Housing
Housing requirements should take into considerations the weather and enviroment of the area the bilbies will be kept in. Nesting boxes lined with shreaded paper sitting at the base of an approximatley 6.5 metre tunnel are ideal for animals kept in cooler enviroments. The U shape tunnel which opens onto the sand can be constructed out of polypipe and can tunnel around the perimeter of the enclosure. The polypipes should be covered with coarse washed sand to ensure a constant tempreture (Johnson 1989). Similarly animals can be housed in concrete floored pens ensuring a warm nest box with hay or thick straw is available. To ensure hygeine sand should be kept dry and seived daily to remove feaces and food remains, daily cleaning ensures sand only needs replacing approximatley once a year. Animals housed outdoors should be enclosed by a fence or related impenetratable material burried atleast 2m below gorund. The above ground fence should have a curtain and reach a height of atleast 2m to eliminate the incidence of an animal climbing (Johnson 1989). A number of females and males may be kept together ensuring enclosure is large enough without aggression and the greater bibly may also be house with other small desert species such as the Spinefex Hopping Mouse (Notomys alexis). Indoor enclosures may have a red light so the animals can be monitered in the night (Johnson 1989).
Handling
Handling is able to be done by clasping the base of the tail and does not strip or cause breakage of the skin (Johnson 1989). Wild animals placd into captivity readily become accustomed to human contact as the greater bilby is a docile animal (Department of the Enviroment 2011).
Diet
Being an omnivore the bibly is able to be fed a variety of food in captvity. Seeds, grains, arthropods, roots and small insects are able to be fed with liive insects providing a good source of enrichment (Gibson 2001). As the bibly gains must of its water through its food, a water bowl is not essential although a small bowl should or bottle should be provided (Johnson 1989).
Breeding
Greater bilbies are readily bred in captivity with most of copulation taking place inside the burrow (Johnson 1989). Pouch inspections should be conducted regularly to ensure wellbeing of mother and young. A secure and warm nest box or tunnel is necessary for captive breeding. It is important to ensure genetic diveristy in captive bilbies by checking and abiding by the national studbook (Department of the Enviroment 2011).
Housing requirements should take into considerations the weather and enviroment of the area the bilbies will be kept in. Nesting boxes lined with shreaded paper sitting at the base of an approximatley 6.5 metre tunnel are ideal for animals kept in cooler enviroments. The U shape tunnel which opens onto the sand can be constructed out of polypipe and can tunnel around the perimeter of the enclosure. The polypipes should be covered with coarse washed sand to ensure a constant tempreture (Johnson 1989). Similarly animals can be housed in concrete floored pens ensuring a warm nest box with hay or thick straw is available. To ensure hygeine sand should be kept dry and seived daily to remove feaces and food remains, daily cleaning ensures sand only needs replacing approximatley once a year. Animals housed outdoors should be enclosed by a fence or related impenetratable material burried atleast 2m below gorund. The above ground fence should have a curtain and reach a height of atleast 2m to eliminate the incidence of an animal climbing (Johnson 1989). A number of females and males may be kept together ensuring enclosure is large enough without aggression and the greater bibly may also be house with other small desert species such as the Spinefex Hopping Mouse (Notomys alexis). Indoor enclosures may have a red light so the animals can be monitered in the night (Johnson 1989).
Handling
Handling is able to be done by clasping the base of the tail and does not strip or cause breakage of the skin (Johnson 1989). Wild animals placd into captivity readily become accustomed to human contact as the greater bilby is a docile animal (Department of the Enviroment 2011).
Diet
Being an omnivore the bibly is able to be fed a variety of food in captvity. Seeds, grains, arthropods, roots and small insects are able to be fed with liive insects providing a good source of enrichment (Gibson 2001). As the bibly gains must of its water through its food, a water bowl is not essential although a small bowl should or bottle should be provided (Johnson 1989).
Breeding
Greater bilbies are readily bred in captivity with most of copulation taking place inside the burrow (Johnson 1989). Pouch inspections should be conducted regularly to ensure wellbeing of mother and young. A secure and warm nest box or tunnel is necessary for captive breeding. It is important to ensure genetic diveristy in captive bilbies by checking and abiding by the national studbook (Department of the Enviroment 2011).