Red-necked pademelon

Scientific Name: Thylogale thetis

Did You Know?

If threatened, the red-necked pademelon will hop away making a thumping sound with its feet. It can also make a threatening growl, a repetitive click to call young and males make a clucking sound when courting.

The red-necked pademelon is a compact marsupial, similar to a small wallaby in appearance. It has red-brown fur on its neck and shoulders, with brownish-grey fur elsewhere and a cream coloured underbelly. The fur is thick and soft. Body lengths can get up to 60 centimetres, with tails up to 50 centimetres and weights up to 9 kilograms. These shy creatures are often solitary but around dusk may congregate in a feeding area. During the day they forage in the forest, often moving slowly on all fours. The rarely venture more than 100 metres from the forest edge, and sleep in dense vegetation surrounded by leaf litter.

Habitat:

Found on the east coast of Australia from southern NSW to southern Queensland, the red-necked pademelon favours closed forests and rainforests, but will often graze on the edge of these areas.

Diet:

Grass, herbs, leaves and bark. Sometimes the red-necked pademelon is seen holding food in its front paws.

Reproduction:

Females are mature at 17 months and can breed all year, though birth peaks will occur in summer in the south and autumn and spring in the north. A single young, which is tiny, blind and hairless, is born and attaches itself to one of four teats in the mother’s pouch. It suckles and grows in the pouch for 26 weeks and then continues suckling at foot for another 4 weeks.

More Mammals

• Common Wombat
• Dingo
• Eastern Grey Kangaroo
• Echidna
• Grey-headed Flying Fox
• Kangaroo Island kangaroo
• Koala
• Long-nosed potoroo
• Parma Wallaby
• Platypus
• Red kangaroo
• Red-necked pademelon
• Ringtail possum
• Tasmanian Devil
• Yellow-footed rock-wallaby