Lesser Bilby Colouring

The lesser bilby, Macrotis leucura, was a small desert marsupial found only in Australia. Its historical records came from arid parts of the Northern Territory and South Australia, including the northern Lake Eyre Basin. Like the surviving greater bilby, it had a pointed snout, very long ears, silky fur, strong digging claws and a backward-opening pouch that helped keep soil away from its young. It was smaller than its living relative and had a long tail with a pale or white end, which explains the scientific name leucura, meaning white-tailed. Bilbies shelter in deep burrows during hot days and emerge at night to search for seeds, bulbs, insects and other small foods. Details such as the lesser bilby's normal lifespan are unknown because it disappeared before long-term field studies were possible. The last verified living specimens were collected near Koonchera Dune in South Australia in 1931. Aboriginal knowledge recorded later suggests the species may have survived in remote desert country into the 1950s or 1960s, so 1931 should not be treated as a certain final year. No last individual was given a personal name. The reasons for extinction are also uncertain. Red foxes and feral cats probably preyed on it, while rabbits and livestock changed vegetation and competed for food. Altered fire patterns and drought may have added pressure. CITES and Australian sources therefore describe several likely threats rather than one proven cause. For this colouring page, give the bilby soft blue-grey, sandy tan or pale brown fur. Make the belly cream and the tail tip bright white, then add pink, peach or light brown inside the enormous ears. The spinifex can be olive and yellow-green, desert flowers red or purple, and the dunes gold, orange or peach. Use short strokes around the fluffy body and long smooth strokes along the ears and tail. Colour the burrow entrance a darker brown, but leave a pale edge around it. The large ears, pointed nose and digging claws are the special features to notice. A light background will keep this small desert animal clearly visible.

◫ A4 size✎ Bold outlines♡ Ages 3–8

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