Mammals
Rufous Bettong
Aepyprymnus rufescens · also called rufous rat-kangaroo
Gathering a bundle of dry grass with its prehensile tail, a rufous bettong hauls the material back to a carefully hidden dome-shaped nest, the largest of Australia’s bettong species and a quiet contributor to forest health through its fungus-spreading foraging habits.
Overview
The rufous bettong, Aepyprymnus rufescens, is the largest bettong species, a small rat-kangaroo relative native to forest and grassland habitat across parts of eastern Australia. Its distinctive tail-assisted nest-building behaviour, heavy reliance on underground fungi, and valuable role dispersing fungal spores make it one of the more ecologically important and behaviourally interesting small members of the kangaroo family found anywhere in Australia.
A nest builder among kangaroos
Unlike most of its kangaroo family relatives, the rufous bettong takes an active hand in home construction, using its prehensile tail to gather grass for a hidden nest, a habit that sets it apart from nearly every other macropod species.
Status
Least Concern, remaining present across suitable forest and grassland habitat throughout parts of eastern Australia.
Rufous Bettong: common questions
What does the rufous bettong use its tail for?
This species uses its prehensile tail to gather and carry bundles of grass and other plant material back to construct a sheltering nest, a distinctive behaviour that sets it apart from many other small macropod species that do not build nests this way.
Why is the rufous bettong important to its forest ecosystem?
This species plays a valuable ecological role spreading the spores of underground fungi through its droppings as it forages each night, supporting the health of fungal networks that many forest trees depend on to absorb nutrients from the soil.
How big is the rufous bettong compared with other bettongs?
This species is the largest of Australia's bettong species, a group of small, rat-kangaroo relatives considerably smaller than true kangaroos and wallabies, making it one of the more substantial members of this particular branch of the kangaroo family.
What does the rufous bettong's nest look like?
This species constructs a well-hidden, dome-shaped nest of woven grass on the ground, gathered and carried using its prehensile tail, providing shelter during the day before it emerges at night to forage for underground fungi and other food.