\ILasiorhinus krefftii\i (kref'-tee-ee: "Krefft's hairy-nose". (G. Krefft fowarded a skull of the \Pspecies\p to the describer, R. Owen)
In the nineteenth century this \Pspecies\p was present in New South Wales and Victoria. It now survives only in a small national park near Epping Forest Station in tropical Queensland. At night it feeds on coarse grasses and herbs. By day it sleeps in a burrow.
Its reproductive biology is not known.
\BPicture:\b \IC A Henley\i
#
"Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat Distribution Map",2,"a\5\42a.bmp","c","0"
The Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat lives mainly on the Nullabor Plain. It has an effective water economy and does not need to drink. At night it feeds on coarse grasses and herbs and by day it rests well below the desert surface in a humid burrow. Survival in this very difficult environment is assisted by a very low rate of metabolism.
Sexual maturity is reached at the age of three years. Most mating takes place from August to November but reproduction ceases in periods of low rainfall, when food is scarce. The rear-opening pouch has two teats, but usually one young is born. It remains in the pouch for up to nine months.
\BPicture:\b \IB & B Wells\i
#
"Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat Distribution Map",5,"a\5\42b.bmp","c","0"
The common wombat has coarse, stiff hair and a naked muzzle. During the night it moves over a large area, grazing on young grasses and \Psedges\p. During the day it sleeps in a nest of vegetation in one of several burrows (constructed by itself or other wombats) within its \Phome range\p.
In cold weather it may feed during the day. Both sexes are solitary and aggressive but their activities are so organised that confrontations are infrequent.
Sexual maturity is reached at the age of two years. Breeding takes place throughout the year but with a peak in September, October and November. The female has two teats in a backwardly opening pouch but usually rears only one young which remains in the pouch for about six months, after which it is able to follow its mother, on foot, until it is weaned and independent.
Because the Koala feeds almost exclusively on the leaves of eucalypts and exercises considerable choice among these, it is restricted to limited areas of forest. It may show some activity by day but usually spends the daylight hours asleep in the fork of a tree: it does not make a nest or seek any shelter.
It moves around vigorously at night, travelling to favoured food trees and often acting aggressively towards other individuals. In open forest or woodland, it may descend to the ground and even swim across watercourses to move from its base tree to feeding trees. Males are somewhat larger than females and are more aggressive. Older males attempt to monopolise several females.
Koalas from the southern part of the extensive distribution are much larger than those from the most northern part (almost twice the average weight). Males are larger than females. Sexual maturity is reached at two years of age but males seldom have the opportunity to mate before the age of three or four. Most mating occurs from October to February. The female has two teats in a pouch which opens downwards and to the rear. Only one young is born and after five or six months in the pouch it is carried on the mother's back until about a year old.
\BPicture:\b \IPavel German\i
#
"Koala Video",2,"0","c","koala.mov"
\BVideo:\b \IDavid Ireland / Webster Publishing\i
#
"Koala Birth Video",3,0,c,mkoalbi.mov
\BVideo:\b \IFilm Australia\i
#
"Koala Distribution Map",4,"a\5\41.bmp","c","0"
#
"Koala Fact File",5,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Vombatiformes
\B\PInfraorder:\p\b Phascolarctomorphia
\B\PFamily:\p\b Phascolarctidae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Phascolarctos
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Cool temperate to Tropical
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Wet and dry eucalypt forests and woodland
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 50-82cm
\B\PTail:\p\b negligible
\B\PDistribution:\p\b 300,000-1 million square kilometres
This cuscus is widespread in New Guinea but, in Australia, is limited to the tip of Cape York. Animals from New Guinea, particularly males, may be strikingly patterned in orange and white but those in Australia tend to be greyish with white patches above and white below. The face is round and the ears are barely visible.
The Spotted Cuscus is known to eat fruits and leaves and, in captivity, is partial to meat and eggs: it is therefore likely that it eats eggs, nestling birds and other small animals. It is \Pnocturnal\p but does not utilise any shelter during the day. The female has four teats in a forwardly opening pouch: up to three pouch-young may be carried but usually only one young is reared. After leaving the pouch, it is carried on the mother's back. Breeding appears to take place throughout the year.
\BPicture:\b \ID Storch\i
#
"Spotted Cuscus Distribution Map",2,"a\5\44.bmp","c","0"
#
"Spotted Cuscus Fact File",3,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Phalangeroidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Phalangeridae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Phalanger
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Tropical
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Lowland rainforest and adjacent mangroves
Most widespread of all the cuscuses, this \Pspecies\p extends from the Moluccas, through New Guinea to the Solomons. The Australian population lives at the base of Cape York. The Grey Cuscus is smaller than the Spotted Cuscus, has larger ears and a longer snout. It is greyish-brown with a distinct dark brown stripe from between the eyes to the base of the tail.
It feeds on leaves and fruits and, although it will eat meat in captivity, it does not do so to the same extent as the Spotted Cuscus. It is \Pnocturnal\p and seeks shelter during the day in a tree-hole. The female has four teats in a forwardly opening pouch and may carry up to three pouch-young, although only one is usually reared. After leaving the pouch, it is carried on its mother's back until weaned. The Grey Cuscus probably breeds throughout the year.
\BPicture:\b \IPavel German\i
#
"Grey Cuscus Distribution Map",5,"a\5\45.bmp","c","0"
Closely related to the Common Brushtail (and possibly \Pconspecific\p with it) this possum occupies the northwestern part of tropical Australia. It feeds mainly upon leaves, but also eats fruits and flowers. It is an \Popportunistic\p \Pherbivore\p, feeding on those leaves which are most readily available: it is quite tolerant of a number of toxic substances found in leaves.
In appearance, it closely resembles the Common Brushtail but it is noticeably smaller and its tail is less furred, particularly on the underside. The grey fur has a russet tinge. Its general biology appears to be very similar to that of the Common Brushtail but it may be more dependent upon tree-holes for nesting and it is less aggressively \Pterritorial\p.
Breeding takes place throughout the year. The female has two teats in a forwardly directed pouch but usually raises only one young, which is carried on the mother's back after it leaves the pouch.
\BPicture:\b \IJ A Kerle\i
#
"Northern Brushtail Possum Distribution Map",8,"a\5\46.bmp","c","0"
Largest of the brushtails, this \Pspecies\p is mostly confined to southeastern Australia on the coastal side of the Great Dividing Range. Despite its common name, it is not restricted to high country but most of the coastal forests which once provided a \Phabitat\p have been cleared and it is therefore now more common in the highlands.
It can be distinguished from the Common Brushtail by its plumper body and more bushy tail.
It feeds mainly upon leaves of shrubs, particularly acacias, supplemented by fruits and fungi: it is sometimes a pest of pine plantations. During the day it rests in a tree-hole or hollow log. The breeding season is from March to May. The female has two teats in a forwardly directed pouch but usually raises only one young, which is carried on the mother's back after it leaves the pouch.
\BPicture:\b \IG A Hoye\i
#
"Mountain Brushtail Possum Distribution Map",11,"a\5\46b.bmp","c","0"
Because the range of this \Pspecies\p includes every Australian capital city except Darwin (where its place is taken by the closely related Northern Brushtail), and because of its tendency to make its den in the roof-spaces of houses, it is the most familiar of all Australian \Pmarsupial\ps.
In suburbs, it may eat introduced fruits and flowering shrubs but, in the wild, it feeds extensively on leaves, supplemented by fruits, buds and grasses: the diet varies considerably, depending upon the dominant vegetation. It prefers to make a nest in a tree-hole but, in the absence of trees of sufficient size or age, it will make a nest under any suitable shelter on the ground.
The Common Brushtail varies considerably in size, being much larger in the southern part of the range than in the north. A \Psubspecies\p in northern Queensland has coppery-red fur.
It is solitary and \Pterritorial\p, marking its \Pterritory\p with secretions from glands on its chest and rump and vigorously defending it against intruders, first with hisses and barks and, if necessary, with tooth and claw.
The female has two teats in a forwardly directed pouch but carries only one pouch young. Breeding occurs throughout the year but with peaks in spring and autumn.
Introduced into New Zealand in 1837, the Common Brushtail has become a serious pest.
\BPicture:\b \IPavel German\i
#
"Common Brushtail Possum Distribution Map",14,"a\5\47.bmp","c","0"
Little is known of the biology of this \Pspecies\p, which was not described until 1917 and not observed in the wild until relatively recently. As the name implies, most of the strongly \Pprehensile\p tail is covered with scales, each of which has a conical projection, giving the tail a rasp-like appearance.
As in cuscuses, the first two fingers of the forefoot can be opposed to the other three and the hindfoot has a large, opposable first toe. It is an agile climber and feeds at night on leaves, fruits and flowers. During the day it sleeps on the ground in rock crevices or among piled boulders.
The female has two teats in a forward opening pouch but carries only one pouch young.
