The diet of red-legged pademelons is primarily composed of fallen leaves and fruits. They have also been known to eat fresh leaves. Some of the leaves they consume are known to be poisonous. To combat this, they use an enzyme called GST. One of the favorite foods of T. stigmatica is the Moreton bay fig (Fiscus macrophylla). Other fruits that make up part of their diet are the Burdekin plum in the northern region and berries. Some plants that make up their diet are dicotyledonous plants, Fishborne ferns, and king orchids. During nocturnal grazing, they consume grasses like Paspalum notatum and Cyrtococum oxyphylum. They have also been known to eat the bark of trees, fungus, and cicadas.
Animal Foods: insects
Plant Foods: leaves; wood, bark, or stems; seeds, grains, and nuts; fruit; flowers
Other Foods: fungus
Primary Diet: herbivore (Folivore , Frugivore )
The main predators of T. stigmatica are dingos (Canis lupus dingo), tiger quolls (Dasyurus maculatus), amethystine pythons (Morelia amethistina), and domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris). The rate of predation increases following a forest fire, when there is less forest cover.
They detect predators by spreading out when foraging. Each pademelon can watch for predators in its vicinity. If a predator is seen, a warning to others in the area is spread by a thumping sound made with the hind legs.
Known Predators:
Red-legged pademelons have thick, soft fur and a short stout tail. They also have round ears, a naked nose, and red-brown markings on their cheeks, thighs and forearms. Pademelons that live in dark forest regions have dark grey-brown coats and cream colored bellies. Populations that live in open areas have pale grey-brown coats and pale grey bellies. Their hindfeet have no first digit, while the second and third digits are fused (a condition called syndactyly, common to all members of the family Macropodidae). The fourth digit is long.
Pademelons are small when compared to other species in Macropodidae; their average height is 0.762 m. Males have head and body lengths ranging from 470 to 536 mm. Their tails vary from 372 to 473 mm. A male’s weight ranges from 3.7 to 6.8 kg.
Female pademelons are smaller than males with head and body lengths ranging from 386 to 520 mm. Their tails can be between 301 to 445 mm. Females weigh between 2.5 to 4.2 kg.
Range mass: 2.5 to 6.8 kg.
Range length: 386 to 536 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: male larger
The maximum life span recorded is 9.7 years in the wild.
Range lifespan
Status: wild: 9.7 (high) years.
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 9.7 years.
On the eastern coast of Australia, pademelons can be found in rainforests, wet sclerophyll forests, and dry vine scrub forests. Northern populations use the grassy forest edge and inner portions of the forest. Pademelons in the southern regions of their habitat rarely venture beyond the forest edge. Thylogale stigmatica is also located in the lowland rainforests and low mixed savanna thickets near swamps in the southern Fly River area of New Guinea.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest ; rainforest ; scrub forest
Thylogale stigmatica, or red-legged pademelon, is found in Australia and New Guinea. In Australia, they can be found between the tip of Cape York to the southern portion of Tamworth. In New Guinea, they are located in the southern Fly River area.
Biogeographic Regions: australian (Native )
The dingo’s main diet is composed of red-legged pademelons when they are available. Thylogale stigmatica has the potential to damage or kill young saplings when eating or stepping on them. There has also been a case of crops being eaten.
Pademelons are subject to various parasites such as coccidiosis (infects the intestines), ticks, and toxoplasmosis (believed to come from cats).
Commensal/Parasitic Species:
Pademelons, along with many other species of Macropodidae in Australia, are important members of the ecosystems in which they live and are important ecotourism attractions.
Positive Impacts: ecotourism
Pademelons may eat crops very rarely.
Negative Impacts: crop pest
Clearing of the red-legged pademelons' habitat is cause for concern, but at this time there are enough parks and reserves to keep T. stigmatica off of conservation lists and keep their status secure.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
Red-legged pademelons communicate mainly through sound. The soft clucking sound used by a mother to call her young is similar to the sound that is made by a male trying to court a female. When frightened, they give an alarm thump, which is created with their hindfeet to alert surrounding pademelons. It is at this time that they use the pre-made runways in the forest to quickly retreat.
Communication Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; vibrations ; chemical
The name Thylogale stigmatica means "prickled (pattern) pouched-weasel". The name pademelon comes from the Aboriginal word "paddymalla" which means small kangaroo from the forest.
Although humans clear away the forest area the pademelons live in, the cleared area becomes grassy. These areas are used during nocturnal feeding by pademelons.
Thylogale stigmatica is polygynous, and as a result of its solitary behavior, mating is one of the few times they can be found together in the wild. When males begin the courtship ritual, they make soft clucking sounds to let their intentions be known. Females that reject a courting male make harsh rasping sounds.
When fighting over a female, two males hold their heads back to protect their eyes while standing upright on their hindlegs. The object of the fight is to swing their claws at each other and knock the opponent off balance. When a male has accomplished this, he kicks the opponent in the abdomen. The fighting can often lead to loss of fur.
Mating System: polygynous
Red-legged pademelons give birth year round in captivity. In the wild, births usually occur between October and June and result in one young. Postpartum mating usually occurs 2 to 12 hours after giving birth. As the young reaches the blastocyst phase of development, embryonic diapause occurs.
The estrus cycle generally lasts 31 days and is followed by a gestation period of 28 to 30 days. When the young is born, the infant climbs into the pouch of the mother pademelon with its well-developed forelimbs, as is true of all marsupials. The infant stays in the pouch for 184 days.
While it is in the pouch, an infant's sex is distinguishable even after 21 to 28 days. Vibrissae appear 56 to 70 days after birth. The pinnae become erect after 105 to 126 days, and teat detachment occurs 91 to 126 days after birth. The hair becomes visible after 133 to 147 days, and the eyes open after 112 to 126 days. Emergence from the pouch is measured by the condition of the feet of the pademelon, which become dirty once it leaves the pouch. Emergence occurs between 133 to 182 days after birth.
