Woylie
Bettongia penicillata
Conservation Status
VulnerableMammalia · Diprotodontia · Potoroidae
About
The woylie or brush-tailed bettong is a small, near threatened mammal native to forests and shrubland of Australia. A member of the rat-kangaroo family (Potoroidae), it moves by hopping and is active at night, digging for fungi to eat. It is also a marsupial and carries its young in a pouch. Once widespread across southern Australia, the woylie mostly died out from habitat loss and introduced predators such as foxes and feral cats. It is currently restricted to two small areas in Western Australia. There are four subspecies: both B. o. ogilbyi, and B. o. sylvatica, are extant and occur in small populations in the southwest, while B. o. odontoploica, and B. o. francisca are extinct.
Fun Fact
Woylies carry nesting material bundled in their prehensile tails, and they play a critical role in Australian ecosystems by digging thousands of small holes that mix soil and spread fungal spores.
Quick Facts
Habitat
Eucalyptus woodlands
Diet
Omnivore
Lifespan
4-6 years
Threats
- Deforestation
- Illegal Logging
- Wildfire
- Poaching