\BPicture:\b \IE Beaton\i
#
"Scaly-tailed Possum Distribution Map",17,"a\5\48.bmp","c","0"
#
"Scaly-tailed Possum Fact File",18,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Phalangeroidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Phalangeridae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Wyulda
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Tropical
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Open woodland and \Pvine thicket\ps in rocky country
Largest of the pygmy-possums, this \Pspecies\p is currently restricted to small areas above the snowline in the vicinity of Mount Hotham, Mount Higginbotham and Mount Kosciusko in the Australian Alps, but it had a much wider distribution in eastern Australia some 50,000 years ago and was first described, in the nineteenth century, from Pleistocene fossils in Wellington Caves.
It builds a more or less spherical nest of dry grass. During the warmer parts of the year, it forages on the ground and in the vegetation, feeding mainly upon insects, spiders and worms. Seeds are gathered during this period of abundance and cached under the nest or under nearby bark or stones. When snow lies a metre or more deep over the shrubs, the Mountain Pygmy-possum continues to be active in runways close to the ground and ekes out its meagre food supply by metabolising its stored fat and eating seeds which it stored in the summer.
It may also become \Ptorpid\p for several days at a time, permitting its body temperature to drop almost to that of the surrounding air, and thereby conserving energy.
Males are slightly larger than females. Mating appears to take place in October and November. The female has four teats and usually rears four young, which remain in the nest for about a month after vacating the pouch.
Largest member of the \Pgenus\p \ICercartetus\i, this \Pspecies\p is more widely distributed in New Guinea than in Australia. Its full diet is not known but it presumably is mainly \Pinsectivorous\p, although it is known to take nectar from flowers. It sleeps during the day in a spherical nest of leaves which may be in a tree-hole or a variety of other situations. Several individuals may share a nest.
Although tropical, it may become \Ptorpid\p during the day.
The breeding season extends from August to February, with peaks in early spring and summer. The female has four teats and rears up to four young, which are left in the nest after they vacate the pouch.
\BPicture:\b \IH & J Beste\i
#
"Long-tailed Pygmy Possum Distribution Map",6,"a\5\50a.bmp","c","0"
Although about the same length as the Eastern Pygmy-possum, the western \Pspecies\p is more slightly built. It is an active climber among shrubs, using its \Pprehensile\p tail as a fifth limb. It also descends to the ground, and it is frequently caught when pitfall traps are set. It feeds mainly on insects, caught in the mouth but held with the forepaws while being eaten.
It sleeps during the day, usually in a spherical nest of leaves in a small tree-hole or similar cavity. Sleep is usually associated with \Ptorpor\p, the body temperature falling almost to that of the surroundings.
Breeding takes place throughout the year. The female has six teats and six young may be raised. These complete their development in the nest after vacating the pouch. Two, sometimes three, litters may be raised in a year.
\BPicture:\b \IJ Lochman\i
#
"Western Pygmy Possum Distribution Map",9,"a\5\50b.bmp","c","0"
#
"Western Pygmy Possum Fact File",10,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Burramyoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Burramyidae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Cercartetus
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Cool temperate
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Heathland to woodland and dry \Psclerophyll\p forest with dense understorey
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 7-11cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 7-10cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b 300,000-1,000,000 million square kilometres
The common name of this \Pspecies\p is apt; weighing less than ten grams the Little Pygmy-possum is the smallest of the living \Pdiprotodont\p \Pmarsupial\ps. An active predator of insects, spiders and small lizards, it inhabits the shrubby understorey, where it climbs with agility, using the tail as a fifth limb.
The nest is a simple structure of strips of bark which may be lodged in a small tree-hole, under loose bark, in an acute-angled fork, in man-made cavities or even on the forest floor. It sleeps in the nest during the day and, like other \Pburramyids\p, frequently becomes \Ptorpid\p.
Being the smallest of the pygmy-possums and having the southernmost distribution, it has the greatest need to conserve energy. Indeed, it is puzzling to find the smallest pygmy-possum in Tasmania: one might have expected the opposite.
Breeding takes place from August to December. The female has four teats in a shallow pouch and usually rears four young, which are left in the nest after they vacate the pouch. Only one litter is reared in a year.
\BPicture:\b \IC A Henley\i
#
"Little Pygmy Possum Distribution Map",12,"a\5\51a.bmp","c","0"
#
"Little Pygmy Possum Fact File",13,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Burramyoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Burramyidae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Cercartetus
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Cool temperate to Warm temperate
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Wet \Psclerophyll\p forest to semi-arid \Pmallee\p country
Unlike other \Pburramyids\p, the Eastern Pygmy-possum feeds mainly on nectar and pollen, obtained from the flowers of a wide variety of trees and shrubs by means of a long, brush-tipped tongue. Insects and soft fruits are also eaten.
During the warmer part of the year, when food is plentiful, it accumulates body fat and the base of the tail becomes swollen and carrot-shaped.
It rests by day in a spherical nest of shredded bark in a small tree-hole or under the loose bark of a tree. In winter, when food is scarce, it conserves energy by becoming \Ptorpid\p for much of the day.
The breeding season is from August to April and two litters are usually raised in a year. The female has four or five teats and usually raises four young. After vacating the pouch, the young remain in the nest until weaned at the age of about two months.
\BPicture:\b \IG Little\i
#
"Eastern Pygmy Possum Distribution Map",15,"a\5\51b.bmp","c","0"
#
"Eastern Pygmy Possum Fact File",16,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Burramyoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Burramyidae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Cercartetus
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Subtropical
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Rainforest to woodland and heath
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 7-11cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 8-11cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b 300,000-1 million square kilometres
In Australia, this \Pspecies\p is referred to simply as the "Striped Possum". To distinguish it from the other three \Pspecies\p in the \Pgenus\p, it should be called the "Common Striped Possum". It is readily distinguished from other Australian mammals by its skunk-like pattern of longitudinal black and white stripes, its offensive odour and its peculiarly elongated fourth fingers. The first two of these advertisements probably serve as a warning that its flesh is unpalatable; the third is a "winkle-picking" device.
The Striped Possum is seldom seen but often heard. It runs along limbs and often hurls itself off the end of one to fall into foliage below with a resounding crash. It feeds largely on the larvae of wood-boring insects which it uncovers by gouging into a limb or branch with its long, sharp lower incisors: the insect is removed with its long tongue or the long thin fourth finger. During the day, it sleeps in a leaf-lined tree-hole.
Breeding takes place from February to August; mating involves a vigorous and very noisy struggle. The female has two teats and usually rears two young.
\BPicture:\b \IL J Roberts\i
#
"Striped Possum Distribution Map",2,"a\6\52.bmp","c","0"
#
"Striped Possum Fact File",3,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Petauroidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Petauridae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Dactylopsila
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Tropical
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Rainforest, adjacent \Psclerophyll\p forest and woodland
\IGymnobelideus leadbeateri\i (led'-beet-er-ee: "Leadbeater's naked-Belideus: J. Leadbeater was assistant to F. McCoy, describer of the \Pgenus\p and \Pspecies\p)
In almost every respect except its slightly smaller size and the absence of scent glands and a gliding membrane, this \Pspecies\p closely resembles the Sugar Glider. It is rare and, restricted to Mountain Ash Forest in a small area of Victoria.
Mountain Ash is a eucalypt which drops its lower branches and forms a rather dense high \Pcanopy\p and it is in this high foliage that Leadbeater's Possum lives. It seems to have evolved from a gliding \Ppetaurid\p very similar to the Sugar Glider but to have lost the gliding membrane because the gliding habit was of no value - perhaps even a disadvantage - in a high, continuous \Pcanopy\p.
Like the Sugar Glider, it feeds on eucalypt and acacia gums and on insects, but it does not make incisions in trunks to encourage the flow of sap. It nests communally in leaf-lined tree holes but is \Pmonogamous\p rather than polygamous.
Breeding occurs through most of the year but with peaks in May and June and from October to December. The female has two teats in a forwardly directed pouch and usually rears two young, which remain in the nest after vacating the pouch.
\BPicture:\b \IP R Brown\i
#
"Leadbeater's Possum Distribution Map",5,"a\6\53.bmp","c","0"
Largest of the \Ppetaurid\ps, this \Pspecies\p weighs about half a kilogram, its thick fur making it appear larger than such a weight would suggest. It feeds on nectar and pollen from eucalypt blossoms and sap that exudes from incisions gnawed into the trunks of eucalypt trees. These components of the diet satisfy its need for carbohydrates, but most of the protein in the diet comes from insects obtained by lifting the bark of trees.
During the day, the Yellow-bellied Glider sleeps in a leaf-lined nest in a hole in a tall tree. At night, it climbs through the foliage and glides from tree to tree in the same manner as the Greater Glider. It is a social \Pspecies\p, moving about in groups consisting of a male, several females and their young.
Breeding extends through most of the year except late autumn and early winter. The female has a pouch which is partially divided into left and right compartments. Only one young is reared; after vacating the pouch, it remains in the nest for about two months.
