Red-legged Pademelon (Thylogale stigmatica) lives in tropical rainforest across Northern Australia. It feeds on leaves and grass. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Red-legged Pademelon
- A red-legged pademelon can weigh from 2.5 kg up to 7 kg and measure 38-58 cm in body length with a 30-47 cm tail, while its standing height reaches about 0.762 m. Males are larger, with head-body lengths of 470-536 mm and tails of 372-473 mm, compared with females at 386-520 mm and tails of 301-445 mm.
- After a joey is born, the mother mates again within 2-12 hours, and the new embryo pauses development in embryonic diapause until the older sibling leaves the pouch. The pouch-bound young stays for about 184 days, with eyes opening at 112-126 days and hair visible at 133-147 days. This rapid turnover lets females replace lost offspring quickly.
- The main predators of the red-legged pademelon are dingoes, tiger quolls, Australian scrub pythons and domestic dogs, but predation spikes after a forest fire because reduced canopy cover leaves the animals exposed. To counter this, they spread out while foraging, each watching its own patch, and sound an alarm thump with their hind feet if danger appears, an early-warning system for the group.
- Red-legged pademelons occupy a scattered strip from Cape York Peninsula to around Tamworth, New South Wales, and also the south-central lowlands of New Guinea. Land clearance has shrunk their range, yet enough parks and reserves keep them common; their home range spans 10,000-40,000 m², split between a larger daytime forest interior and a night-time edge.
- Red-legged pademelons are the only known mammal that can munch on the stinging Gympie-Gympie leaf, whose undersides are packed with thousands of silica needles that inject a potent neurotoxin.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeNorthern Australia
HabitatTropical rainforest
DietLeaves and grass
About the Red-legged Pademelon
In the dappled understory of Australia's tropical rainforests, the red-legged pademelon weaves a quiet path, its large, dark eyes watchful as it navigates the dense foliage with an air of understated elegance. With each delicate step, its reddish-brown fur blends seamlessly into the surroundings, allowing this diminutive wallaby to move unseen, a phantom of the forest floor. As it pauses to nibble on a tender shoot, the pademelon's very stillness belies a life of constant, unobtrusive movement, a testament to the enduring charm of this unassuming, yet captivating creature.
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