Facts About Numbats

FFacts On Tap Editorial Team Fact-checked Updated April 7, 2026 4 min read

The numbat (Myrmecobius fasciatus) is a small, strikingly striped marsupial found only in Australia. Unlike most of its pouch-bearing relatives, this reddish-brown insect-eater is active by day, hunts almost nothing but termites, and has become one of the country's great conservation success stories.

Often overshadowed by kangaroos and koalas, the numbat holds its own as Western Australia's official faunal emblem and one of the continent's most distinctive native mammals.

Numbats are one of the only marsupials that are active exclusively during the day, timing their foraging to match when termites are moving near the surface.
An adult numbat can eat up to 20,000 termites in a single day, lapping them up with a long, sticky tongue that stretches nearly 10 centimeters.
Numbats have reddish-brown fur with several white stripes across their lower back and rump, along with a dark eye stripe and a bushy tail.
A full-grown numbat measures around 35-45 cm long including its tail and weighs between 280 and 700 grams.
Numbats once ranged across much of southern Australia, but today wild populations survive naturally only in small pockets of southwestern Western Australia, including Dryandra Woodland and the Perup Nature Reserve.
Conservation groups have also established new numbat populations in fenced, predator-free sanctuaries in New South Wales and South Australia using translocated and captive-bred animals.
Numbats breed around December and January, and females typically give birth to four young, matching their four teats.
Unlike kangaroos and koalas, numbats have no true pouch. Instead, the newborns attach to teats hidden within a fold of skin and fur on the mother's belly, staying attached for about five months before being left in a nest or burrow.
As of mid-2026, the numbat's IUCN Red List status has improved from Endangered to Near Threatened, following more than 40 years of conservation work that has grown the population from roughly 300 individuals in the late 1970s to an estimated 2,000-3,000 today.
The species still faces serious threats from introduced red foxes and feral cats, along with habitat loss and altered fire patterns, and occupies only a small fraction of its original range.
Numbats have keen senses of smell and hearing, which help them detect both approaching predators and termites moving underground.
Numbats are solitary and territorial, spending most of the day alone foraging for food and defending their home range from other numbats.
The numbat was officially declared the faunal (mammal) emblem of Western Australia on 25 July 1973.
Sharp claws let numbats tear open termite galleries in wood and soil, while their sticky tongue does the work of collecting the insects inside.
Numbats typically live around 5 years in the wild, and sometimes longer in captivity, where they aren't exposed to predators.
Despite spending most of their time on the ground, numbats are capable climbers and will climb logs or trees to escape predators or rest in hollows.
By keeping termite numbers in check, numbats play a small but real role in the health of the woodland ecosystems where they live.
The numbat has appeared on Australian postage stamps and coins and remains a popular figure in Australian children's books and conservation campaigns.

Frequently asked questions

How long do numbats live in the wild?

Wild numbats typically live around 5 years, since predators, disease, and other pressures shorten their lifespan. In captivity or predator-free sanctuaries, they can live somewhat longer.

What time of day are numbats most active?

Numbats are diurnal, meaning they're active during daylight hours, which is unusual among marsupials. They spend most of the day foraging for termites.

Are numbats social animals?

No, numbats are solitary outside of the breeding season. Each numbat holds and defends its own territory.

What are the main predators of numbats?

Introduced red foxes and feral cats are the numbat's biggest threats, and birds of prey also pose a risk, especially to young or inexperienced numbats.

Is the numbat still endangered?

As of a 2026 IUCN Red List reassessment, the numbat was downlisted from Endangered to Near Threatened, reflecting a population recovery to an estimated 2,000-3,000 individuals. It remains a conservation-dependent species, since threats like foxes and cats are still present.

Can numbats climb trees?

Yes, numbats can climb logs and trees to escape predators or rest in hollows, although they spend most of their time on the ground searching for termites.

Sources & further reading

Reviewed by the Facts On Tap Editorial Team

We write every article to be genuinely fun — and genuinely true. Each fact is checked against reputable sources before it goes live. Spotted something off? Tell us and read our fact-check policy.

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