\BPicture:\b \ID Whitford\i
#
"Yellow-bellied Glider Distribution Map",8,"a\6\54.bmp","c","0"
#
"Yellow-bellied Glider Fact File",9,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Petauroidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Petauridae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Petaurus
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Cool temperate to Tropical
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Wet and dry \Psclerophyll\p forest
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 27-30cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 42-48cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b 300,000-1 million square kilometres
This small glider (weighing less than one hundred and fifty grams) has an extensive distribution over most of the reasonably well-watered parts of Australia except the southwestern corner. It feeds on the gum exuded by acacias and eucalypts and the sap exuded from long incisions made in the bark of eucalypts.
Its protein requirements are provided by a wide range of \Parboreal\p insects and in winter, when these are hard to find, Sugar Gliders lose condition. The gliding membrane extends from the fifth finger to the ankle but the mode of flight appears to be the same as that of the Greater Glider.
During the day the Sugar Glider sleeps in a leaf-lined nest in a tree-hole. A number of adults and their dependent young may share a nest, possibly as means of conserving body heat. Individuals may enter a temporary state of \Ptorpor\p when food is scarce, thus economising on energy resources.
Most breeding takes place from July to November. The female has two teats in a forwardly directed pouch and usually rears two young. These are left in the nest after they vacate the pouch.
\BPicture:\b \IPavel German\i
#
"Sugar Glider Distribution Map",11,"a\6\55a.bmp","c","0"
#
"Sugar Glider Fact File",12,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Petauroidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Petauridae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Petaurus
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Cool temperate to Tropical
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Wet and dry \Psclerophyll\p forest and woodland, usually with acacia understorey
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 16-21cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 17-21cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b more than 1 million square kilometres
\B\PAbundance:\p\b \Pcommon\p
\B\PStatus:\p\b \Psecure\p
#
"Squirrel Glider",13,"a\6\510089.bmp","c","0"
\IPetaurus norfolcensis\i (nor'-foh-ken'-sis: "Norfolk Island rope-dancer")
The scientific name of this \Pspecies\p perpetuates an error in labelling, which indicated that the first specimen to be described came from Norfolk Island. The Squirrel Glider does not occur outside the Australian mainland. It greatly resembles the Sugar Glider but is almost twice as heavy and has a somewhat more pointed snout and more defined markings.
The behaviour of the two \Pspecies\p is almost identical and they have interbred in captivity, producing fertile offspring. There is thus a strong possibility that one is a variety of the other, in which case, the \IPetaurus breviceps\i, described in 1838, would be subsumed by \IPetaurus norfolcensis\i, described in 1792 (as a flying squirrel).
A major difference between the Squirrel Glider and the Sugar Glider is that the former occupies a drier \Phabitat\p on the continental side of the Dividing Range.
\BPicture:\b \IPavel German\i
#
"Squirrel Glider Distribution Map",14,"a\6\55b.bmp","c","0"
#
"Squirrel Glider Fact File",15,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Petauroidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Petauridae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Petaurus
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Cool temperate to Subtropical
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Dry \Psclerophyll\p forest and woodland
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 18-23cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 22-30cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b 300,000-1 million square kilometres
Called "lemur-like" because of its flat face and large, forwardly directed eyes, this \Pspecies\p is only slightly larger than the Common Ringtail. Its tail is well furred and only the extreme tip is bare. It seems that the tail is used less as a fifth limb than as a balancer when leaping: it is a characteristic of the Lemuroid Ringtail that it launches itself into the air from the tip of a branch and, with limbs spread and tail extended, lands in the foliage of a lower limb. This \Pspecies\p is closely related to the Greater Glider and it is tempting to see its behaviour as a forerunner to gliding.
It is restricted to an area of less than 3,000 square kilometres of upland rainforest in northern Queensland where it feeds mainly on leaves from a wide variety of trees but also eats some flowers and fruits. It sleeps by day in a nest in a tree-hole.
Breeding takes place from about July to October. The female has two teats in a forwardly directed pouch but usually rears only one young which is carried on the mother's back after leaving the pouch.
\BPicture:\b \IM Trenerry\i
#
"Lemuroid Ringtail Possum Distribution Map",2,"a\6\56.bmp","c","0"
Weighing as much as 1.7 kilograms, this \Pspecies\p deserves its common name (The Yellow-bellied Glider, next largest of the \Pvolplaning\p \Pmarsupial\ps, weighs less than half a kilogram). Launching itself from a high tree, the Greater Glider extends a flap of skin between the flanks, elbow and ankle and glides on this squarish membrane to the trunk of another tree, steering with the long tail and by alteration of the curvature of the membrane on either side of its body.
As it approaches the target tree, it swoops upward and stalls, with feet and claws outstretched to grasp onto the trunk.
It feeds exclusively on eucalypt leaves. During the day it sleeps in a hole in an old, tall tree, and its distribution appears to be crucially limited by the presence of such nesting sites. Coloration is very variable, ranging from dark brown to creamy white above and white below.
The Greater Glider is solitary but pairs may share a nest from about February to October, mating in March or May. The female has two teats, in a forwardly directed pouch but usually raises only one young which is left in the nest for up to four months: young are not carried by the female when gliding.
\BPicture:\b \IC A Henley\i
#
"Greater Glider Distribution Map",5,"a\6\57.bmp","c","0"
#
"Greater Glider Fact File",6,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Petauroidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Pseudocheiridae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Petauroides
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Cool temperate to Tropical
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Wet and dry \Psclerophyll\p forest to woodland
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 35-45cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 45-60cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b 300,000-1 million square kilometres
\IPseudocheirus archeri\i (ar'-cher-ee: "Archer's false-hand". The Archer family, living near Rockhampton, befriended C. Lumholtz, describer of the \Pspecies\p.)
Like the Herbert River and Lemuroid Ringtail, this \Pspecies\p is restricted to northern Queensland. It lives mainly in the \Pcanopy\p and subsists entirely on leaves of a wide variety of rainforest trees. As the common name implies, the fur has an unusual green tinge.
It is a large ringtail with a plump body and a rather thick but powerful \Pprehensile\p tail, used as a fifth limb as it climbs swiftly through the \Pcanopy\p. Like the other ringtails, it is \Pnocturnal\p but it seems not to build a nest: during the day, it sits on a branch, curled up into a ball.
Most breeding probably occurs in June or July. The female has two teats in a forwardly directed pouch but usually carries only one pouch-young. This clings to the mother's back after leaving the pouch.
\BPicture:\b \IY Dymock\i
#
"Green Ringtail Possum Distribution Map",8,"a\6\58.bmp","c","0"
\IPseudocheirus dahli\i (dah'-lee: "Dahl's false-hand". K. Dahl collected the first specimens.)
Like the unrelated Scaly-tailed possum, the Rock Ringtail sleeps by day in the shelter of rocks and emerges at night to feed in trees, a strategy appropriate to a \Phabitat\p where few trees grow large enough to provide holes sufficiently large to accommodate a possum weighing as much as two kilograms.
The distribution of the Rock Ringtail is therefore limited to areas with rock piles, large boulders or deep fissures and with open woodland, open forest or vine forest.
In comparison with the \Parboreal\p ringtails, it has a longer snout and shorter tail, legs and claws. It feeds on leaves, flowers and fruits of a wide variety of trees and shrubs. Although apparently a solitary \Pspecies\p, it may form aggregations where food is plentiful.
Females are larger than males. Breeding occurs throughout the year. The female has two teats but normally rears only one young, which is carried on the mother's back for a period after leaving the pouch and subsequently follows her on foot until it is independent.
\BPicture:\b \I I Morris\i
#
"Rock Ringtail Possum Distribution Map",11,"a\6\59a.bmp","c","0"
Restricted to northern Queensland, this ringtail occurs in two geographically distinct forms which differ in appearance and probably represent two \Pspecies\p. The northern form is light brown above and pale below; the southern form is brownish-black above and white below.
The Herbert River Ringtail is a careful climber which uses its long, narrow tail as a fifth limb. It feeds mainly on leaves of rainforest trees, supplemented by fruits. During the day it sleeps in a nest in a tree-hole but it has been known to construct dreys like those of the Common Ringtail, in response to a lack of tree-holes.
The female has two teats in a forwardly directed pouch and commonly rears two young. After leaving the pouch they may be carried for some days on the mother's back but thereafter they are left in the nest until they become independent.
\BPicture:\b \IH & J Beste\i
#
"Herbert River Ringtail Possum Distribution Map",14,"a\6\59b.bmp","c","0"
#
"Herbert River Ringtail Possum Fact File",15,"0","g","0"
Smallest of the ringtails, this \Pspecies\p has the widest distribution. It occurs in eastern and western Australia and is the only \Ppetaurid\p to inhabit Tasmania and some Bass Strait islands.
