Physical description

The rufous bettong is the largest member of the Potoroidae family. It weighs up to 3.5 kg and measures between 70 and 80 cm in total length, with a standing height of around 35 cm. It has reddish-brown fur, a silvery belly, and a long, prehensile tail used for carrying nesting materials. Its pointed snout, triangular ears, and powerful hind limbs give it a distinctive, kangaroo-like appearance and movement.

Habitat and distribution

Historically found throughout Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland, the rufous bettong is now limited to fragmented populations from Newcastle to Cooktown. Preferred habitats include open eucalypt forests, grassy woodlands, and nearby grasslands with sufficient cover for nesting and foraging. It is extinct in Victoria due to severe habitat loss, predation, and environmental change.

Behaviour and diet

Rufous bettongs are mostly solitary and forage at night, travelling up to 4.5 km in search of food. Their diet includes roots, tubers, fungi, seeds, grasses, and occasionally insect larvae or carrion. Their foraging behaviour aerates soil, helping with nutrient cycling and plant growth. During the day, they rest in dome-shaped grass nests built in hidden locations, often using their tails to carry materials.

Breeding

Breeding occurs year-round under favourable conditions. The gestation period is 22–24 days, with a single joey carried in the pouch for about four months. After emerging, the young stays near its mother for an additional month. Females can reproduce from five months of age and may produce up to three joeys each year. Lifespan is five to seven years in the wild and longer in captivity.