Small marsupial mammal inhabiting Australia and New Guinea. There are about 11 species, family Peramelidae. Bandicoots are rat- or rabbit-sized and live in burrows. They have long snouts, eat insects, and are nocturnal. A related group, the rabbit bandicoots or bilbies, is reduced to a single species that is now endangered and protected by law.
Black recalls the country's tragic past. White reflects the Georgians' hopes for the future. Dark red is the national colour and is said to represent happiness. Effective date: 14 November 1990.