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Red-legged pademelon [1] | |
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Thylogale stigmatica | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
Order: | Diprotodontia |
Family: | Macropodidae |
Genus: | Thylogale |
Species: | T. stigmatica |
Binomial name | |
Thylogale stigmatica (Gould, 1860) | |
Red-legged pademelon range |
The red-legged pademelon (Thylogale stigmatica) is a species of small macropod found on the northeastern coast of Australia and in New Guinea. In Australia it has a scattered distribution from the tip of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland to around Tamworth in New South Wales. [3] In New Guinea it is found in south central lowlands. [4]
The red-legged pademelon is usually solitary but may group together when feeding. [5] It is found mostly in rainforests, where it is rarely seen, but it is not considered threatened. [2] In New South Wales, however, it is considered to be vulnerable. [6] It feeds on fallen fruit, leaves and grasses. [3] It weighs 2.5 to 7 kg and is 38–58 cm long with a 30–47 cm tail. [5]
There are four subspecies of the red-legged pademelon: [1]
The red-legged pademelon, a member of the family Macropodidae (which includes wallabies, kangaroos, etc.), is a kangaroo species that inhabits the rainforests. Like many marsupials, the newborn pademelon is underdeveloped and is carried and nursed in a pouch on the mother's belly. Red-legged pademelons are unique in that they are the only ground-dwelling wallaby that resides in the Wet Tropics rainforests. Although there are several subspecies of red-legged pademelon, this article focuses on Thylogale stigmatica (T. stigmatica). They can be found in both rainforests and open areas.
Red-legged pademelons have soft thick fur, grey-brown on the back and cream on the belly. The cheeks forearms, outside and inside of their hind legs are a rusty brown colour. Its common name refers to the rusty colour on the limbs. They also have a pale cream stripe on their outer thigh. Rainforest forms are usually darker in colour than those from the open country.
Pademelons have a short and thick tail, and their height can range from 35–58 cm when not standing upright. An average-sized pademelon may stand at a height of 75 cm (2+1⁄2 ft). Additionally, their tail measures between 30–47 cm in length and their weight varies from 2.5 to 7 kg.
Due to land clearance, red-legged pademelons have suffered a reduction in range, but they still remain common where the habitat remains, and they are not seriously disturbed by selective loggings. Distribution is discontinuous, especially in the north where it appears to be limited by the availability of vegetation providing satisfactory cover. The red-legged pademelon seems to prefer rainforest areas, but is also found near both sclerophyll and dry vine scrubs. Extensive rainforest clearing has reduced its available habitat, but sufficient parks and reserves currently exist throughout their range to secure their status. Forest clearing may benefit the red-legged pademelon to a certain point. A higher number of forest fragments means the pademelons have more adequate pastures that provide them with sufficient food. Only two types of subspecies inhabit Australia; Thylogale stigmatica and the Thylogale wilcoxi.
Red-legged pademelons mainly eat fallen leaves, but sometimes they eat fresh leaves. They also feed on fruits and berries from shrubs, the Moreton Bay Fig from the southern part of its range and the fruit of the Burdekin plum from the northern part. The Moreton Bay Fig and the Burdekin Plum are major food sources. They sometimes eat the fishbone fern, king orchid, and grasses like Paspalum notatum and Cyrtococcum oxyphyllum . Red-legged pademelons eat the bark of trees and cicadas. They affect regeneration of the rainforest as they browse on the young trees and can seriously impede their growth or even kill them. They are one of the very few animals, and the only known mammal, that can eat the leaves of the Gympie Gympie (Dendrocnide moroides), whose undersides are coated in thousands of fine silica needles that can inject a potent neurotoxin. [7]
The red-legged pademelon lifespan ranges between 4 and 9.7 years. This can be due to predation and forest fire. After a forest fire, predation levels increase due to reduced forest cover.
Pademelons have a gestation period of 28–30 days. Their oestrous cycle is 29–32 days. Mating occurs 2–12 hours after the birth of the young. [8] [ better source needed ] The gender of pouch-young is distinguished at 3 to 4 weeks. Teat detachment occurs at 13–18 weeks. Ears become erect at 15–18 weeks. Eyes open at 16–18 weeks. Hair becomes visible at 19–21 weeks. Young leave the pouch at 26–28 weeks. Young start eating food at approximately 66 days after leaving the pouch. Females become mature at about 48 weeks. Males become mature at about 66 weeks. Then the process starts again. When it is born, the tiny blind baby has only been developing for 3 to 6 weeks. Its limbs are hardly developed but its forelimbs are well enough developed to haul itself through its mother's belly hair to reach the pouch. Shortly after giving birth the female macropod becomes receptive again. If she successfully mates, she will again fall pregnant.
