Bettongia tropica

northern bettong

Features
By Kaitlyn Lytton

Geographic Range

Northern bettongs ( Bettongia tropica ) are natives of Australia, specifically to north-eastern Queensland. The three most populated areas of northern bettongs are found on the western edge of the Lamb Range, the western edge of the Mount Carbine Tableland (Mount Lewis National Park), and the Coane Range.

Historically, northern bettongs were found in Mount Windsor National Park as recently as 2003. They are believed to be extirpated from places like Ravenshoe, Dawson Valley, and other locales in Australia since the late 1800s, and others more recently. Surveys of Mount Windsor Tableland in Far North Queensland in 2003 confirmed their presence, but it’s unclear if this population is still present.

Habitat

Northern bettongs are located in the ecotone between savanna woodland and rainforest, in a small area of sclerophyll forest. They are absent from rainforests but instead inhabit wet mature forests that abut the rainforests. They can also inhabit forested areas with lower moisture regimes. These drier areas are reported to be dominated by two tree species: lemon-scented gum ( Corymbia citriodora ) and poplar gum ( Eucalyptus platyphylla ). Bettongs live at elevations between 800 m and 1,200 m asl. The habitats can vary from mature and wet forests that border the rainforest to drier woodlands. Many bettongs sought refuge beneath boulders or burrows during the day based on nocturnal habits. Bettongs are not seasonal migraters they inhabit burrows all year around.

Physical Description

Northern bettongs are marsupials that belong to the rat-kangaroo family. The adult head and body length ranges from 302 to 337 mm (average = 315 mm), tail length is 320 to 335 mm (average = 328 mm), and weight ranges from 1000 to 1400 g (average = 1200 g). Both sexes are similar in lengths and weight. Females possess pouches that open anteriorly. Their pelage is light grey with a cream ventral surface. They have elongated hind legs for hopping and use fore limbs used for balance. Bettongs' paws have long nails used for digging burrows. In addition, they possess short, rounded ears. Their lightly haired tails are somewhat prehensile, capable of gathering materials for nesting.

When bettongs are born, they are known as a joeys and are delivered individually. Like all marsupials, they are altricial - born hairless and helpless. In the pouch, they slowly develop grey fur. Birth lengths and weights are not reported for these bettongs.

  • Sexual Dimorphism
  • sexes alike
  • sexes shaped differently

Development

The age of sexual maturity for female bettongs is 301 days, and it is unknown for males. Northern bettongs start as embryos and the gestation period typically lasts 20–23 days; they find shelter in their mother’s pouch immediately after birth and the weaning period begins at 166–185 days. Like all marsupials, they spend much of their early development in the pouch rather than in a womb. After 102–112 days, the young emerges from the mother's pouch. They join their mothers as juveniles, learning and growing into an independent state. The weaning period of northern bettongs is around 166–185 days. They exhibit determinate growth, meaning they develop throughout their juvenile years until adulthood. The weight and age between sexes is not yet determined in northern bettongs.

Reproduction

Bettongs can reproduce throughout the year, and their mating habits are comparable to those of other members of the genus Bettongia . Males may use vocalizations or physical displays to attract females. The exact techniques used for these behaviors in northern bettongs are not described well. When females are receptive to these behaviors, mating occurs when males mount females. Bettongs are polygynous, which is when one male mates with multiple females. Males that weigh more tend to have a greater rate of mating.

Northern bettongs are reproductively active throughout the year, and no specific seasons have been reported for peak reproduction. The age of sexual maturity is 301 days for females, and it is unknown for males. They are iteroparous, utilize sexual reproduction, and give birth to and care for one offspring during the reproduction process. After fertilization, the single embryo develops from nutrients from the female. Many female marsupials utilize sperm-storing, but bettongs are not reported to carry this same trait. The gestation period for northern bettongs lasts 20–23 days, and the estrus cycle lasts 21–23 days. Bettongs employ embryonic diapause, which causes delayed fertilization and implantation by slowing the rate of blastocyst implantation, ideal conditions that are regulated by nursing.

The birth mass of the offspring is not stated for northern bettongs. At 102–112 days, the young began to emerge from the pouch permanently, and at 166–185 days, they were weaned. Bettongs do exhibit post-partum estrous, which means they can mate again within the same day of giving birth.

Northern bettongs are altricial, born underdeveloped. They require parental care in the mother’s pouch for at least 100 days. Due to this development, they experience a pre-weaning phase in which the mother is the prominent parental figure who cares for the young by nursing them with teats in their mother’s pouch. The males are not involved in any parental care of the young. After they leave the pouch, the young continue to shadow their mothers for pre-independence care and learn crucial survival skills like foraging and predator avoidance. Once independent, they do not inherit any maternal or paternal territory. They tend to disperse from parental territory and find new territory to build and establish.

