Macrotis

Macrotis is a genus of Australian marsupials in the bandicoot family, containing the living greater bilby and the extinct lesser bilby.

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Greater bilby: The surviving Macrotis species, a large, nocturnal Australian marsupial with long ears and a burrowing lifestyle. This is the living species that defines the genus today.
Burrow: A tunnel or chamber excavated by an animal for shelter, reproduction, or protection. Greater bilbies dig extensive burrows for shelter from heat and predators.
Bilby conservation: The protection and recovery efforts directed at the greater bilby and its habitat. Conservation action is essential because the genus now has only one living species.
Macrotis leucura: The lesser bilby, an extinct Macrotis species formerly found in arid Australia. Its extinction reduced the genus from two species to one.
Lesser bilby: An extinct Australian marsupial species in the genus Macrotis, last recorded in the 20th century. It is the second, extinct species included in the genus.
Nocturnality: An activity pattern in which an animal is primarily active during the night. Night activity helps bilbies avoid daytime heat in arid habitats.
Reintroduction: The deliberate release of a species into places where it formerly occurred or has disappeared. Bilbies have been reintroduced to protected areas within their former range.
Feral cat: A domestic cat living and hunting without direct human care, often affecting native wildlife. Predation by feral cats contributes to pressure on bilby populations.
Peramelemorphia: The mammalian order containing bandicoots and bilbies, characterized by distinctive snouts and largely Australasian distributions. Macrotis belongs to this broader order of marsupials.
Olfaction: The sensory process of detecting and distinguishing odors. Bilbies use their keen sense of smell to locate food underground.