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Wildlife of Tasmania
Mammals of Tasmania
The tiny new-born young of a typical
marsupial -
in this case a Tasmanian devil
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Tasmania has many unique mammals found nowhere else in the world. Some, like the Tasmanian devil and Tasmanian tiger are well-known. Others, such as the eastern quoll, pademelon and bettong are less well-known, but equally fascinating.
Like most of Australia's mammals, the Tasmanian mammal fauna comprises many marsupials, or pouched mammals. Marsupials are remarkable for their method of reproduction, such as the production of very tiny young which complete their development in a pouch.
Tasmania has many species which have become, or are on the verge of extinction
on mainland Australia. The lack of introduced predators, such as the fox, and
the relatively large amount of intact habitat on the island, make Tasmania
a final refuge - a last chance - for many species.
There are 33 native terrestrial and 41 marine mammals which are known
to occur in Tasmania. Choose the species or mammal family you wish to see
from the full species list below:
ORDER MONOTREMATA (Echidnas and Platypus)
Family Ornithorhychidae (Platypus)
- Platypus Ornithorhynchus anatinus
Family Tachyglossidae (Echidnas)
- Short-beaked echidna Tachyglossus aculeatus
ORDER POLYPROTODONTA (Carnivorous Marsupials and Bandicoots)
Family Dasyuridae (Carnivorous Marsupials)
- Tasmanian devil Sarcophilus harrisii
- Spotted-tail quoll Dasyurus maculatus
- Eastern quoll Dasyurus viverrinus
- Dusky antechinus Antechinus swainsonii
- Swamp antechinus Antechinus minimus
- White-footed dunnart Sminthopsis leucopus
Family Thylacinidae (Thylacine)
- Thylacine (Tasmanian tiger) Thylacinus cynocephalus
Family Peramelidae (Bandicoots)
- Eastern barred bandicoot Perameles gunni
- Southern brown bandicoot Isoodon obesulus
ORDER DIPROTODONTA (Possums, Kangaroos and Wombats)
Superfamily Macropodoidea (Macropods)
- Tasmanian bettong Bettongia gaimadi
- Long-nosed potoroo Potorous tridactylus
- Forester (Eastern grey) kangaroo Macropus giganteus
- Bennetts (Red-necked) wallaby Macropus rufogriseus
- Tasmanian pademelon Thylogale billardierii
Family Petauridae
- Common ringtail possum Pseudocheirus peregrinus
- Sugar glider Petaurus breviceps
Family Phalangeridae
- Common brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula
Family Burramyidae
- Eastern pygmy Possum Cercartetus nanus
- Little pygmy possum Cercartetus lepidus
Family Vombatidae (Wombats)
- Wombat Vombatus ursinus
ORDER CHIROPTERA (Bats)
Family Vespertilionidae
- Little forest bat Vespadelus vulturnis
- Southern forest bat Vespadelus regulus
- Large forest bat Vespadelus darlingtoni
- Chocolate wattled bat Chalinolobus morio
- Goulds wattled bat Chalinolobus gouldii
- Lesser long-eared bat Nyctophilus geoffroyi
- Tasmanian long-eared bat Nyctophilus sp
- Eastern falsistrelle Falsistrellus tasmaniensis
ORDER RODENTIA (Rats and mice)
Family Muridae
- Water rat Hydromys chrysogaster
- Long-tailed mouse Pseudomys higginsi
- New Holland mouse Pseudomys novaehollandiae
- Broad-toothed mouse Mastacomys fucus
- Swamp rat Rattus lutreolus
ORDER PINNIPEDIA (Seals)
Family Otariidae (Eared Seals)
- Australian fur-seal Arctocephalus pusillus
- New Zealand fur Seal Arctocephalus fosteri
Family Phocidae (True Seals)
- Southern elephant seal Mirounga leonina
- Leopard seal Hydrurga leptonyx
ORDER CETACEA (Whales and dolphins)
Family Delphinidae (Dolphins)
- Longfin pilot whale Globicephala melaena
- Killer whale Orcinus orca
- False killer whale Pseudorca crassidens
- Common dolphin Delphinus delphis
- Bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus
Family Physeteridae (Sperm Whales)
- Sperm whale Physeter catodon
Family Balaenidae (Right Whales)
- Southern right whale Eubalena australis
- Pygmy right whale Caperea marginata
- Humpback Megaptera novaeangliae
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