The western form is regarded by some authorities as a separate \Pspecies\p, \IP.occidentalis.\i
It feeds on eucalypt leaves, buds, blossom and soft fruits. An agile climber, it uses its long, white-tipped tail as a fifth limb.
Typically, it sleeps by day in a leafy nest in a tree-hole but, where such cavities are not available, it constructs a spherical drey of shredded bark. It is not very aggressive: several individuals may share overlapping \Phome range\ps and nests or dreys may be in close proximity.
Breeding takes place from April to November. The female has four teats in a forwardly directed pouch but normally rears two young, which travel on the mother's back after they leave the pouch.
\BPicture:\b \IPavel German\i
#
"Common Ringtail Possum Distribution Map",17,"a\6\60.bmp","c","0"
#
"Common Ringtail Possum Fact File",18,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Petauroidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Pseudocheiridae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Pseudocheirus
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Cool temperate to Tropical
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Rainforest to shrubby woodlands, suburban gardens
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 30-35cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 30-35cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b more than 1 million square kilometres
Anyone who has made paper aeroplanes is aware that smaller ones are more erratic in flight. On similar considerations, there is probably a lower limit to the efficient size of a gliding mammal and, with a head-and-body length of about 75 millimetres and weighing less than fifteen grams, the Feathertail Glider is probably near that limit.
Its gliding membrane is also proportionately the smallest of any gliding \Pmarsupial\p, extending from the elbow to the knee, but it can glide for up to three hundred times its head and body length, using the tail as a steering aerofoil. Quite remarkably, the pads on its toes are finely grooved, enabling it to support itself upside-down from a sheet of glass, like some geckos.
It forages with swift movements at all levels of the forest, including the understorey, feeding on small \Pinvertebrates\p found under the bark of trees and taking nectar, pollen and sap from eucalypts, banksias and prostantheras. During the day it sleeps, often communally, in a spherical nest of leaves located in a tree-hole or a variety of other small spaces.
The female has four teats but normally rears two or three young, which are left in the nest after vacating the pouch. Two litters may be reared in a year.
\BPicture:\b \IPavel German\i
#
"Feathertail Glider Distribution Map",2,"a\6\61.bmp","c","0"
#
"Feathertail Glider Fact File",3,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Tarsipedoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Acrobatidae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Acrobates
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Cool temperate to Tropical
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Wet and dry \Psclerophyll\p forest, extending into woodland
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 6-8cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 7-8cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b more than 1 million square kilometres
The Honey-possum is a small mammal which feeds on nectar and pollen by means of a long brush-tipped tongue. In the course of its evolutionary specialisation, its teeth have been reduced to a pair of pointed lower incisors and a variable number of peg-like rudiments which represent the canines and grinding teeth of other \Pdiprotodont\ps.
Being completely dependent upon nectar and pollen, it is restricted to areas of mixed vegetation in which at least some plants are in flower at any time of the year, a requirement which is met by \Pspecies\p of the \Pfamily\p Proteacea in heaths of southwestern Australia.
The Honey-possum climbs in this dense vegetation, gripping branches and twigs with its long \Pprehensile\p tail and the pads at the ends of its fingers and toes (its claws being reduced to nail-like structures like those of a \PTarsier\p).
It frequently moves about on the ground and is readily caught in pit-traps. It sleeps by day, often communally, in any available shelter, including abandoned bird nests. It often becomes \Ptorpid\p.
Males may be longer than females but females may be heavier. Breeding takes place throughout the year but at least in midsummer. The female has four teats in a forwardly directed pouch but usually rears only two or three young. At birth, they weigh 3-6 mg and are less than 2 mm long - the smallest known \Pneonate\p mammals. The young are well-furred when they vacate the pouch and may ride on the mother's back for a few days before being left in the nest for the remaining period of suckling. Several litters may be reared in a year.
\BPicture:\b \IR L Smith\i
#
"Honey Possum Distribution Map",2,"a\6\62.bmp","c","0"
Smallest of the \Pmacropod\ps, the Musky Rat-kangaroo is known only from northern Queensland rainforests, where it feeds among the leaf litter on insects, other \Pinvertebrates\p and fallen fruits. It is active in the early morning and late afternoon but sleeps at night and through the middle of the day in a substantial nest of vegetation, often placed between the bulbous roots of a rainforest tree.
On the ground, it proceeds \Pquadrupedal\ply by a "bunny hop", extending the forelegs then bringing both hindlegs forward. Its fast locomotion is an extension of this gait into a series of bounds: it does not hop.
At least in juvenile animals, the mobile first toe of the hind foot is used to grip branches when climbing in undergrowth. The moderately \Pprehensile\p, scaly tail is used to carry nesting material.
Sexual maturity is reached at about 13 months and mating takes place from February to July. The female has four teats in a forwardly opening pouch and usually rears two young, which are left in the nest after vacating the pouch.
The Rufous Bettong is unusual among \Ppotoroid\ps in habitually eating grasses, \Psedges\p and herbs. It also forages for \Ptuber\ps in the usual manner of bettongs. During the day it sleeps in a conical nest of grass built over a shallow scrape, usually in the shade of a shrub or \Ptussock\p. Nesting material is carried to the site with the \Pprehensile\p tail.
Females are larger than males. Sexual maturity is reached at about twelve months. Breeding takes place throughout the year. The female has four teats in a forwardly directed pouch but rears only one young, which follows the mother for almost two months after quitting the pouch.
\BPicture:\b \IA Young\i
#
"Rufous Bettong Distribution Map",6,"a\6\64.bmp","c","0"
#
"Rufous Bettong Fact File",7,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Potoroidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Potoroinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Aepyprymnus
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Cool temperate to Tropical
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Dry \Psclerophyll\p forests with dense understorey
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 37-39cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 34-39cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b 300,000-1 million square kilometres
\B\PAbundance:\p\b \Pcommon\p
\B\PStatus:\p\b \Pprobably secure\p
#
"Tasmanian Bettong",8,"a\6\530008.bmp","c","0"
\IBettongia gaimardi\i (gay-mar'-dee: "Gaimard's bettong", after J.P. Gaimard, French naturalist)
The \Pspecies\p that is now called the Tasmanian Bettong once had an extensive distribution in southeastern Australia on the coastal side of the Dividing Range: it is now extinct on the mainland. It appears to be closely related to the Brush-tailed Bettong but is somewhat larger and has proportionately longer hindfeet.
It forages at night, digging with its long-clawed, powerful forelimbs for fungi, \Ptuber\ps and bulbs. By day it sleeps in a well constructed nest of grass and bark, situated under a shrub, \Ptussock\p or fallen limb.
Sexual maturity is reached at the age of one year. Breeding takes place throughout the year. The female has four teats in a forwardly opening pouch but rears only one young which follows the mother after it leaves the pouch. The Tasmanian Bettong exhibits embryonic \Pdiapause\p.
\BPicture:\b \IR W Rose\i
#
"Tasmanian Bettong Distribution Map",9,"a\6\65a.bmp","c","0"
#
"Tasmanian Bettong Fact File",10,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Potoroidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Potoroinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Bettongia
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Cool temperate
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Dry \Psclerophyll\p forest with grassy understorey; grassland
\IBettongia lesueur\i (le-swer': "Lesueur's bettong" after C.A. Lesueur, French naturalist.)
Slightly larger than the Brush-tailed Bettong, this \Pspecies\p is remarkable among the \Pmacropod\ps for constructing burrows several metres long, at the end of which is a nest of vegetation. Burrows are often grouped together to form a warren accommodating scores of individuals.
At night, the Burrowing Bettong forages in much the same manner as other bettongs, feeding on \Ptuber\ps, bulbs, fungi and insects, including termites. It also eats green plants, including peas and beans in kitchen gardens, and \Pcarrion\p. Within historical times its range has decreased from the southwestern half of Australia to four small islands off the coast of Western Australia.
Sexual maturity is reached at five months. Breeding takes place throughout the year. The female has four teats in a forwardly opening pouch but rears only one young.
\BPicture:\b \IK Johnson\i
#
"Burrowing Bettong Video",12,0,c,mbetti.mov
\BVideo:\b \IFilm Australia\i
#
"Burrowing Bettong Distribution Map",13,"a\6\65b.bmp","c","0"
#
"Burrowing Bettong Fact File",14,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Potoroidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Potoroinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Bettongia
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Warm temperate
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Semi-arid woodland and heath
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 28-40cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 22-30cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b less than 10,000 square kilometres
The Brush-tailed Bettong forages at night, digging with its powerful, strongly clawed forefeet for fungi, \Ptuber\ps, bulbs and insects. It sleeps by day in a nest of vegetation over a hollow scraped in the ground, usually in the shade of a shrub or \Ptussock\p. Material for the nest is carried in the \Pprehensile\p tail.
Sexual maturity is reached before the age of six months. Breeding takes place throughout the year. The female has four teats in a forwardly opening pouch but usually rears only one young, which follows its mother for several weeks after leaving the pouch and shares her nest during the day. The Brush-tailed Bettong exhibits embryonic \Pdiapause\p.
