Rufous bettong pictures and facts

Rufous bettong

Order : Diprotodontia
Family : Potoroidae
Species : Aepyprymnus rufescens

Keywords: brown , nocturnal , pouch

The Rufous bettong, rufous rat-kangaroo is listed as Least Concern (LR/lc), lowest risk. Does not qualify for a more at risk category. Widespread and abundant taxa are included in this category, on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species

Facts about the rufous bettong

Whereas the Musky Rat Kangaroo is found only around the Cooktown area, the Rufous Bettong is widely spread from Cooktown to northern N.

Call/Song: The rufous bettong is found along the Great Dividing Range, from the coast and some distance west of the range.

The Rufous Bettong is a personal favourite of mine – so much so that I have kept this species almost continuously since 1981. (Full text)

"The Rufous Bettong is a small marsupial that used to range from North Queensland to central Victoria, but north-east NSW is now the southern extent of its range.

"The Rufous Bettong is a small marsupial that once ranged from North Queensland to central Victoria, but now has vanished from the inland areas of NSW and only inhabits coastal areas as far south as north-east NSW," he said.

Rufous bettong is monitored The rufous bettong is monitored by attracting them into a trap baited with honey, oats and peanut butter.

Rufous Bettongs are one of the smaller species in the great family Macropodidae, usually called ‘macropods’, which consists of over 50 kinds of kangaroos, wallabies and rat-kangaroos, found only in Australia and New Guinea.

Rufous Bettongs are generally inoffensive to other animals and can be kept safely with a variety of other native animals, such as Potoroos, Wallabies etc. (Full text)

Eastern grey kangaroos, pretty faced wallabies and rufous bettongs are seen around the Park Headquarters.

Rufous Bettongs are an endangered species having virtually disappeared from widespread existence in open woodlands in eastern Australia. (Full text)