Northern bettong
Common name: Northern bettong
Scientific name: Bettongia tropica (bettong = Aboriginal word for small wallaby, tropica = occurs in the tropics)
Animal group: Potoroos, bettongs and rat-kangaroos
Conservation status: This species is listed as endangered in Queensland (Nature Conservation Act 1992) and is endemic to Queensland (i.e. only lives in Queensland).
Description:
Body length: 300-380mm
Tail length: 290-360mm
Weight: 1-1.5kg
The northern bettong is a delicately-built rat-kangaroo about the size of a rabbit. It has pale grey fur and a cream coloured belly. A short black brush of fur on top of the tail tip distinguishes it from the rufous bettong Aepyprymnus rufescens. The tail is prehensile and is used to carry nesting material. The northern bettong has a broad head with a flattened, naked nose and short, pointy ears.
Habitat and distribution: The northern bettong has a small, fragmented distribution, occurring in upland grassy eucalypt woodland and tall open forest along the western edge of the Wet Tropics bioregion of north Queensland. Two separate populations remain in the Mount Windsor and Mount Carbine tablelands.
They have a large home range of 20ha or more, and territories can overlap. The climate profile for this species suggests they favour a mean annual rainfall of 1613mm and a mean annual temperature range of 16-26 degrees Celsius.
You can see northern bettongs on display at David Fleay Wildlife Park on the Gold Coast.
Life history and behaviour:Truffles (fruiting bodies of underground fungi) and cockatoo grass Alloteropsis semialata appear to be the most important components of the northern bettong's diet. It also feeds on a wide range of foods including a number of other species of fungi, roots, tubers, seeds, insects, grass and leaves.
Northern bettongs are nocturnal, sleeping during the day in well-concealed nests constructed of grass, leaves and bark over shallow depressions or under thick shrubs or grass trees. They are solitary animals with large home ranges of 20ha that have three or four nest sites, which they use randomly. When moving, they hop quickly with their head held low, back arched and the tail held straight out behind.
The northern bettong is believed to become sexually mature at five or six months of age, and can breed at any time of the year, producing two to three litters of a single young. The gestation period is about 21 days and pouch life 110-115 days. Northern bettongs live for around six years.
This species has an estimated population of 1500-2500 individuals.
Threatening processes: It is still uncertain what actual threats are impacting on the northern bettong. The most likely reason bettong populations are in decline is habitat alteration resulting from less frequent fires. This has allowed rainforest to encroach into their habitat and, along with feral pigs and timber harvesting, may also be affecting the abundance of the truffles they feed on. Grazing may also be damaging its habitat in some areas. Other threats may be domestic pets and foxes.
Actions:
The aims outlined in the Recovery plan for the northern bettong include:
- Maintaining habitat links and restrict clearing;
- Implementing appropriate fire regimes;
- Monitoring and managing grazing impact including minimising weed dispersal;
- Assisting in the foxwatch (fox control) program and control feral pigs; and
- Monitoring, assessing and reducing the impact of recreational activities including the impact of dogs and road-kills.
Further information:
Dennis, A.J. (2001). Recovery plan for the northern bettong, Bettongia tropica 2000-2004. Report to Environment Australia, Canberra. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Brisbane.
Recovery plan for the northern bettong
Johnson, C.N. and A.P. McIllwee (1997). Ecology of the Northern Bettong Bettongia tropica, a Tropical Mycophagist. Wildlife Research 24: 549-559.
Johnson, P.M. (2003). Kangaroos of Queensland. Queensland Museum, Brisbane.
Winter, J.W. and Johnson, P.M. (2002). Northern bettong, in Strahan, R. (ed.). The Mammals of Australia. Revised edition. Reed New Holland, Sydney.
Last updated: 24 August 2006