The female macropod enters a state of embryonic diapause if she becomes pregnant. This causes the blastocyst, or new embryo, to enter a state of suspended animation until its older sibling is old enough to leave the pouch. Once the joey leaves, the blastocyst resumes development. Even after leaving the pouch, the joey may continue to suckle from the teat it used while in the pouch. This enables the mother to provide different types of milk for the more developed and less developed offspring. This reproductive strategy is also used by honey possums, bats, seals, and other macropods. Embryonic diapause is highly efficient as it allows for the rapid replacement of lost or deceased young.
Females of the species have a pouch in which they keep their incompletely developed young. Mother red-legged pademelons make soft clucking noises to call their young. They are often found in small groups, foraging 30-50m apart so that they can warn each other of oncoming predators. They are largely nocturnal.
Red-legged pademelon behaviour varies under different circumstances. They are least active in the hours around midday and midnight. Late afternoon, evening and early morning they can be seen grazing on open grassland near the rainforest edges but quickly retreat into the forest if disturbed. They are generally solitary but may group together at night while feeding on grasslands. They feed at equal distances apart and are under the control of one dominant pademelon that controls their feeding area and sets their feeding distance. They communicate by vocalisations and thumping their heels on the ground. They use several vocalizations in social behaviour. In hostile interactions and if a female rejects a male during courtship, a harsh rasping sound is uttered. Soft clucking sounds are made by the courting male, similar sounds are made when a mother is calling her young.[ citation needed ]
The security of their family structure, as well as their speed and agility in closed rainforest protects them against most feral animal attacks. When the animal is resting, it sits on the base of its tail whilst placing the rest of it between the hind legs. The animal then leans back against a rock or sapling. As it falls asleep, its head leans forward to rest on the tail or on the ground beside it.
The main predators of Thylogale stigmatica are dingoes, tiger quolls, amethystine pythons, and occasionally feral domestic dogs. The rate of predation increases following a forest fire, when there is less forest cover. They detect predators by spreading out when foraging. Each pademelon can watch for predators on its particular area. If a predator is seen, a warning to others in the area is spread by a thumping sound made by the hind legs. This is an example of honest signalling.
A wallaby is a small or middle-sized macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, Hawaii, the United Kingdom and other countries. They belong to the same taxonomic family as kangaroos and sometimes the same genus, but kangaroos are specifically categorised into the four largest species of the family. The term "wallaby" is an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo or a wallaroo that has not been designated otherwise.
Tree-kangaroos are marsupials of the genus Dendrolagus, adapted for arboreal locomotion. They inhabit the tropical rainforests of New Guinea and far northeastern Queensland, along with some of the islands in the region. All tree-kangaroos are considered threatened due to hunting and habitat destruction. They are the only true arboreal macropods.
Macropodidae is a family of marsupials that includes kangaroos, wallabies, tree-kangaroos, wallaroos, pademelons, quokkas, and several other groups. These genera are allied to the suborder Macropodiformes, containing other macropods, and are native to the Australian continent, New Guinea and nearby islands.
The red kangaroo is the largest of all kangaroos, the largest terrestrial mammal native to Australia, and the largest extant marsupial. It is found across mainland Australia, except for the more fertile areas, such as southern Western Australia, the eastern and southeastern coasts, and the rainforests along the northern coast.
The parma wallaby is a small marsupial macropod mammal native to forests and densely-vegetated areas of northeastern New South Wales, Australia, close to the border with Queensland. There is also an introduced population found in and around Rodney District, just north of Auckland, New Zealand. About the size of a stout cat, it lives mainly under thick plant cover, and is only active at night when it emerges to feed on grasses and small plants. It is the smallest of the wallabies and carries its young in a pouch, as with other marsupials. Shy and elusive, it was believed extinct until its rediscovery in the 1960s.
Pademelons are small marsupials in the genus Thylogale, found in Australia and Aru, Kai plus New Guinea islands. They are some of the smallest members of the macropod family, which includes the similar-looking but larger kangaroos and wallabies. Pademelons are distinguished by their small size and their short, thick, and sparsely-haired tails. Like most other marsupials, they carry their young in a pouch.
