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BARRIER REEF AUSTRALIA Accommodation, Tours, Attractions & Interesting Facts About The Great Barrier Reef.

 

 

 Tropical Rainforest
Overview
Dangerous Animals
Birds Of the Tropic
Harmful Plants
Insects
Frogs
 Mammals

    
  Great Barrier Reef - Rainforest Mammals
       
  There are many mammals to look for in the Wet Tropics such as Melomys (native rats), Hydromys, Northern Brown Bandicoots, their rainforest cousins the Long-nosed Bandicoot (Perameles nasuta), Agile Wallabies and the Red-legged Pademelon (Thylogale stigmatica) just to name a few. Most are nocturnal.

 

 Musky Rat-Kangaroo

The Musky Rat-kangaroo (Hypsiprymnodon moschatus)

The Musky Rat-kangaroo, is a dark brown marsupial macropod (kangaroo family) that grows to around 23 cm (9 inches) long. It is the smallest Kangaroo in the world.

The Musky Rat-kangaroo forages for fruits on the rainforest floor. 
Found around the Lake Eacham and Lake Barrine and around the bases of the famous Curtain Fig and Cathedral Fig trees on the Atherton Tablelands.
The Musky Rat-kangaroo prefers the wetter parts of the forest and feeds on fallen fruits found in the leaf litter as well as earthworms, grasshoppers and other small invertabraes. 
Females give birth to two or three babies which stay in their mother's pouch for about 21 weeks before emerging to spend most of their time in their forest floor nest. When they are a little older, they will accompany the female on her feeding rounds. 

 
 

 

 

 Long Nosed Bandicoot

Long Nosed Bandicoot: (Perameles nasuta) 

The Long Nosed Bandicoot is a large carnivorous marsupial with a reverse pouch. 
Being a greyish-brown colour on the back, creamy white underside, forefeet and the upper surface of the hind feet are also creamy white. 
Its muzzle is long and pointed, (much longer than the Short-Nosed Bandicoots).

In their search for food, the bandicoot digs holes with its forefeet; these holes are large enough to fit its snout underground. they feed on insects and foodstuffs found underground, in rotted logs and on the rainforest floor.  
They range in size from 20 to 45cm (8-17 inches). plus a tail length, 8½ to 18cm (3 ½-7in)

  
 

 

 

 Red Legged Pademelon

Red Legged Pademelon (Thylogale stigmatica)

Cute as a button with soft thick fur, grey brown on the back and cream on the underside. 
Their tail is short and thick. 
Most active from late afternoon, throughout the night until the early morning, then goes to its resting place where it remains for the day. 
When the animal is resting, it sits on the base of its tail whilst placing the rest of it between its hind legs. As it falls asleep, its head leans back against a rock or sapling or forward to rest on its tail or on the ground beside it. 

The pademelon feeds mainly on Cicadas, fallen and fresh leaves, fruit, berries and the bark of trees 

 

Find in depth information on the wet tropics at http://www.wettropics.gov.au/