Greater bilby

Overview

The greater bilby has silky blue-grey fur, large pink ears, a pointed snout and a long black-and-white tail. Powerful clawed forelimbs excavate burrows and buried food. Its rabbit-like ears do not make it a lagomorph.

It shelters underground through daytime heat and forages after dark. Insects, larvae, seeds, fungi, bulbs and fruit contribute to an omnivorous diet. Food supplies moisture in dry habitats; this physiological economy does not mean water can never be used.

Museum specimens document former occurrence around several New South Wales towns now outside the familiar surviving range. Burrowing activity and feeding pits are traces of its ecological work, but a photographed hole alone would not identify the animal. Collection specimen AM M.39610 provides a named anatomical reference.

Origins & earliest records

A peramelemorph marsupial in Thylacomyidae. The greater bilby is separated from the extinct lesser bilby, Macrotis leucura, rather than treating both as a single changing species.

Evidence & interpretation

Sue Burrell’s current museum account supports body form and feeding; the museum’s Easter Bilby collection report supports historical locality records. Captive reproductive potential is not presented as a wild annual guarantee.

Selected bibliography

Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.

1. 01

   Greater Bilby

   Sue Burrell · 2026

   Selected bibliography; institutional account and study limits retained.

2. 02

   Australia’s answer to the Easter bunny ... the Easter Bilby!

   Australian Museum · 2020

   Selected bibliography; institutional account and study limits retained.

Family, evolution & connections

Taxonomic classification

A hierarchy of classified groups, not a chain of direct ancestors.

Source note: M. lagotis and M. leucura kept distinct.

1. ClassMammalia
2. OrderPeramelemorphia
3. FamilyThylacomyidae
4. GenusMacrotis
5. SpeciesMacrotis lagotis

References

Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.

1. InstitutionalGreater BilbyResearch access: 2026-10-10
2. InstitutionalAustralia’s answer to the Easter bunny ... the Easter Bilby!Research access: 2026-10-10

Image credits

Greater bilby - AI-generated scientific interpretation.

Modern AI-generated scientific illustration. Diagnostic features follow selected sources; pose, individual markings and fine details are interpretive. Not photography or independent anatomical evidence.