FaunaHub
ENEndangeredPartial review

Numbat

Myrmecobius fasciatus

Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus), a striped termite-eating marsupial.

Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus), Western Australia.

Image: Gnangarra, CC BY 2.5 au, via Wikimedia Commons.

At a glance

IUCN category
EN · Endangered
Animal group
Mammals
Population trend
Decreasing
Last verified

Conservation overview

The numbat is a small, striped marsupial that feeds almost entirely on termites. It is assessed as Endangered.

Unusually for a marsupial, it is active by day, tracking termites as they move near the surface.

Range & habitat

Remnant woodlands of south-western Australia.

Major threats

Threats below are drawn from the authoritative sources listed on this page. For the current, complete assessment, see the IUCN Red List.

  • Introduced foxes and cats
  • Habitat loss and fragmentation
  • A small population

Why it matters

A termite specialist and emblem of Western Australia, the numbat is a flagship for controlling introduced predators and restoring Australian woodlands.

Gallery

A numbat foraging.

Numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus).

Image: Gnangarra, CC BY 2.5 au, via Wikimedia Commons.

Sources

Sources for Numbat

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the numbat eat?
Almost exclusively termites — it can eat many thousands a day, licking them up with a long tongue, and does not need to dig deep because it follows termites near the surface.
Why is the numbat Endangered?
Published assessments cite predation by introduced foxes and cats, habitat loss and fragmentation, and a small population. See the IUCN Red List.

Last updated: