Numbat  |  

The numbat is a small marsupial, with a head and body length of 200−250 mm and a tail length of 150−180 mm. Males attain slightly higher body weights than females (maximum 700 g and 550 g respectively. Numbat fur is reddish-brown on the head and upper back, with a distinct horizontal black stripe through the eye and partway down the back. There are faint white bands across the body, which become stronger towards the rump where they are accentuated by the progressively darker and eventually jet-black bands, between the white bands. The number of white bands varies between four and eleven. The bands are often broken with the two halves offset along the midline. The pattern formed by these bands is unique to the particular animal, and may be used to identify individuals. The hair on the underside of the body is off-white. The tail is covered with long brown hairs, many of which are tipped with white. The underside of the tail, near the body, is brick-red. The numbat has a pointed nose and elongated jaw which houses 50−52 teeth, the largest number recorded in any Australian terrestrial mammal. The teeth are poorly developed and many do not protrude beyond the gums. The tongue is exceptionally long and can be extended at least 5 cm beyond the tip of the nose (about the length of the head).