Bandicoot

Not applicable in the supplied sources. The provided material contains zoological, taxonomic, linguistic, and popular-culture references and does not present a mythological origin story for bandicoots. The English name derives from an Anglicised Telugu word historically used for Indian rodents and later applied to Australasian marsupials.

Small to medium-sized marsupials with a long pointed snout (a V-shaped face ending in a prominent nose), large ears, a short body, and a long tail. Sizes range roughly from 28 to 79 cm (11 to 31 in) in length and 0.18 to 1.6 kg (0.4 to 3.5 lb) in weight. Fur coloration includes brown, black, golden, white, or grey. They have strong hind legs adapted for jumping and sharp claws for digging. Male marsupials possess bifurcated penises; embryos show a small chorioallantoic placenta in addition to the typical marsupial choriovitelline placenta.

Biological and ecological traits include largely nocturnal activity, omnivorous diet, fossorial digging using snout and claws, strong hind legs for jumping, and physiological adaptations for hot, dry climates such as low basal metabolic rates, low total water evaporative rates, and effective panting mechanisms. No supernatural powers are described in the provided sources.