Tasmanian Pademelon
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[Photo] Standing-pademelon-in-Tasmania. Pademelon de Tasmanie. Date 27 01 2006. By Berichard

The Tasmanian Pademelon (Thylogale billardierii), also known as the Rufous-bellied Pademelon or Red-bellied Pademelon, is the sole endemic species of pademelon found in Tasmania. Tasmania has a generally cooler climate than mainland Australia and Papua New Guinea, and as a consequence the billarierii have developed a fuller and bushier fur than its relatives farther north.

Males reach around 12 kg in weight and just above a metre in height, and are considerable larger than the females, who reach around 3,9 kg. Both will live between 5 to 6 years in the wild.

The Tasmanian Pademelon is a nocturnal herbivore feeding on a wide variety of plants, from herbs, greenshoots and grass, to some nectar-bearing flowers. It is found in patches of dense vegetation, usually near to open areas, including rainforest, sclerophyll forest and scrubland, spending the hours of the daylight out of sight and feeding on the open areas at night.

Once a part of the diet of the Thylacine, the Tasmanian Pademelon is still preyed upon by other predators of the island, including the Tasmanian Devil, pythons and quolls. Even so, they are abundant to the point of being culled occasionally (along with other wallabies) to reduce competition for grass with the farmed animals. Hunting of the Tasmanian Pademelon is allowed, its pelt having some economic value and its meat being palatable.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tasmanian_Pademelon

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