What is a bettong?
A bettong is a small, rat-kangaroo marsupial that hops like a tiny kangaroo and digs for underground fungi called truffles. Several species live in Australia, many now rare.
Bettongs weigh about one to two kilograms. They are nocturnal, resting during the day in nests made of grass and bark, which they carry using their curled tails.
Truffles make up much of their diet. When bettongs dig them up and eat them, they spread the fungal spores in their droppings. These fungi help eucalyptus trees absorb nutrients, so bettongs play a vital role in forest health.
Species and threats
The woylie, or brush-tailed bettong, was once widespread but declined sharply because of foxes and cats. The burrowing bettong, or boodie, survived only on islands before reintroductions to fenced reserves.
The eastern bettong is extinct on the mainland but common in Tasmania. It has been reintroduced to fenced reserves in the ACT, including Mulligans Flat.
Bettongs are among the animals helped most by predator-free fenced sanctuaries.
Did You Know?
A single bettong can dig thousands of small holes a year, turning over large amounts of soil.