\BPicture:\b \IC A Henley\i
#
"Brush-tailed Bettong Distribution Map",16,"a\6\66a.bmp","c","0"
#
"Brush-tailed Bettong Fact File",17,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Potoroidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Potoroinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Bettongia
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Tropical to Temperate
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Dry \Psclerophyll\p forest and woodland with low shrubs or \Ptussock\ps
The relationship of this \Pspecies\p to the other bettongs is not clear. It had a very broad head and its tail and its hind feet were each longer than the combined head and body.
Perhaps related to the length of its hair-fringed feet, it hopped at speed in a peculiar manner, with the right foot touching the ground in front of the left, which was inclined outwards at an angle of about 30 degrees to the line of travel.
It hopped fast and long: one individual was chased nearly 20 kilometres by men galloping on horseback.
It fed at night but its diet is unknown. It slept by day in a well-constructed nest of grass and twigs. There has been no report of it since 1935, so it is probably extinct.
\BPicture:\b \IJ Gould\i
#
"Desert Rat-kangaroo Distribution Map",19,"a\6\66b.bmp","c","0"
The Long-footed Potoroo is closely related to the Long-nosed Potoroo but weighs about twice as much. Its hindfeet are, proportionately, a little longer. It appears to be similar in behaviour to the Long-nosed Potoroo, foraging at night by digging pits with its forefeet, and its diet is assumed to be similar. It sleeps by day in a nest of vegetation carried to the nest site in its \Pprehensile\p tail.
Sexual maturity is reached at the age of one and a half to two years. Breeding probably takes place throughout the year. The female has four teats in a forward opening pouch but rears only one young.
\BPicture:\b \IJ B Cooper\i
#
"Long-footed Potoroo Distribution Map",22,"a\6\67a.bmp","c","0"
#
"Long-footed Potoroo Fact File",23,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Potoroidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Potoroinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Potorous
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Cool temperate
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Wet \Psclerophyll\p forest with dense ground cover
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 38-42cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 31-33cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b less than 10,000 square kilometres
Smallest of the potoroos, this \Pspecies\p was only a little larger than the Musky Rat-Kangaroo. It had a fat-cheeked appearance. It was described in 1839 but has not been seen since 1875. Nothing is known of its biology.
\BPicture:\b \IJ Gould\i
#
"Broad-faced Potoroo Distribution Map",25,"a\7\67b.bmp","c","0"
#
"Broad-faced Potoroo Fact File",26,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Potoroidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Potoroinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Potorous
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Cool temperate
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Semi-arid woodland and grassland
\B\PHead and body:\p\b about 24cm
\B\PTail:\p\b about 18cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b \Pnil\p
\B\PAbundance:\p\b \Pnil\p
\B\PStatus:\p\b \Pextinct\p
#
"Long-nosed Potoroo",27,"a\7\520092.bmp","c","0"
\IPotorous tridactylus\i (trie-dak'-til-us: "three-toed potoroo". Refers to the structure of the typical \Pmacropod\p foot, with conjoined 2nd and 3rd toes, a large 4th toe and a smaller 5th toe.)
The Long-nosed Potoroo was so called to contrast it with the now extinct Broad-faced Potoroo (which had a similarly tapered skull but broad cheeks). At night it uses its powerful forearms and long-clawed forefeet to dig in forest litter and soil for succulent \Ptuber\ps, fungi and insect larvae. When moving slowly, it progresses in a "bunny-hop": when moving fast, it leaps on its hindlegs but may also employ its forelegs, particularly when turning. By day it sleeps in a nest of vegetation carried to the nest site in the \Pprehensile\p tail.
Males are slightly larger than females. Sexual maturity is reached in the first year. Breeding takes place throughout the year with a peak of births in early summer and midsummer. The female has four teats in a forwardly opening pouch but normally rears a single young which follows the mother on foot after leaving the pouch.
\BPicture:\b \IJ E Wapstra\i
#
"Long-nosed Potoroo Video",28,0,c,mpottoi.mov
\BVideo:\b \IFilm Australia\i
#
"Long-nosed Potoroo Distribution Map",29,"a\7\68.bmp","c","0"
#
"Long-nosed Potoroo Fact File",30,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Potoroidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Potoroinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Potorous
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Cool temperate to Warm temperate
\IDendrolagus benettianus\i (ben'-et-ee-ah'-nus: "Bennett's tree-hare", after G. Bennett, first curator of the Australian Museum)
Bennett's Tree-kangaroo is largely \Pnocturnal\p. It moves through the rainforest \Pcanopy\p, feeding on leaves of trees, sometimes descending below the \Pcanopy\p to feed on the leaves of vines. During the day it sits on a branch high in the \Pcanopy\p, with its head tucked between its knees.
Males are larger than females. Breeding is probably continuous. One young is born.
\IDendrolagus lumholtzi\i (lum'-holt-zee: "Lumholtz's tree-hare", after C. Lumholtz, Norwegian naturalist who collected first specimens)
At night, this tree-kangaroo climbs through the rainforest \Pcanopy\p, feeding mainly on leaves but also eating fruits. During the day it sits on a branch with its head between its knees.
Males are much larger than females. Breeding is probably continuous. One young is born.
The Spectacled Hare-wallaby, so called because of the reddish rings around its eyes, feeds at night on the leaves of shrubs and spinifex. It does not need to drink. By day it sleeps in a shelter dug into the base of a large \Pspinifex hummock\p. It is solitary.
Sexual maturity is reached at about 12 months. Breeding takes place throughout the year. One young is reared. The \Pspecies\p exhibits embryonic \Pdiapause\p.
The scientific name refers to the rather shaggy hair; the common name to its reddish colour. At night the Rufous Hare-wallaby feeds on grasses, \Psedges\p and the leaves of shrubs. In the cooler part of the year it shelters by day (like the Spectacled Hare-wallaby) in a space dug into the base of a \Pspinifex hummock\p or low shrub; in hotter areas it digs a burrow less than one metre long under similar shelter. It probably does not need to drink. Its reproductive biology is not yet known. Females are slightly larger than males.
The \Pspecies\p once extended over most of arid and semi arid Australia but is now restricted to parts of the Tanami Desert and to Bernier and Dorre Islands in Shark Bay.
\BPicture:\b \IK Johnson\i
#
"Rufous Hare-Wallaby Distribution Map",14,"a\7\71a.bmp","c","0"
#
"Rufous Hare-Wallaby Fact File",15,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Macropodidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Macropodinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Lagorchestes
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Warm temperate
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Semi-arid woodland, scrubland and grassland, particularly where regenerating after local fires
We have no knowledge of the diet or reproduction of this \Pspecies\p, which probably became extinct towards the end of the nineteenth century, but it probably resembled the other members of the \Pgenus\p.
During the day it slept in a shelter excavated under a large \Ptussock\p, and, when disturbed from this, ran in a zigzag manner like a hare, often making prodigious leaps (as high as 1.8 metres).
\BPicture:\b \IJ Gould\i
#
"Eastern Hare-Wallaby Distribution Map",17,"a\7\71b.bmp","c","0"
In the late afternoon and night the Agile Wallaby emerges from dense forest vegetation to graze on native grasses in open areas. During the day it sleeps, communally, in the shelter of dense vegetation. It is sociable, moving and feeding in groups of about ten, sometimes forming larger feeding aggregations.
Males are about twice the weight of females. Sexual maturity is reached at about fifteen months. Breeding is continuous. One young is born.
\BPicture:\b \IF Kristo\i
#
"Agile Wallaby Distribution Map",20,"a\7\72a.bmp","c","0"
#
"Agile Wallaby Fact File",21,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Macropodidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Macropodinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Macropus
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Tropical to Subtropical
\B\PHabitat:\p\b \PSclerophyll\p forest and woodland with adjacent grassy areas
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 59-85cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 59-84cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b 300,000-1 million square kilometres
\B\PAbundance:\p\b \Pabundant\p
\B\PStatus:\p\b \Psecure\p
#
"Antilopine Wallaroo",22,"a\7\520066.bmp","c","0"
\IMacropus antilopinus\i (an'-til-oh-pee'-nus: "antelope-like long-foot", referring to a supposed similarity of the fur to that of an antelope)
This \Pspecies\p is less dependent upon rocky slopes than the other wallaroos and is often found in more or less level country. It also differs from the other wallaroos in being less stockily built (more kangaroo-like) and in being \Pgregarious\p, moving about in groups of three to eight individuals. It needs regular access to drinking water. During the day it sleeps in the shelter of a bush, tree or rock.
Males can be more than twice the weight of females. Breeding proceeds throughout the year but most births are between February and June. There appears to be no embryonic \Pdiapause\p.
