RED-NECKED PADEMELON

58               RED-NECKED PADEMELON               Thylogale thetis 

AUSTRALIA                 58     

Common around fringes of rainforests and wet sclerophyll forestin far e Australia from Biloela (Q) to Illawarra (NSW).Mostly active nocturnally but active during day in dense forest. Shy. Eats grasses, forms, and low shrubs.

RED-LEGGED PADEMELON

57                  RED-LEGGED PADEMELON                   Thylogale stigmatica

AUSTRALIA                57

Common inrainforest from near tip Cape York to c. Tamworth, NSW. Active night and day, but open areas after dark. Food mainly fallen leaves, fruit and underground fungi; on forest edges grass forms larger part of diet.

SOUTHERN HAIRY-NOSED WOMBAT

Photographed in South Australia

56                  SOUTHERN HAIRY-NOSED WOMBAT              Lasiorhinus latifrons

AUSTRALIA                  56

Patchily distributed in semi-arid scrubland and mallee in s Nullarbor Plain, Eyre and York Peninsula (SA), Murray Mallee (SA) and far sw NSW. Mainly crepuscular and nocturnal, solitary. Shelters in large burrows, clusters to form warrens.

LUMHOLTZ'S TREE KANGAROO

Photographed on Atherton Tablelands

55             LUMHOLTZ'S TREE KANGAROO                Dendrolagus lumholtzi 

AUSTRALIA             55

Now restricted to montane rainforest over 800 m above sea level in ne Q. Nocturnal, territorial.        

GREEN RINGTAIL POSSUM

Photographed at Hypipamee National Park, North Queensland

54                   GREEN RINGTAIL POSSUM                    Pseudochirops archeri 

AUSTRALIA            54

Sparsely distributed in montane tropical rainforest between Paluma and Mt Windsor Tableland in ne Queensland. Nocturnal, arboreal, solitary, eats mostly leaves. No nest but spends daylight curled u on branch.

LONG-NOSED BANDICOOT

Photographed in Lamington National Park, Queensland

53                LONG-NOSED BANDICOOT                  Perameles nasuta 

AUSTRALIA                   53

Locally common along east coast and adjacent ranges. Found in wet sclerophyll forest, scrub, rank grass and suburban gardens. Nocturnal, solitary, digs in tops for invertebrates and tubers. 

SPINIFEX HOPPING MOUSE

Photographed at Mount Gibson Station, Western Australia

52                   SPINIFEX HOPPING MOUSE                  Notomys alexis

AUSTRALIA                  52

Found in sandy deserts on dunes and swales covered with hummock grass, loamy sands with mulga or melaleuca. Populations fluctuate with rainfall. Omnivorous, eats seeds, most plant parts, arthropods.

DUGONG

Photographed in Shark Bay, Western Australia

51               DUGONG               Dugong dugon

AUSTRALIA              51

Found sheltered coastal seas and estuaries of n. Australia and Torres Strait, from Shark Bay (WA) to Moreton Bay (Q). Declining in e Australia. Entirely marine, gregarious in herds of 5 to over 100. Slow-moving, surfaces discreetly. Grazes on sea-grass beds.

AUSTRALIAN SEA-LION

Photographed at Point Labbatt, South Australia

50                  AUSTRALIAN SEA-LION                Neophoca cinerea   

AUSTRALIA                50

Breeds on islands around sw and s Australia. Unique among seals breeding in non-seasonal, non-annual asynchronous breeding. Forages mainly in continental shelf waters eating cephalopods, benthic fish, lobsters, seabirds.

NUMBAT

49               NUMBAT                Myrmecobius fasciatus

AUSTRALIA                49

Once spread across much of arid and semi-arid southern Australia, but now restricted to pockets in sw WA. Being reintroduced on reserves in SA and NSW. Only marsupial restricted to diet of termites.  Lacks effective teeth but has sticky tongue. Forages alone during daylight, shelters in nest of leaves and bark.

BRIDLED NAILTAIL WALLABY

48                BRIDLED NAILTAIL WALLABY               Onychogalea fraenata   

AUSTRALIA                 48

 Also known as Merrin and Flash Jack.   Endangered. Confined to several conservation reserves in Q and NSW. Partly diurnal, mostly solitary.

BURROWING BETTONG

47                    BURROWING BETTONG                   Bettongia lesueur  

AUSTRALIA               47

Also known as Boodie. Once widespread across arid and semi-arid s., central and w Australia but decreased and only on four WA islands; several reintroduction programs underway on mainland. Only macropod to regularly shelter in burrows. Nocturnal, gregarious, extensive warrens may support up to 100 animals.

GREATER STICK-NEST RAT

46                  GREATER STICK-NEST RAT                 Leporillus conditor

AUSTRALIA               46

Formerly widespread from Shark Bay across the centre to junction of Murray-Darling but declined drastically in 1800s until only on Franklin Island; reintroduced on several islands and in sites in SA, WA and NSW. Vulnerable. Mostly nocturnal, herbivorous, gregarious.

Greater Stick-nest Rat nest

MALA

45                  MALA                  Lagorchestes hirsutus

AUSTRALIA                45

Once widespread in deserts of central Australia and much of WA, now confined to Bernier and Dorre Islands, but being reintroduced in some mainland areas. Solitary, nocturnal, breeding determined by rainfall.

WILD CATTLE

Photographed on Cape York.

44             WILD CATTLE             Bos taurus

AUSTRALIA              44

A contentious one as feral cattle aren't necessarily wild cattle. As one writer states it comes down to demography and management.

HORSE

Photographed on Cape York

43                 HORSE                   Equus caballus

AUSTRALIA                 43

Also known as Brumby. Derived from a number of domestic breeds, including Arab, thoroughbred and draught horses. Introduced. Scattered populations across much of Australia. Where abundant can cause environmental damage. Gregarious, dominant stallion will defend herd of mares and off-spring.

Photographed in western NSW

Photographed in NSW/Victorian High Country (I think)

BLACK WALLABY

42               BLACK WALLABY                Wallabia bicolor

AUSTRALIA             42

Also called Swamp Wallaby or Black-tailed Wallaby. Found in eastern Australia mainland from Cape York to SA. Common; more diurnal than most macropods, solitary, shy.

GOAT

Photographed at Cunnamulla, Queensland

41                GOAT              Capra hircus

AUSTRALIA            41

Introduced. Widespread but patchy outside monsoon tropics; avoids wettest and driest areas. Diurnal, gregarious, browses on most plants.

COMMON RINGTAIL POSSUM

Found this possum on the nature strip in Sydney suburb, had been injured, and survived.

40               COMMON RINGTAIL POSSUM                 Pseudocheirus peregrinus 

AUSTRALIA               40

Commonly known as Ringtail. Common in open and closed forest, coastal scrub and gardens from Cape York to se SA and Tasmania. Social, occurs in family groups; nocturnal; agile climber.

WOYLIE

Photographed in western NSW.

39                  WOYLIE                   Bettongia penicillata

AUSTRALIA              39

Restricted to remnant habitat patches in sw WA where population is expanding. Nocturnal, solitary.Feeds on underground fungi, tubers, seeds and soil arthropods.

FALLOW DEER

Photographed in southern Victoria.

38              FALLOW DEER               Cervus dama

AUSTRALIA             38   

Introduced. Widely scattered small populations in all states except WA and NT. Confined to fringes of cleared land and plantations. Gregarious, nocturnal or crepuscular, diurnal if undisturbed. Eats mostly soft grasses and herbs

Taken near Bunyip Conservation Park, Victoria