Potoroo
Encyclopedia
The Potoroo is a kangaroo
/rat
like animal about the size of a rabbit
. All three extant species are threatened
, especially The long-footed Potoroo
(Endangered
) and Gilbert's potoroo
(Critically Endangered). The main threats are predation by introduced species (especially foxes) and habitat loss.
Potoroos were formerly very common, and early settlers report them being a significant pest of their crops.
Gilbert's Potoroo is Australia's most endangered
animal. There are only 30–40 known left in the wild. It was discovered in 1840 by a naturalist called John Gilbert
. It was then thought to have become extinct until being rediscovered in 1994 at the Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve
(near Albany
) in Western Australia
.
Kangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
/rat
Rat
Rats are various medium-sized, long-tailed rodents of the superfamily Muroidea. "True rats" are members of the genus Rattus, the most important of which to humans are the black rat, Rattus rattus, and the brown rat, Rattus norvegicus...
like animal about the size of a rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...
. All three extant species are threatened
Threatened species
Threatened species are any speciesg animals, plants, fungi, etc.) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future.The World Conservation Union is the foremost authority on threatened species, and treats threatened species not as a single category, but as a group of three categories,...
, especially The long-footed Potoroo
Long-footed Potoroo
The Long-footed Potoroo is a species of potoroo found in southeastern Australia, in a small area around the coastal border between New South Wales and Victoria. It was discovered in 1967 when an adult male was caught in a dog trap in the forest southwest of Bonang, Victoria...
(Endangered
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
) and Gilbert's potoroo
Gilbert's Potoroo
Gilbert's Potoroo is an Australian marsupial, sometimes called a rat-kangaroo, that is critically endangered. It is described as pointed in the face and about the size of a rabbit. It lives in a restricted area on the southwest coast of Western Australia. Gilbert's Potoroos now exist on Bald...
(Critically Endangered). The main threats are predation by introduced species (especially foxes) and habitat loss.
Potoroos were formerly very common, and early settlers report them being a significant pest of their crops.
Gilbert's Potoroo is Australia's most endangered
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
animal. There are only 30–40 known left in the wild. It was discovered in 1840 by a naturalist called John Gilbert
John Gilbert (naturalist)
John Gilbert was an English naturalist and explorer.Gilbert's birthday is 14 March, but the year is not known, estimates range from 1810 to 1815.He came from New Zealand to Australia in 1838....
. It was then thought to have become extinct until being rediscovered in 1994 at the Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve
Two Peoples Bay Nature Reserve
Two Peoples Bay is a protected area east of Albany. The area is accessible by 2WD vehicles. The bay itself, including two small secluded beaches, faces due east and is protected from the Southern Ocean by a headland formed by the granite massif of Mount Gardiner...
(near Albany
Albany, Western Australia
Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....
) in Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
.
Classification
A potoroo is any member of the genus Potorous.- Suborder MacropodiformesMacropodiformesMacropodiformes is one of the three suborders of the large marsupial order Diprotodontia. Kangaroos, wallabies and allies, bettongs, potaroos and rat kangaroos are all members of this suborder.- Classification :...
- Family PotoroidaePotoroidaeThe marsupial family Potoroidae includes the bettongs, potoroos, and two of the rat-kangaroos. All are rabbit-sized, brown, jumping marsupials and resemble a large rodent or a very small wallaby.- Characteristics :...
- Subfamily Potoroinae
- Genus Potorous
- Gilbert's PotorooGilbert's PotorooGilbert's Potoroo is an Australian marsupial, sometimes called a rat-kangaroo, that is critically endangered. It is described as pointed in the face and about the size of a rabbit. It lives in a restricted area on the southwest coast of Western Australia. Gilbert's Potoroos now exist on Bald...
, Potorous gilbertii - Long-footed PotorooLong-footed PotorooThe Long-footed Potoroo is a species of potoroo found in southeastern Australia, in a small area around the coastal border between New South Wales and Victoria. It was discovered in 1967 when an adult male was caught in a dog trap in the forest southwest of Bonang, Victoria...
, Potorous longipes - †Broad-faced PotorooBroad-faced PotorooThe Broad-faced Potoroo is an extinct species of marsupial that once lived in Australia. The first specimen was collected in 1839 and described by John Gould in 1844, but even then it was rare and only a handful of specimens were ever collected, the last in 1875...
, Potorous platyops - Long-nosed PotorooLong-nosed PotorooThe Long-nosed Potoroo is a species of Australian potoroo. It is listed as Endangered in Victoria , Vulnerable in Queensland and nationally , although the IUCN lists it as Lower Risk.At first glance the Long-nosed Potoroo with its...
, Potorous tridactylus
- Gilbert's Potoroo
- Genus Potorous
- Subfamily Potoroinae
- Family Potoroidae
External links
- http://www.deh.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=66645
- http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/classification/Potorous.html
- http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/bioinformatics/mammals/images/longlive.htm