\BPicture:\b \IJ E Wapstra\i
#
"Antilopine Wallaroo Distribution Map",23,"a\7\72b.bmp","c","0"
#
"Antilopine Wallaroo Fact File",24,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Macropodidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Macropodinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Macropus
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Tropical
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Woodland
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 78-120cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 68-90cmm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b 300,000-1 million square kilometres
\B\PAbundance:\p\b \Pcommon\p
\B\PStatus:\p\b \Psecure\p
#
"Black Wallaroo",25,"a\7\520068.bmp","c","0"
\IMacropus bernardus\i (ber-nar'-dus: "Bernard's large-foot", after Bernard Woodward, first curator of the Western Australian Museum)
As the common name implies, this \Pspecies\p is sooty brown to black, having the darkest fur of any \Pmacropod\p. It grazes at night on native grasses, often descending to the plains at the foot of an escarpment. Unlike the Common Wallaroo, it needs to drink. At night it sleeps in a cave, under a rock shelf or under a low tree. It is solitary.
Males are about one and a half times the weight of females. One young is born. Nothing else is known of its reproduction.
\BPicture:\b \II Morris\i
#
"Black Wallaroo Distribution Map",26,"a\7\73a.bmp","c","0"
#
"Black Wallaroo Fact File",27,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Macropodidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Macropodinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Macropus
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Tropical
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Woodland with steep rocky slopes and grassy understorey
\IMacropus dorsalis\i (dor-sah'-lis: "[notably] backed long-foot", referring to prominent stripe along middle of back.)
The Black-striped Wallaby makes runways in dense vegetation. At night it moves through these to open areas where it grazes on native grasses. During the day it sleeps communally, in the shelter of dense ground vegetation. It is \Pgregarious\p, moving and feeding in groups of about twenty animals of all ages.
Males are three times the weight of females. Females become sexually mature at about 14 months, males at about 20 months. Breeding is continuous. A single young is born.
"Black-Striped Wallaby Distribution Map",30,"a\7\73b.bmp","c","0"
#
"Black-striped Wallaby Fact File",31,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Macropodidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Macropodinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Macropus
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Tropical to Warm temperate
\B\PHabitat:\p\b \PSclerophyll\p forest and woodland with dense ground cover and adjacent grassy areas
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 110-159cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 54-83cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b 300,000-1 million square kilometres
\B\PAbundance:\p\b \Pcommon\p
\B\PStatus:\p\b \Psecure\p
#
"Tammar Wallaby",32,"a\7\520069.bmp","c","0"
\IMacropus eugenii\i (yue-jay'-nee-ee: "Eugene [Island] longfoot", from l'Isle Eugene, now known as St. Peters Island, Nuyts Archipelago)
The Tammar Wallaby makes runways in dense vegetation but leaves these at night to graze on native grasses. It can survive for long periods without drinking but some coastal populations drink salt water - which implies extraordinarily efficient kidneys. During the day it sleeps in the shelter of dense vegetation. It is solitary.
Males are noticeably larger than females. Females become sexually mature at nine months, males at about 22 months. A single young is born.
\BPicture:\b \IL F Schick\i
#
"Tammar Wallaby Distribution Map",33,"a\7\74a.bmp","c","0"
#
"Tammar Wallaby Fact File",34,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Macropodidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Macropodinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Macropus
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Cool temperate
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Dry \Psclerophyll\p to semi-arid woodland and shrubland with grassy understorey or adjacent grassy areas
The Western Grey Kangaroo occupies most of the southern part of the continent into which the Red Kangaroo barely intrudes. Unlike the Red Kangaroo, it is a grazer but it requires a somewhat higher rainfall. During the day it sleeps in the shade of a tree or shrub, often communally. It is \Pgregarious\p, moving in small groups and forming much larger aggregations where food is locally abundant.
Males are about twice the size of females. Females reach sexual maturity at about 18 months, males at about two years. Breeding proceeds throughout the year. A single young is born.
\BPicture:\b \IA Eames\i
#
"Western Grey Kangaroo Distribution Map",36,"a\7\74b.bmp","c","0"
#
"Western Grey Kangaroo Fact File",37,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Macropodidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Macropodinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Macropus
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Cool temperate to Warm temperate
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Dry \Psclerophyll\p forest and woodland with grassy understorey or adjacent grassy areas
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 50-125cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 45-100cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b more than 1 million square kilometres
The Eastern Grey Kangaroo is very large but the naturalist who bestowed its specific name thought that it was a gigantic \Pjerboa\p! The biology of the Eastern Grey Kangaroo is very similar to that of the closely related western \Pspecies\p. It grazes at night on grasses and green \Pherbage\p. During the day it sleeps in the shade of a tree or shrub. It is \Pgregarious\p, moving and feeding in groups of three to five individuals but sometimes forming large feeding aggregations.
Males are twice the size of females. Females reach sexual maturity at 18 months, males at about two years. Breeding is continuous throughout the year. A single young is born.
"Eastern Grey Kangaroo Distribution Map",40,"a\7\75a.bmp","c","0"
#
"Eastern Grey Kangaroo Fact File",41,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Macropodidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Macropodinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Macropus
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Tropical to Cool temperate
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Dry \Psclerophyll\p forest, woodland and shrubland, always with grassy areas
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 50-120cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 45-110cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b more than 1 million square kilometres
\B\PAbundance:\p\b \Pabundant\p
\B\PStatus:\p\b \Psecure\p
#
"Toolache Wallaby",42,"a\7\510081.bmp","c","0"
\IMacropus greyi\i (gray'-ee: "Grey's long-foot", after G. Grey, explorer and governor of South Australia, who collected first specimens)
The common name of this \Pspecies\p is pronounced toh-lay'-chee. It was abundant at the time of European settlement but became extinct in the nineteenth century, apparently because of removal of its \Phabitat\p, aggravated by hunting. It grazed at night on native grasses. During the day it slept in the cover of dense vegetation, often casuarina thickets. It was \Pgregarious\p, moving, feeding and sleeping in groups. Nothing is known of its reproduction.
\BPicture:\b \IJ Gould\i
#
"Toolache Wallaby Distribution Map",43,"a\7\75b.bmp","c","0"
#
"Toolache Wallaby Fact File",44,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Macropodidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Macropodinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Macropus
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Cool temperate
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Heathland with adjacent grassland
\IMacropus irma\i (er'-mah: "Irma long-foot", significance unknown, perhaps the name of a friend of M. Jourdan, the French zoologist who described the \Pspecies\p)
The Western Brush Wallaby is associated with forests ("brushes") but feeds in open grassy areas in the early morning or late afternoon. For the rest of the time it sleeps in the shelter of a clump of bushes or low trees. It is \Pgregarious\p, moving in groups of individuals of all ages. Males and females are similar in size.
Little is known of its reproduction. A single young is born. Most births are in April and May.
\BPicture:\b \IR & A Williams\i
#
"Western Brush Wallaby Distribution Map",46,"a\7\76a.bmp","c","0"
#
"Western Brush Wallaby Fact File",47,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Macropodidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Macropodinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Macropus
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Cool temperate to Warm temperate
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Dry \Psclerophyll\p (jarrah) forest and woodland with adjacent grassy areas
\IMacropus parma\i (par'-mah: "Parma large-foot", pama being an Aboriginal name for the \Pspecies\p)
The Parma Wallaby makes runways in dense ground vegetation. At night it emerges to graze in open areas. During the day it sleeps in the shelter of dense vegetation. It is solitary but may form small feeding aggregations.
Males are larger than females. Females are sexually mature at one year of age, males at about two years. Breeding is continuous with a peak of births from February to June. A single young is born.
The Parma Wallaby was introduced to New Zealand in the nineteenth century and a population persists on Kawau Island where it is regarded as a pest of pine plantations.
\BPicture:\b \IR & A Williams\i
#
"Parma Wallaby Distribution Map",49,"a\7\76b.bmp","c","0"
#
"Parma Wallaby Fact File",50,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Macropodidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Macropodinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Macropus
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Cool temperate to Warm temperate
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Wet \Pmontane\p \Psclerophyll\p forest with dense understorey and adjacent grassy areas
\IMacropus parryi\i (pa'-ree-ee: "Parry's large-foot", after E. Parry, explorer, who brought a live animal to England)
This wallaby has a rather slender tail which is a little longer than the head and body. From before dawn into the early morning and from late afternoon into the early night, it grazes on native grasses, also eating some herbs and ferns. For the remaining part of the day and night it sleeps in the shelter of a shrub or low tree. It is \Pgregarious\p, moving in groups of up to fifty individuals of all ages.
Males are up to twice the weight of females. Females become sexually mature in the second year of life; males seldom mate until two to three years old. Breeding is continuous and two young may be born in a year.