  • Parental Investment
  • altricial
  • female parental care
  • pre-hatching/birth
    • provisioning
      • female
    • protecting
      • female
  • pre-weaning/fledging
    • provisioning
      • female
    • protecting
      • female
  • pre-independence
    • provisioning
      • female
    • protecting
      • female
  • extended period of juvenile learning

Lifespan/Longevity

Northern bettongs are expected to live in the wild for 5 to 7 years and no maximum longevity has been reported. Some bettongs are kept in captivity in zoo exhibits, and these individuals live longer due to reduced stressors they encounter in the wild (predation, disease, habitat quality). About 10% of young northern bettongs do not live longer than 106 days or older to make it outside of the mother’s pouch. If bettongs make it to adulthood, they have over an 80% chance of surviving another year.

Behavior

Bettongs are nocturnal and terricolous, foraging for truffles and other food during the night. Due to nocturnal tendencies, bettongs rely on their senses of smell, vocalization, visual abilities, and body movements to survive. Bettongs do not hibernate annually. They are motile and saltatorial, specializing in jumping and hopping on their hind legs like many other marsupials. Northern bettongs use saltatorial movements to avoid predators. They are also fossorial and live in burrows that they dig themselves. In these burrows, they hide from predators and other daily threats. They are also sedentary, staying in one general area to meet survival needs. They do not migrate to different areas for survival. As solitary animals, they do not generally interact with other bettongs unless it is for mating. Vocalizations or physical displays may be used to attract females for mating.

Females usually mate with males whose home territories are between 0.9 km and 1.3 km away. Females within 1.3 km of one another are less likely to be related to one another as compared to male-male relatedness in the same range. Males usually avoid nesting inside their father's home area, while young females frequently settle close to their mother. It is possible that the genetic structuring previously seen for northern bettongs resulted from both limited natal and mating spread.

Home Range

Northern bettongs' home ranges can be up to 120 hectares, but the typical range is usually 50-70 hectares. Male bettongs (72 ± 10.9 ha) tend to have larger ranges of movements compared to females (49 ± 8.4 ha). Movement while foraging is high for both sexes, ranges may touch or overlap between individuals and sexes. No territorial range is reported for northern bettongs.

Communication and Perception

Due to the northern bettongs’ nocturnal tendencies, they rely on senses of smell, vocalization, visual abilities, and body movements. They use smell to locate food and dig up the sporocarps that fungi produce. Body movements can also be used for tactile efforts with the location of food and interactions between bettongs. Bettongs are highly sensitive to light, aiding in the detection of shapes and motion. These senses are essential for detecting predators.

Like many mammals, bettongs use scent glands (anal glands) to mark territories. They use specific vocalization techniques to call and communicate with their young and other individuals. It’s unknown the extent of many bettong noises and their meaning in a social or defensive setting. A highly vocal species in the same genus, burrowing bettongs ( Bettongia lesueur ),mainly communicate through grunts, squeaks, and hisses. It’s unclear if northern bettongs do the same.

Food Habits

In the rainy season, bettongs depend on truffles, which are underground fruiting bodies of fungi. These truffles (across 35 species of fungi) can make up nearly half of their intake, though this varies seasonally. Storage tubers of cockatoo grass ( Alloteropsis semialata ) are consumed in larger quantities when truffles are scarce.  The remainder of their diet can consist of plant parts, like underground roots, seeds, and soil invertebrates. Bettongs forage nocturnally year-round.

Johnson and Mcllwee (1997) studied the diet of northern bettongs via fecal pellet analyses. With a consistently high seasonal representation of 23-67%, fungus was the most common food item in the pellets. Nearly all fungi consumed were hypogenous (growing on the underside of leaves) basidiomycetes and ascomycetes. These fungi form ectomycorrhizae with forest trees and shrubs, including eucalyptus ( Eucalyptus ) and sheoak ( Allocasuarina ).  Grasses were the second most plentiful food item in fecal pellets. Between 3 and 33% of the pellets contained roots and tubers. The percentage of lilies was 0 to 20% in fecal pellets, varying by season. Most of the lily fragments identified were from the genus Hypoxis . Three functional food groups - herbs, invertebrates, seeds - collectively accounted for less than 10% of the diet.

