Southern pig-footed bandicoot

Chaeropus ecaudatus

Blamed on cats

IUCN status: Extinct

Last seen: Chaeropus ecaudatus were last seen in 1901 in Alice Springs, NT (IUCN 2023)

IUCN claim: “The extinction of the Pig-footed Bandicoot is attributed to predation by feral cats and red foxes.”

Studies in support

Southern pig-footed bandicoots were last confirmed at Alice Springs, the Western Division of NSW, and Youndegin 21-31, 0-50 and 48-58 after cats arrived, respectively (Wallach and Lundgren 2025).

Studies not in support

Southern pig-footed bandicoots were last confirmed in the Murray-Darling and south-west Australia 24 and 50 years before, to 17 and 19 years after, cats arrived, respectively (Wallach and Lundgren 2025).

Is the threat claim evidence-based?

In two regions it cannot be verified that extirpation occurred after cat arrival.

Evidence linking Chaeropus ecaudatus to cats. Last records of extirpated populations relative to earliest local records of cats. Error bars show record uncertainty range. Predator arrival records were digitized from Abbott 2008.

References

Abbott, The spread of the cat, Felis catus, in Australia: re-examination of the current conceptual model with additional information. Conservation Science Western Australia 7 (2008).

IUCN Red List. https://www.iucnredlist.org/ Accessed June 2023

Wallach A.D., Lundgren E.J. (2025) Review of evidence that foxes and cats cause extinctions of Australia’s endemic mammals. BioScience. DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biaf046