Butterfly Bandicoot

Scientifically described only in 2018

The butterfly bandicoot was granted species status only in 2018—by that time it was already extinct. The Australian marsupial from the genus of long-nosed bandicoots (Perameles) was scientifically described based on material from the Natural History Museum in London and the Western Australian Museum.

Perameles papillon lived exclusively on the Nullarbor Plain in South Australia. The dominant vegetation there consists of low scrub, and there are no trees. The Nullarbor Desert covers a vast area and measures around 200,000 square kilometers.

In a study published in February 2018, paleontologist Kenny Travouillon and Matthew J. Phillips compare various long-nosed bandicoots and present the newly discovered species.

The species Perameles papillon differs from other animals in the genus primarily by a dark pattern on its rump that resembles a butterfly. This is also the origin of the name Papillon or Butterfly.

In addition, in the newly discovered species, the females are much larger than the males, which is not the case in all long-nosed bandicoot species. According to Travouillon and Phillips, it is generally relatively rare among mammals for female animals to be larger than males.

The American zoologist Katherine Ralls addressed the topic in her 1976 study Mammals in which Females are larger than Males. She proposed that the size difference could be based on stronger competition for resources among females than among males. Over time, this could have led to larger females through natural selection. Especially in such dry areas as the Nullarbor Desert, resources probably play an important role in the animals’ biology.

Butterfly bandicoot – fact sheet

alternative names	Nullarbor barred bandicoot, Zebra rat
scientific name	Perameles papillon
original range	Australia
time of extinction	between 1920 and 1960
causes of extinction	introduced predators
IUCN status	extinct

Invasive predators wiped out the butterfly bandicoot

Exactly when the butterfly bandicoot became extinct is uncertain. There are different reports on this. Sometimes it is said to have become extinct in the 1940s. Others, however, suspect it was between 1920 and 1960, as stated in a February 2018 article by the Western Australian Museum.

Experts seem to agree, however, on the possible reasons for the disappearance of the new species. They unanimously assume that feral carnivorous animals increasingly preyed on the butterfly bandicoot .

In general, long-nosed bandicoots have been severely threatened since the arrival of Europeans in Australia. In addition to introduced predators such as foxes or cats, habitat loss caused by the creation of agricultural land often also plays a major role.

Alongside the butterfly bandicoot, two other species of the genus Perameles have become extinct in modern times: the desert bandicoot was last sighted in 1943, and the Marl (Perameles myosuros) became extinct in the early 20th century.

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