  • Animal Foods
  • insects
  • Plant Foods
  • roots and tubers
  • seeds, grains, and nuts
  • Other Foods
  • fungus

Predation

The main predators of bettongs are feral cats ( Felis catus ) and red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ). They are highly vulnerable to predation by feral cats like many other macropods, causing a decline in those populations with predation up to 65%.

Bettongs’ main line of defense is to retreat to underground burrows. Bettongs' nocturnal nature helps them be cryptic to predators. Bettongs that are larger and exposed to more predator encounters have a greater ability to evade predation than smaller individuals that have not had predication experiences. Selection and individual learning from exposure to predation could increase the survival of northern bettongs.

Ecosystem Roles

Northern bettongs primarily consume fungi and disperse fungal spores around the forest floor. Bettongs aid in soil aeration due to foraging for truffles and burrowing for protection. The uprooting of fungi leads to improved nutrients and promotes the growth of plants in the ecosystem. The main predators of bettongs are feral cats ( Felis catus ) and red foxes ( Vulpes vulpes ) both of which are invasive species in Australia. The only known native predator of northern bettongs is the dingo ( Canis familiaris dingo ). No documented ectoparasites are directly linked to northern bettongs. After a hematological and serum research study was completed, no internal parasites including the protozoan, Toxoplasma gondii. A nematode ( Potorostrongylus woyliei ) was the only internal parasite found in northern bettongs.

Commensal/Parasitic Species

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

Northern bettongs have no reported positive economic impact on humans.

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

Northern bettongs have no reported negative economic impacts on humans.

Conservation Status

According to Australian law, northern bettongs are a threatened species. On the IUCN Red List and US Federal List, northern bettongs are classified as “Endangered”. On CITES, northern bettongs are listed under Appendix I, which means international trade is prohibited except for scientific research. Northern bettongs have no special status on the State of Michigan list.

Bettongs’ main threats are habitat loss, fire regimes, climate change, predation, and resource competition. Habitat loss is due to humans' agricultural needs like logging. Logging exposing them to more predators and limiting bettongs’ resources. Fire regimes have caused northern bettongs to lose vital foraging fungal biomass. Predation by invasive feral cats ( Felis catus ) can reach rates of 65%; bettongs are especially vulnerable as juveniles.

An extensive recovery plan has been created for northern bettongs in Queensland. The examination of fire ecology has determined how different fire regimes affect northern bettongs food sources like truffles and cockatoo grass ( Alloteropsis semialata ). A GPS tracking study worked to investigate the use of microhabitats after prescribed burning, population genetics and mating systems research. Concurrent fox distribution and abundance surveys lead to the development of an invasive red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) control plan. Results from these studies aided in the formation of the conservation plan.

The Queensland Department of Environment and Science is responsible for conserving northern bettongs. Most of bettongs’ habitats are included in both public and private protected area estates (Australian Wildlife Conservancy) and are being managed for the conservation of bettongs. Efforts for bettongs include ceasing logging, managing fire and weeds, and manipulating landscapes to benefit these animals. Bettongs from the Lamb Range were placed in a Wildlife Sanctuary on at 950-ha area that excludes predatory threats. In addition, at Mt. Spurgeon, a translocation plan (from Lamb Range) will increase northern bettongs’ genetic diversity.

Encyclopedia of Life

Contributors

Kaitlyn Lytton (author), Radford University, Natalie May (editor), Radford University, Alexander McVicker (editor), Radford University, Karen Powers (editor), Radford University, Tanya Dewey (editor), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

Australian

Living in Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, New Guinea and associated islands.

World Map

native range

the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.

tropical

the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees south.

terrestrial

Living on the ground.

tropical savanna and grassland

A terrestrial biome. Savannas are grasslands with scattered individual trees that do not form a closed canopy. Extensive savannas are found in parts of subtropical and tropical Africa and South America, and in Australia.

savanna

A grassland with scattered trees or scattered clumps of trees, a type of community intermediate between grassland and forest. See also Tropical savanna and grassland biome.

temperate grassland

A terrestrial biome found in temperate latitudes (>23.5° N or S latitude). Vegetation is made up mostly of grasses, the height and species diversity of which depend largely on the amount of moisture available. Fire and grazing are important in the long-term maintenance of grasslands.

forest

forest biomes are dominated by trees, otherwise forest biomes can vary widely in amount of precipitation and seasonality.

rainforest

rainforests, both temperate and tropical, are dominated by trees often forming a closed canopy with little light reaching the ground. Epiphytes and climbing plants are also abundant. Precipitation is typically not limiting, but may be somewhat seasonal.

polygynous

having more than one female as a mate at one time

iteroparous

offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction). Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).

year-round breeding

breeding takes place throughout the year

sexual

reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female

fertilization

union of egg and spermatozoan

viviparous

reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female.

