Nutty Numbats

Maybe not a good title for this post since numbats don't eat nuts.  So sue me!  You've probably heard of a wombat; how about a numbat?  The numbat is another species that's only found in Australia and is also known as the banded anteater.  To me it looks more like a squirrel than an anteater, except for its long skinny tongue.

Source:  abc.net.au

And, strangely enough, even though it's called an anteater, it feeds exclusively on termites - up to 20,000 a day.  Even though it eats only termites, it doesn't have the strong claws that the larger anteaters have that are used to rip open termite mounds so it relies on making shallower excavations and finding the termites in unfortified runways leading up to the nest, as well as in logs and branches.

Source:  australianstamp.com

The numbat is also a marsupial but does not have a pouch for its young.  They cling to mom until they develop fur and then she leaves them in an underground nest lined with grass or leaves until they are able to feed independently.

The numbat was quite prevalent in most of southern Australia, but is now only found in a small southwestern corner.  One of its main predators is the European red fox introduced to Australia in the 19th century.  It is considered very endangered and is now a protected species.