The red-necked pademelon is a forest-dwelling marsupial living in the eastern coastal region of Australia between extreme south-east Queensland and central eastern New South Wales.
The bridled nail-tail wallaby, also known as the bridled nail-tailed wallaby, bridled nailtail wallaby, bridled wallaby, merrin, and flashjack, is a vulnerable species of macropod. It is a small wallaby found in three isolated areas in Queensland, Australia, and whose population is declining. In early 2019 the total population of the species was estimated to be fewer than 500 mature individuals in the wild and 2285 in captivity.
The swamp wallaby is a small macropod marsupial of eastern Australia. This wallaby is also commonly known as the black wallaby, with other names including black-tailed wallaby, fern wallaby, black pademelon, stinker, and black stinker on account of its characteristic swampy odour.
The Tasmanian pademelon, also known as the rufous-bellied pademelon or red-bellied pademelon, is the sole species of pademelon found in Tasmania, and was formerly found throughout southeastern Australia. This pademelon has developed heavier and bushier fur than its northern relatives, which inhabit northern Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo, also called the ornate tree-kangaroo, is an endangered, long-tailed mammal native to rainforests of New Guinea. Like most tree-kangaroos, it lives in the treetops and feeds on leaves or other plant matter. It belongs to the macropod family (Macropodidae) along with kangaroos, and carries its young in a pouch like other marsupials. Its main threats are habitat loss and hunting. There are two subspecies: D. g. goodfellowi and D. g. buergersi.
Lumholtz's tree-kangaroo is a rare, long-tailed marsupial found in rainforests in northeastern Australia. Like most tree-kangaroos, it lives alone in trees and feeds on plant matter. It belongs to the macropod family (Macropodidae) with kangaroos, and carries its young in a pouch like other marsupials. It is threatened by climate change and diseases, and is found in the hilly, fertile Atherton Tableland near Cairns in north east Queensland.
The western brush wallaby, also known as the black-gloved wallaby, is a species of wallaby found in the southwestern coastal region of Western Australia. The wallaby's main threat is predation by the introduced red fox. The IUCN lists the western brush wallaby as Least Concern, as it remains fairly widespread and the population is believed to be stable or increasing, as a result of red fox control programs.
Doria's tree-kangaroo is a long-tailed, furry, bear-like mammal found only in tropical mountain forests on the island of New Guinea. It is one of the largest tree-kangaroos, living alone in trees and active at night to feed on leaves or fruit. It belongs to the macropod family (Macropodidae) with kangaroos, and carries its young in a pouch like other marsupials. Threats include hunting and habitat loss.
The grizzled tree-kangaroo is a furry, long-tailed mammal native to tropical rainforests on the island of New Guinea. Like most tree-kangaroos, it lives in trees and eats leaves, fruit, and bark. It is a member of the macropod family Macropodidae and carries its young in a pouch like other marsupials. The tree-kangaroo is uncommon and threatened by hunting and habitat loss. It is found in foothill forests of northern and western New Guinea and is indigenous to some of the offshore islands.
The lowlands tree-kangaroo, also spelt "lowland," is a long-tailed, furry, bear-like mammal found only in lowland tropical rainforests on the island of New Guinea. It is a species of tree-kangaroo, which are tree-dwelling animals that feed on leaves or other plant matter. Tree-kangaroos are in the macropod family (Macropodidae) with kangaroos, and like other marsupials they carry their young in a pouch. The lowlands tree-kangaroo is threatened by habitat loss.
The ursine tree-kangaroo is a long-tailed, furry, bear-like mammal found only in tropical forests on the island of New Guinea. Slightly larger than a cat, it lives alone in trees and is active at night to feed on leaves and fruit. It belongs to the macropod family (Macropodidae) with kangaroos, and carries its young in a pouch like other marsupials. It has a small range in northwestern New Guinea and is threatened by habitat loss and hunting. Other common names for this species include the black tree-kangaroo, the Vogelkop tree-kangaroo and the white-throated tree-kangaroo.
Calaby's pademelon, also known as the alpine wallaby, is a species of marsupial in the family Macropodidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea. It is threatened by habitat loss and hunting.
The Australian scrub python, or simply scrub python is a species of snake in the family Pythonidae. The species is indigenous to forests of northern Australia. It is one of the world's longest and largest snakes, and is the longest and largest in Australia. Recently, it has been reclassified to the genus Simalia alongside a few other former Morelia species, but scientific debate over this continues.