Yallara occurred in sandplain or sand dune deserts, but also occupied mulga Acacia aneura and tussock grass country. They sheltered in a deep burrow descending in a spiral, with no nesting material at the end (Burbidge et al. 1988), but, unlike the Bilby, they closed the entrance while in residence (Finlayson 1935). They were strictly nocturnal. Limited data on food suggests they were, unlike other bandicoots, mainly carnivorous, eating small mammals, but also seeds and fruit, including of Solanum spp. (Johnson 1989; Flannery and Schouten 2001). The presence of sand in stomach contents suggests that, like the Bilby, they dug to obtain food. Females had eight teats in two rows of four (Johnson 1989).