bandicoot found only on the northern and eastern coasts of Australia and nearby islands, mainly Papua New Guinea. It is not, however, found far inland.
This species can be set apart from other marsupials by two traits; it is both polyprotodont (i.e., several pairs of lower front teeth) and syndactylous. The northern brown bandicoot has typical body and tail lengths of 40 and 15 cm (15.7 and 5.9 in), respectively. On average it weighs 1,200 g (2.6 lb). This marsupial has a thick harsh coat but is not spiny. The dorsal pelage is light brown in appearance with speckled black patterns throughout. On the ventral surface it is solid white. The northern brown bandicoot has a reverse pouch so it won't fill with soil when digging. This bandicoot also has short, rounded ears and a short nose. One can easily mistake the northern brown bandicoot for the southern brown bandicoot. The two species differ in both size, with the northern brown bandicoot larger, and regional locality, in that the southern brown bandicoot is found only on the southern coastline of Australia.
The male is typically 5–7 cm (2.0... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Kakadu National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brisbane | 🇦🇺 Australia |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary | 🇦🇺 Australia |
No species of the same family or order lives in Kakadu National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other mammals.
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Brown Bandicoot sighting in Kakadu National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 11th most-seen of the 11 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Northern Brown Bandicoot in Kakadu National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March–May and August–December, the lowest months. That is one of Kakadu National Park's wettest months, with about 350 mm of rain against almost none in August.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Northern Brown Bandicoot sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is most active around dawn and dusk.
4th of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Northern Brown Bandicoot sightings, Kakadu National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Daintree National Park (Australia, about 30%), Lamington National Park (Australia, about 20%) and Springbrook National Park (Australia, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Northern Brown Bandicoot is recorded against all the mammals logged in Kakadu National Park (5 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