\BPicture:\b \IG B Baker\i
#
"Whiptail Wallaby Distribution Map",52,"a\7\77a.bmp","c","0"
#
"Whiptail Wallaby Fact File",53,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Macropodidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Macropodinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Macropus
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Warm temperate to Tropical
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Wet and dry \Psclerophyll\p forest with grassy understorey or adjacent grassy areas. Usually on hillsides
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 64-76cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 73-105cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b 300,000-1 million square kilometres
The use of two common names for this \Pspecies\p is justified. In eastern Australia it is a grey animal which inhabits forests and is called the Common Wallaroo; in central and western Australia is reddish, lives in hot, arid regions and is known as the Euro. Even that statement is a simplification, for the \Pspecies\p is divided into four \Psubspecies\p, each slightly different in appearance. In common with other wallaroos, it has a bare muzzle.
During the day it sleeps in shelter, usually under a rock overhang or in a cave on the upper parts of a slope. At night it descends to graze on more level ground. (Because of this habit, the damage it sometimes causes to crops or pastures is often blamed on plains-dwelling kangaroos.) It does not need to drink, obtaining all necessary water from its food. It is solitary.
Males are as much as twice the weight of females. Sexual maturity is reached between 18 and 24 months. Breeding is continuous. A single young is born.
"Common Wallaroo Distribution Map",56,"a\7\77b.bmp","c","0"
#
"Common Wallaroo Fact File",57,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Macropodidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Macropodinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Macropus
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b From Tropical to Cool and Temperate and Subalpine regions
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Very varied, from wet \Psclerophyll\p forest to arid \Ptussock\p grassland. Usually associated with rocky slopes with caves or rocky shelves.
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 55-110cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 53-90cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b more than 1 million square kilometres
The Red-necked Wallaby grazes from late afternoon to dawn in grassy areas. It is solitary but may form feeding aggregations. It sleeps for most of the day under cover of dense vegetation.
Males are much larger than females. Females become sexually mature early in their second year; males later in the second year. Breeding is continuous on the mainland but from January to July in Tasmania. A single young is born.
The Red-necked Wallaby was introduced to New Zealand in the nineteenth century and has since become a pest.
\BPicture:\b \ID Greig\i
#
"Red-necked Wallaby Distribution Map",59,"a\7\78a.bmp","c","0"
#
"Red-necked Wallaby Fact File",60,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Macropodidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Macropodinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Macropus
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Subtropical to Cool temperate
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Wet and dry \Psclerophyll\p forests to woodland, all with dense understorey and with adjacent grassy areas
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 66-89cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 62-88cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b 300,000-1 million square kilometres
\B\PAbundance:\p\b \Pcommon\p
\B\PStatus:\p\b \Psecure\p
#
"Red Kangaroo",61,"a\8\520063.bmp","c","0"
\IMacropus rufus\i (rue'-fus: "red long-foot")
The Red Kangaroo is the dominant \Pmacropod\p of the drier regions of the continent. In the eastern part of its range males are usually red and females a bluish grey: elsewhere, both sexes may be reddish. Like wallaroos, the Red Kangaroo has a naked muzzle. It grazes during the night on a wide variety of grasses and low \Pherbaceous\p plants; when food is scarce, it may extend its feeding into early morning and late afternoon.
When water is available it will drink but, if it obtains sufficient green food, it does not need to do so. It has no absolute requirement for shelter but will lie in the shade of a bush or tree on very hot days. It is \Pgregarious\p, moving in groups ranging from a few dozen to several hundred individuals.
Old males may be three times the weight of mature females. Females are sexually mature at about eighteen months, males at about two years. There is a single young.
\BPicture:\b \IN Chaffer\i
#
"Red Kangaroo Video",62,"0","c","redroo.mov"
\BVideo:\b \IDavid Ireland\i
#
"Red Kangaroo Video - (2)",63,"0","c","wild3.mov"
\BVideo:\b \IFilm Australia\i
#
"Red Kangaroo Distribution Map",64,"a\8\78b.bmp","c","0"
#
"Red Kangaroo Fact File",65,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Macropodidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Macropodinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Macropus
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Tropical to Cool temperate
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Woodland, shrubland, grassland and desert
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 74-140cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 64-100cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b more than 1 million square kilometres
The scientific and common names of this beautiful animal refer to the white, bridle-like stripes on the head and shoulders. It grazes at night on grasses and possibly also eats succulent roots uncovered by the strongly clawed forefeet. It probably does not need to drink.
During the day it retires to denser vegetation where it sleeps in a saucer-shaped scrape in the shelter of a low tree or shrub. Males are larger than females; both sexes are solitary. The reproductive biology is unknown.
\BPicture:\b \IC A Henley\i
#
"Bridled Nailtail Wallaby Distribution Map",67,"a\8\79a.bmp","c","0"
The scientific and common names refer to a crescentic white stripe behind each shoulder. Although reported to have been seen in the 1950s, this \Pspecies\p appears to be extinct. It fed at night and slept by day in a scrape under a low bush. When chased, it has been seen to take refuge in a hollow log or tree. Nothing is known of its reproductive biology.
\BPicture:\b \IJ Gould\i
#
"Crescent Nailtail Wallaby Distribution Map",70,"a\8\79b.bmp","c","0"
This is the largest of the nailtail wallabies (up to 9 kilograms) and the only \Pspecies\p that is still common. It feeds at night on grasses, possibly including the roots of some \Pspecies\p. By day it sleeps in a scrape in the soil under a low shrub. Males are much larger than females. Nothing is known of the breeding biology.
The Nabarlek is a very small rock-wallaby (not more than 1.5 kg) but it is possibly related more closely to pademelons (Thylogale) than to the typical rock-wallabies (Petrogale). It is unique among the \Pmacropod\ps in producing a continuous succession of adult molar teeth at the rear of the jaw, replacing those that become worn down and drop out at the front of the molar row.
At night (in the day during the wet season), it feeds on grasses and ferns.
During the day it sleeps in a deep crevice between rocks. Sexual maturity is reached in the second year. Breeding takes place throughout the year, with a peak of births in the summer wet season.
\BPicture:\b \IG D Sanson\i
#
"Nabarlek Distribution Map",77,"a\8\80b.bmp","c","0"
The Short-eared Rock-wallaby moves from the rocks into surrounding grassland to feed at night. During the day it sleeps among boulders or in a rock crevice. Breeding is probably continuous. One young is born.
\BPicture:\b \II Morris\i
#
"Short-eared Rock-wallaby Distribution Map",80,"a\8\81a.bmp","c","0"
\IPetrogale burbidgei\i (ber'-bid-jee: "Burbidge's rock-weasel", after A. Burbidge, Australian zoologist)
Monjon is an Aboriginal name for this very small rock-wallaby (less than 1.5 kg). It feeds at night (also by day in the wet season) on grasses and ferns. By day it sleeps in rock crevices. It probably breeds continuously with a peak in the summer wet season.
\BPicture:\b \IJ Lochman\i
#
"Monjon Distribution Map",83,"a\8\81b.bmp","c","0"
#
"Monjon Fact File",84,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Macropodidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Macropodinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Petrogale
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Tropical
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Woodland, with rugged sandstone
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 30-36cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 26-29cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b 300,000-1 million square kilometres
\IPetrogale godmani\i (god'-man-ee: "Godman's rock-weasel", after F.D. Godman, sponsor of T.V. Sherrin, who collected first specimen)
Godman's Rock-wallaby feeds at night on grasses, \Pforb\ps and shrubs, often forming aggregations. It probably breeds continuously throughout the year.
\BPicture:\b \IR L Close\i
#
"Godman's Rock-wallaby Distribution Map",86,"a\8\82a.bmp","c","0"
#
"Godman's Rock-wallaby Fact File",87,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Macropodidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Macropodinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Petrogale
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Tropical
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Rainforest to dry \Psclerophyll\p forest with rocky slopes
The name of the \Pspecies\p refers to its having less brilliant colour or contrast than the other rock-wallabies. It inhabits the wettest areas in which rock-wallabies are found and it is less dependent than other \Pspecies\p on the presence of rocks: it often climbs sloping trees. In the late afternoon and night it feeds on grasses.
Sexual maturity is reached at about eighteen months. Breeding is continuous throughout the year, with a peak of births from March to July. One young is born.
\BPicture:\b \IG A Hoye\i
#
"Unadorned Rock-wallaby Distribution Map",89,"a\8\82b.bmp","c","0"
#
"Unadorned Rock-wallaby Fact File",90,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Macropodidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Macropodinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Petrogale
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Subtropical
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Steeply sloping rainforest to \Psclerophyll\p forest and woodland, often without much outcropping rock
\IPetrogale lateralis\i (lat'-er-ah'-lis: "side [-marked- rock-weasel", referring to pale stripe behind the shoulder)
The Black-footed Rock-wallaby feeds mainly on grasses in the late afternoon and evening, sometimes forming feeding aggregations. It may bask in the sun during cool weather.
Sexual maturity is reached in the second year. One young is born.
\BPicture:\b \ID Matthews\i
#
"Black-footed Rock-wallaby Distribution Map",92,"a\8\83a.bmp","c","0"
The Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby is possibly the most sure-footed of all the rock-wallabies, being able to negotiate almost vertical rock faces. It moves into grassy areas to graze and browse on a wide variety of plants. By day it sleeps in a rock cleft or cave.
