common name for marsupials of the families Peramelidae and Thylacomyidae (rabbit bandicoots), comprising about 18 species (see MARSUPIAL,). They are found in Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania.

The bandicoot is distinguished by two divergent marsupial characteristics: the presence of many incisor teeth, as in the flesh- and insect-eating marsupials, and a specialized foot structure in which the second and third toes are grown together, as in the herb-eating kangaroo. The bandicoot ranges in length from about 25 to 50 cm (about 10 to 20 in), depending on the species. The fur may be orange, grayish, or brown, and in some species is striped. The large hind legs, which have claws, are longer than the forelegs and are used for hopping.

The bandicoot is generally nocturnal and hides during the day in a nest, hollow log, or crevice. Most species are omnivorous and eat insects, small mammals, or plants, but some, including the pig-footed bandicoot, Chaeropus ecaudatus, are mostly vegetarian. Others, like the rabbit bandicoots, or bilbies, Macrotis, prefer a carnivorous diet, including small mammals and lizards; although it digs holes in gardens while foraging, it is generally a useful animal, destroying mice and insect pests. The bandicoot fights with its hind legs and bites only as a last resort.