Southern pig-footed bandicoot

The description of the population was revised in 2019, separating a central western population as Chaeropus yirratji and recognised two earlier descriptions as subspecies Chaeropus ecaudatus ecaudatus (found in southeastern Australia) and Chaeropus ecaudatus occidentalis (found in western and southwestern Australia).[2]

It has been believed to be extinct since the mid-20th century, having reportedly vanished from its final refuge in southern Australia by 1945.[3] It was presumably the first of the two species of Chaeropus to go extinct. Even though, the pig footed-bandicoot went extinct they were the only marsupials to walk on reduced digits both on the fore and hind feet. In addition, the pig footed-bandicoot diverges from two different species. According to molecular phylogenetic analyses they diverged from other bandicoots like the Peramelidae, and also from the bilbies like Thylacomyidae in the mid-Late Oligocene.[4]

It is thought to have been distributed in shrubland habitats in the southern regions of Australia's deserts, and its range likely extended to Western Australia. It physically closely resembled the northern pig-footed bandicoot (C. yirratji), but it had fewer holes on its palate and shorter feet. It also had a different dentition than C. yirratji, indicating that it may have had a different diet. The two species were formerly considered conspecific until a study released in 2019 found them to be separate species.[5][6] This species likely went extinct due to predation by introduced red foxes and feral cats, as well as habitat degradation by introduced livestock.[7]