Bandicoot - Classification

Classification

Classification within the Peramelemorphia used to be simple. There were thought to be two families in the order — the short-legged and mostly herbivorous bandicoots, and the longer-legged, nearly carnivorous bilbies. In recent years, however, it has become clear that the situation is more complex. First, the bandicoots of the New Guinean and far-northern Australian rainforests were deemed distinct from all other bandicoots and were grouped together in the separate family Peroryctidae. More recently, the bandicoot families were reunited in Peramelidae, with the New Guinean species split into four genera in two subfamilies, Peroryctinae and Echymiperinae, while the "true bandicoots" occupy the subfamily Peramelinae. The only exception is the now extinct Pig-footed bandicoot, which has been given its own family, Chaeropodidae.

  • Order Peramelemorphia
    • Family Thylacomyidae: bilbies, 2 species
    • Family †Chaeropodidae: Pig-footed bandicoot
    • Family Peramelidae
      • Subfamily Peramelinae
        • Genus Isoodon: short-nosed bandicoots
        • Genus Perameles: long-nosed bandicoots
      • Subfamily Peroryctinae
        • Genus Peroryctes: New Guinean long-nosed bandicoots
      • Subfamily Echymiperinae
        • Genus Echymipera: New Guinean spiny bandicoots
        • Genus Microperoryctes: New Guinean mouse bandicoots
        • Genus Rhynchomeles: Ceram Bandicoot
    • Superfamily †Yaraloidea
      • Family †Yaralidae: fossil bandicoots, 2 species

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