Mammals · Diprotodontia · Macropodidae

Rufous-bellied Pademelon

Thylogale billardierii

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The Tasmanian pademelon, also known as the rufous-bellied or red-bellied pademelon, is the pademelon species found exclusively in Tasmania, and formerly across all of south-eastern Australia. This pademelon has developed a fuller, thicker coat than its northern relatives, which live in northern Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Weight

3.5 kg – 12 kg

Size

50 cm – 65 cm

Lifespan

9 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Temperate forestIslandsHerbivore Nocturnal Solitary Temperate forest Islands Mammal

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Fun facts

It died out on the Australian mainland and survives only in Tasmania and the Bass Strait islands, which neither the fox nor the dingo ever reached.
It is the main prey of the Tasmanian devil: pademelon abundance is one of the factors that determines devil density in each part of the island.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Dense understorey of temperate rainforest, scrub and wet sclerophyll forest in Tasmania
Sexual maturity: 14.3 months
Gestation / incubation: 29 days
Litter / clutch size: 1

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thylogale_billardierii