Diet

What does the Rufous Bettong eat?

Rufous bettongs are omnivores. Their primary food source is fungi but roots, tubers, herbs, grasses and insects will also be consumed.

This species rarely needs to drink free water and will only seek this out during drought.

Learn more about the Rufous Bettong in this video from the Australian Reptile Park on YouTube

Range

Where do you find the Rufous Bettong?

Australia is the native home of the rufous bettong. Here they can be found along the east coast of the country in Queensland and New South Wales.

Remains of this species have been found in Victoria and islands near Tasmania indicating that their range formerly took in these areas but they are now not known from these areas.

Habitat

Where can the Rufous Bettong survive?

This species is found in wooded areas where there is a grassy understorey. They have also been seen in grazing areas.

Credit: The Animal Facts

Reproduction

How does the Rufous Bettong produce its young?

Breeding can take place at any time of the day.

Females which are unreceptive to mating will drive away males using loud growls while striking and kicking at the other.

They are not considered monogamous but studies have indicated that males will regularly mate with the same females.

Females perform embryonic diapause and will have another embryo ready to develop while another joey sits in the pouch. They give birth to a single joey after a 24 day gestation period. This initially carried in the mothers pouch.

Young become independent by 31 weeks of age.

Sexual maturity is reached around 11 months old.

Behavior

What does the Rufous Bettong do during its day?

This species is active at night when they will emerge to seek out food. Outside of this time they will seek shelter in a nest which is a shallow scrape covered by vegetation. They will carry nesting material in their tail.

These animals may form up to 5 nests at any one time and move between them.

Males maintain a territory. This will take in the nest sites of several females.

They are a solitary species.

Most of their movement is slow with their feet sitting on the ground and their feet shuffling along behind. They are also able to hop using their back legs like a kangaroo.

This species will regularly dig in to the soil which assists with the decomposition of the leaf litter. They engineer the ecosystem through spreading fungal spores.

Credit: The Animal Facts

Predators and Threats

What stops the Rufous Bettong from surviving and thriving?

Introduced predators such as the red fox and feral cat will target this species and can cause declines in their numbers. Rabbits will also compete with them for food.

This species is considered to be common across much of its range.

Threats to their survival include intensification in agriculture practices and habitat destruction. Climate change is an increasing threat to their future.

-- AD --

Quick facts

This species may also be known as the rufous rat-kangaroo.

Credit: The Animal Facts