Terry Sipe, ago 12, of York, Penna., for his question:

 What is a bandicoot?

The bandicoot is Australians answer to our furry badger. Being a native of the big island continent, home of most of the pouched animals, we would expect him to be a marsupial. And so he is. The bandicoot is a cousin of the big kangaroo, the furry wombat, the darling koala and our own opossum which is the only marsupial in the New World.

There is a whole host of bandicoot cousins living in Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea. There is the rabbit bandicoot, alias the bilby, who looks like the offspring of a rat and a rabbit. There is the spiny bandicoot whose fur is mixed with. sharp spines. There is the pig‑footed bandicoot whose sharp claws resemble pig's feet. There is the common bandicoot, alias the moncat alias the Chill. There is also an anteater bandicoot who is not a strict marsupial. For Mama has no pouch. She hides her new born infants in a den or hollow tree.

The bandicoot cousins are rabbity, badger type fellows. However, they are in no way related to the rabbits or badgers of the rest of the world. They are slender, fur‑coated fellows with long slim feet which end in claws. Their tails are fairly short but the back legs are long and powerful. In fact, a bandicoot can hop along on his hind legs in a good imitation of the kangaroo. However, he has no powerful tail to help him hop as the kangaroo has.

For Mr. Bandicoot, those strong hind legs serve another purpose. He uses them when he goes to war ‑ which is often ‑ for he is a scrappy little fellow. His sparring partner is almost always another male bandicoot. And the duel is something to see. For the little duelists do not fight face to face.

The bout begins with a chase. Each tries to out maneuver the other into the right position as the angry little duelists chase each other around in circles. A blow is struck with the hind feet. The powerful claws dig into the enemy's back and come out with lumps of fur and torn skin. The duel ends when one of the bandicoot’s retreats or is defeated.

For everyday use, the claws become little spades. For the bandicoot is a great digger. He does not dig a burrow but his staple groceries are to be found in the ground. Every bandicoot must dig for his dinner. He eats worms, snails, grubs and all kinds of insects. Usually he tops off his meat course with a dessert of fruit or nuts.

The bandicoot does not pop his food straight into his mouth. Of course, he does not cook but he does prepare his dinner. Whether meat or fruit, ho kneads and pounds his food into a soft ball. Only then does he consider it fit to cat.

The panda and the kangaroo have but one baby at a time. He has Mammals fur lined pouch to himself until ho is old enough to get out into the world. Mrs. Bandicoot, as a rule, has twins. When old enough, the little fellows leave their soft cradle and survey the world from Mamma's furry shoulders.

One of the bandicoots cousins enjoys life in the Australian desert. One is no bigger than a chipmunk. The largest is the common bandicoot, about as big as a bunny.