\BPicture:\b \IR Close\i
#
"Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby Distribution Map",95,"a\8\83b.bmp","c","0"
\IPetrogale persephone\i (per-sef'-on-ay: "Proserpine rock-weasel", Persephone being Greek name for \IProserpine\i; refers to town of Proserpine (Queensland))
The Proserpine Rock-wallaby described in 1982, is limited to a very small area of rainforest. It grazes at night in open country and shelters by day among rocks.
Breeding is probably continuous through the year. One young is born.
\IPetrogale rothschildi\i (roths'-chile-dee: "Rothschild's rock-weasel" after Lord Rothschild, sponsor of an expedition which collected the first specimens)
Rothschild's Rock-wallaby probably grazes and browses at night. It sleeps by day in rock clefts and caves.
\BPicture:\b \IB & B Wells\i
#
"Rothschild's Rock-wallaby Distribution Map",102,"a\8\84b.bmp","c","0"
The Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby grazes at night on native grasses and browses on shrubs. It may also drink, but there are indications that it can survive for long periods without access to water: young have been seen to lick saliva from the mother's lips. Feeding aggregations are common. During the day, it sleeps among vegetation between boulders or in a rocky cleft.
Sexual maturity is reached between one and two years. Breeding is continuous throughout the year.
\BPicture:\b \IU Schurer\i
#
"Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby Distribution Map",105,"a\8\85a.bmp","c","0"
This small \Pmacropod\p has a relatively short tail and the claws of the short hindfeet are almost obscured by long, stiff hairs. It was widespread through southwestern Australia in the nineteenth century but is now restricted to small populations on the mainland, where it is abundant on Rottnest Island in dense semi-arid heath, and makes runways through the ground vegetation.
It feeds at night on native grasses and the leaves of shrubs. It requires access to drinking water. The Quokka is sociable and a number of animals may sleep together during the day in the shelter of dense vegetation.
Males are larger than females. In the more favourable conditions of the mainland, breeding is continuous but on Rottnest Island mating is restricted to January, February and March. A single young is born.
\BPicture:\b \IJ Lochman\i
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"Quokka Distribution Map",108,"a\8\85b.bmp","c","0"
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"Quokka Fact File",109,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Macropodidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Macropodinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Setonix
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Warm temperate
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Wet and dry \Psclerophyll\p forest, woodland and semi-arid heath
\IThylogale billardierii\i (bil-ard'-ee-air'-ee-ee: "Billardiere's pouched-weasel", after J. la Billardiere, French naturalist who collected first specimens)
The Tasmanian Pademelon makes runways in dense ground vegetation. At night it moves to clearings on the forest edge to graze and eat the soft leaves of shrubs, often forming large aggregations. By day it sleeps deep in the undergrowth.
Males are much larger than females. Sexual maturity is reached in the second year. Breeding is continuous with a peak of births from April to June. One young is born.
\BPicture:\b \ID Watts\i
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"Tasmanian Pademelon Distribution Map",111,"a\8\86a.bmp","c","0"
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"Tasmanian Pademelon Fact File",112,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Macropodidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Macropodinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Thylogale
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Cool temperate
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Rainforest, wet \Psclerophyll\p forest and wet areas of dry \Psclerophyll\p forests with dense ground cover
\IThylogale stigmatica\i (stig-mat'-ik-ah: "pricked pouched-weasel", referring to faint [pricked out] markings on neck and hip)
In the northern part of its range the Red-legged Pademelon feeds mainly on the fallen leaves of rainforest trees: in the more southern parts, it includes more grass in its diet. Berries and the leaves of shrubs are also eaten. It sleeps from mid-morning to mid-afternoon with its back against a tree or rock, its tail tucked forward between its hindlegs, and its head on the tail.
Males are larger than females. It rears one young but we have no information on its breeding biology.
\IThylogale thetis\i (the'-tis: "Thetis pouched-weasel" after French exploration vessel Thetis)
The Red-necked Pademelon makes runways in dense ground vegetation, moving out from these at night to graze in more open areas and to browse on herbs and soft-leaved shrubs. During the day it sleeps in dense vegetation. It is solitary but may form small breeding aggregations.
Males are notably larger than females. Sexual maturity is reached at about eighteen months. Mating takes place in January and February. One young is born.
\BPicture:\b \IG A Hoye\i
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"Red-necked Pademelon Distribution Map",118,"a\8\87a.bmp","c","0"
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"Red-necked Pademelon Fact File",119,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Macropodidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Macropodinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Thylogale
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Warm temperate to Tropical
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Rainforest and wet \Psclerophyll\p forest, usually with adjacent grassland
The scientific name of this \Pspecies\p refers to the contrast between dark brown upper parts and reddish orange underparts. The common name refers to its favoured \Phabitat\p of swamps and damp gullies. It is solitary but may form feeding aggregations at night when it moves out from shelter to browse on shrubs and ferns, supplemented by grasses. During the day it shelters in dense forest vegetation. Males are slightly larger than females.
The relationships of this \Pspecies\p with other macropodids are not clear. It is the largest of the browsing \Pmacropod\ps; its chromosomes differ markedly from those of wallabies in the \Pgenus\p Macropus and, while it exhibits embryonic \Pdiapause\p, it is unique in that the mating which gives rise to a quiescent \Pblastocyst\p takes place about a week before the birth of an established foetus, not shortly after its birth. For these and other reasons related to skeletal features, the \Pspecies\p is placed in a \Pgenus\p of its own.
Males are notably larger than females. Breeding is continuous through the year. The single young remains in the pouch for 8-9 months but is suckled for another 6-7 months at foot.
\BPicture:\b \IE Beaton\i
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"Swamp Wallaby Distribution Map",121,"a\8\87b.bmp","c","0"
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"Swamp Wallaby Fact File",122,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Macropodidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Macropodinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Wallabia
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Tropical to Cool temperate
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Rainforest, \Psclerophyll\p forest and woodland with dense understorey
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 70-75cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 69-76cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b 300,000-1 million square kilometres
This small \Pmacropod\p is distinguishable by a pattern of dark transverse bands on the rump. It browses at night on the leaves of shrubs but also includes some grass in the diet: it does not need to drink. It is largely restricted to dense vegetation, through which it makes pathways. By day it sleeps in the shelter of the vegetation and does not make a nest.
Females are slightly larger than males, which are \Pterritorial\p and aggressive. Sexual maturity is reached at less than one year of age but mating does not usually begin until the second year. Breeding takes place throughout the year except in late spring. One young is reared. The \Pspecies\p exhibits embryonic \Pdiapause\p.
In the nineteenth century it occupied much of southwestern Australia but is now restricted to Bernier and Dorre Islands, off the coast of Western Australia.
\BPicture:\b \IB & B Wells\i
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"Banded Hare-wallaby Distribution Map",124,"a\8\88.bmp","c","0"
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"Banded Hare-wallaby Fact File",125,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Diprotodontia
\B\PSuborder:\p\b Phalangerida
\B\PSuperfamily:\p\b Macropodoidea
\B\PFamily:\p\b Macropodidae
\B\PSubfamily:\p\b Sthenurinae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Lagostrophus
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Warm temperate
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Semi-arid woodland and heath
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 40-45cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 35-40cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b less than 10,000 square kilometres
In adaptation to a burrowing life in desert sands, the \PMarsupial\p Mole is blind and has lost its external ears. The blunt snout is protected by a horny shield, the tail is a tiny appendage, and the claws of the feet are broad digging blades. The body is covered with long, silky hair.
Because it spends almost all of its time below ground, it is seldom seen and little is known of its biology. Apparently it does not tunnel but, in effect, "swims" through the sand, leaving no cavity behind it. It has been assumed to feed on \Psubterranean\p insect larvae and the few animals that have been held for short periods in captivity have survived on a diet of mealworms.
However, one individual has been seen to eat a gecko, holding the body in a scissor-like grip between the claws of its forefeet. It does not need to drink.
The female has two teats in a well-formed pouch which opens backward. The male lacks a scrotum, the testes being within the abdomen.
\BPicture:\b \ID Roff\i
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"Marsupial Mole Distribution Map",2,"a\9\89.bmp","c","0"
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"Marsupial Mole Fact File",3,"0","g","0"
\B\PSubclass:\p\b Marsupialia
\B\PCohort:\p\b Australidelphia
\B\POrder:\p\b Notoryctemorphia
\B\PFamily:\p\b Notoryctidae
\B\PGenus:\p\b\I Notoryctes
\i\B\PClimate:\p\b Subtropical to Tropical
\B\PHabitat:\p\b Sandy deserts
\B\PHead and body:\p\b 12-16cm
\B\PTail:\p\b 2-3cm
\B\PDistribution:\p\b more than 1 million square kilometres
