Tasmanian pademelon

Rotbauchfilander ( Thylogale billardierii )

The Rotbauchfilander ( Thylogale billardierii ) is a Känguruart from the kind of Filander ( Thylogale ).

Features

Rotbauchfilander are relatively small representative of the kangaroos, the males weigh about 7 kg, females 4 kg. Your body is stocky, the sparsely haired tail is relatively short. Her long fur is gray brown on the top, the underside is reddish -orange. The hind legs are longer and stronger than the front legs as with most kangaroos.

Distribution and habitat

Originally inhabited Rotbauchfilander southeastern Australia and lived in the south-eastern South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania. On the mainland, however, they are the beginning of the 20th century died out, so that they only occur in Tasmania today, but where they are common. Their habitat are lined with dense vegetation forests and bush lands.

Lifestyle and diet

These kangaroos are mostly nocturnal, during the day they sleep in dense vegetation concealed. At night, they go looking for food, thus laying up to 2 kilometers to travel from place to sleep feeding site. For faster progress they lay trails on through the dense undergrowth. When foraging, they form groups of up to 10 animals, but there are no indications that these groups develop a permanent structure. Their diet consists mainly of grasses and herbs. When eating they keep always near the protective vegetation on and go at signs of danger, immediately go back there.

Reproduction

After about 30 days of gestation, the female gives birth to usually a single young is born. Most births fall in the months of April to June. As with many kangaroos can be with them the delayed birth observed. The newborn spends his first 200 days of life in the mother's pouch and is finally weaned after four more months. Sexual maturity occurs at around 14 to 15 months. In the wild their life expectancy is approximately five to six years.

Endangering

The holdings by the Rotbauchfilanders on the Australian mainland, at the latest, extinct around 1920 in the early 20th century. The main reasons for this were the plots by the new arrivals foxes. In Tasmania the species is but so often that it is in some places considered a nuisance and may be hunted. The IUCN lists the species as not at risk.