delayed fertilization

a substantial delay (longer than the minimum time required for sperm to travel to the egg) takes place between copulation and fertilization, used to describe female sperm storage.

delayed implantation

in mammals, a condition in which a fertilized egg reaches the uterus but delays its implantation in the uterine lining, sometimes for several months.

embryonic diapause

At about the time a female gives birth (e.g. in most kangaroo species), she also becomes receptive and mates. Embryos produced at this mating develop only as far as a hollow ball of cells (the blastocyst) and then become quiescent, entering a state of suspended animation or embryonic diapause. The hormonal signal (prolactin) which blocks further development of the blastocyst is produced in response to the sucking stimulus from the young in the pouch. When sucking decreases as the young begins to eat other food and to leave the pouch, or if the young is lost from the pouch, the quiescent blastocyst resumes development, the embryo is born, and the cycle begins again. (Macdonald 1984)

altricial

young are born in a relatively underdeveloped state; they are unable to feed or care for themselves or locomote independently for a period of time after birth/hatching. In birds, naked and helpless after hatching.

female parental care

parental care is carried out by females

fossorial

Referring to a burrowing life-style or behavior, specialized for digging or burrowing.

saltatorial

specialized for leaping or bounding locomotion; jumps or hops.

nocturnal

active during the night

motile

having the capacity to move from one place to another.

sedentary

remains in the same area

solitary

lives alone

visual

uses sight to communicate

tactile

uses touch to communicate

acoustic

uses sound to communicate

chemical

uses smells or other chemicals to communicate

photic/bioluminescent

generates and uses light to communicate

pheromones

chemicals released into air or water that are detected by and responded to by other animals of the same species

scent marks

communicates by producing scents from special gland(s) and placing them on a surface whether others can smell or taste them

visual

uses sight to communicate

tactile

uses touch to communicate

acoustic

uses sound to communicate

chemical

uses smells or other chemicals to communicate

cryptic

having markings, coloration, shapes, or other features that cause an animal to be camouflaged in its natural environment; being difficult to see or otherwise detect.

soil aeration

digs and breaks up soil so air and water can get in

herbivore

An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants.

granivore

an animal that mainly eats seeds

mycophage

an animal that mainly eats fungus

endothermic

animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.

bilateral symmetry

having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.

References

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Johnson, C., A. Mcllwee. 1997. Ecology of the northern bettong, Bettongia tropica, a tropical mycophagist. Wildlife Research , 24/5: 549-559.

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Laurance, W. 1997. A distributional survey and habitat model for the endangered northern bettong Bettongia tropica in tropical Queensland. Biological Conservation , 82/1: 47-60.

Olsson, A., A. Allanson, F. L'Hotellier. 2025. Haematological and serum biochemical reference interval for free-ranging northern bettongs (Bettongia tropica) in far north Queensland. Australian Veterinary Journal , Advance online publication: Advance online publication.

Pope, L., A. Estoup, C. Moritz. 2000. Phylogeography and population structure of an ecotonal marsupial, Bettongia tropica, determined using mtDNA and microsatellites. Molecular Ecology , 9/12: 2041-2053.

Pope, L., K. Vernes, A. Goldizen, C. Johnson. 2013. Mating system and local dispersal patterns of an endangered potoroid, the northern bettong (Bettongia tropica). Australian Journal of Zoology , 60/4: 278-287.

Smales, L. 2005. 1 January 2005 Potorostrongylus woyliei n. sp. (Nematoda: Cloacinidae) from the Brush-tailed Bettong Bettongia penicillata (Marsupialia) from Western Australia, Australia, with Comments on Potoroid–Potorostrongylid Associations and a Key to the Species of Potorostrongylus. Comparative Parasitology , 72/1: 28-32.

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Tay, N. 2021. Predator exposure enhances the escape behaviour of a small marsupial, the burrowing bettong. Animal Behaviour , 175/4: 45-56.

Threatened Species Scientific Committee, 2016. Conservation Advice - Bettongia tropica . Australia: Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 - Australia. Accessed April 19, 2025 at https://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/species/pubs/214-conservation-advice-16122016.pdf .

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Winter, J., P. Johnson, K. Vernes. 2008. Northern bettong: Bettongia tropica. Pp. 293-294 in The Mammals of Australia . Sydney, Australia: Reed New Holland.

To cite this page: Lytton, K. 2025. "Bettongia tropica" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed {%B %d, %Y} at https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Bettongia_tropica/

Last updated: 2025-17-01 / Generated: 2025-10-03 01:06

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