After leaving the pouch, the young only uses one teat, leaving the other for its sibling. Mothers produce two types of milk while lactating. Weaning generally occurs between 44 to 111 days after the young permanently leaves the pouch. Sexual maturity is reached 307 to 412 days (females) and 451 to 522 days (males) after leaving the pouch.
Breeding interval: The peak season for breeding occurs in the spring but can occur year round.
Breeding season: Mating can be observed from October to June.
Range number of offspring: 1 to 1.
Range gestation period: 28 to 30 days.
Range weaning age: 44 to 111 days.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 307 to 412 days.
Range age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 451 to 522 days.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; year-round breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous ; embryonic diapause ; post-partum estrous
Average number of offspring: 1.
After emerging from the pouch, the mother protects and teaches the infant what and where to forage. Even after pademelons leave the pouch, suckling of milk from the mother occurs to supplement the diet. The role of father pademelons in the caring and raising of the young is unknown.
Parental Investment: altricial ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-independence (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)
The red-legged pademelon (Thylogale stigmatica) is a species of small macropod found on the northeastern coast of Australia and in New Guinea. In Australia it has a scattered distribution from the tip of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland to around Tamworth in New South Wales.[3] In New Guinea it is found in south central lowlands.[4]
The red-legged pademelon is usually solitary but may group together when feeding.[5] It is found mostly in rainforests, where it is rarely seen, but it is not considered threatened.[2] In New South Wales, however, it is considered to be vulnerable.[6] It feeds on fallen fruit, leaves and grasses.[3] It weighs 2.5 to 7 kg and is 38–58 cm long with a 30–47 cm tail.[5]
There are four subspecies of the red-legged pademelon:[1]
The red-legged pademelon, a member of the family Macropodidae (which includes wallabies, kangaroos, etc.), is a kangaroo species that inhabits the rainforests. Like many marsupials, the newborn pademelon is underdeveloped and is carried and nursed in a pouch on the mother's belly. Red-legged pademelons are unique in that they are the only ground-dwelling wallaby that resides in the Wet Tropics rainforests. Although there are several subspecies of red-legged pademelon, this article focuses on Thylogale stigmatica (T. stigmatica). They can be found in both rainforests and open areas.
Red-legged pademelons have soft thick fur, grey-brown on the back and cream on the belly. The cheeks forearms, outside and inside of their hind legs are a rusty brown colour. Its common name refers to the rusty colour on the limbs. They also have a pale cream stripe on their outer thigh. Rainforest forms are usually darker in colour than those from the open country.
Pademelons have a short and thick tail, and their height can range from 35-58 cm when not standing upright. An average-sized pademelon may stand at a height of 2+1/2 feet (76 cm). Additionally, their tail measures between 30-47 cm in length and their weight varies from 2.5 to 7 kg.
Due to land clearance, red-legged pademelons have suffered a reduction in range, but they still remain common where the habitat remains, and they are not seriously disturbed by selective loggings. Distribution is discontinuous, especially in the north where it appears to be limited by the availability of vegetation providing satisfactory cover. The red-legged pademelon seems to prefer rainforest areas, but is also found near both sclerophyll and dry vine scrubs. Extensive rainforest clearing has reduced its available habitat, but sufficient parks and reserves currently exist throughout their range to secure their status. Forest clearing may benefit the red-legged pademelon to a certain point. A higher number of forest fragments means the pademelons have more adequate pastures that provide them with sufficient food. Only two types of subspecies inhabit Australia; Thylogale stigmatica and the Thylogale wilcoxi.
Red-legged pademelons mainly eat fallen leaves, but sometimes they eat fresh leaves. They also feed on fruits and berries from shrubs, the Moreton Bay Fig from the southern part of its range and the fruit of the Burdekin plum from the northern part. The Moreton Bay Fig and the Burdekin Plum are major food sources. They sometimes eat the fishbone fern, king orchid, and grasses like Paspalum notatum and Cyrtococcum oxyphyllum. Red-legged pademelons eat the bark of trees and cicadas. They affect regeneration of the rainforest as they browse on the young trees and can seriously impede their growth or even kill them. They are one of the very few animals, and the only known mammal, that can eat the leaves of the Gympie Gympie (Dendrocnide moroides), whose undersides are coated in thousands of fine silica needles that can inject a potent neurotoxin.[7]
The red-legged pademelon lifespan ranges between 4 and 9.7 years. This can be due to predation and forest fire. After a forest fire, predation levels increase due to reduced forest cover.
Pademelons have a gestation period of 28–30 days. Their oestrous cycle is 29–32 days. Mating occurs 2–12 hours after the birth of the young.[8] The gender of pouch-young is distinguished at 3 to 4 weeks. Teat detachment occurs at 13–18 weeks. Ears become erect at 15–18 weeks. Eyes open at 16–18 weeks. Hair becomes visible at 19–21 weeks. Young venture out of pouch at 22–26 weeks. Young leave the pouch at 26–28 weeks. Young start eating food at approximately 66 days after leaving the pouch. Females become mature at about 48 weeks. Males become mature at about 66 weeks. Then the process starts again. When it is born, the tiny blind baby has only been developing for 3 to 6 weeks. Its limbs are hardly developed but its forelimbs are well enough developed to haul itself through its mother's belly hair to reach the pouch. Shortly after giving birth the female macropod becomes receptive again. If she successfully mates, she will again fall pregnant.
The female macropod enters a state of embryonic diapause if she becomes pregnant. This causes the blastocyst, or new embryo, to enter a state of suspended animation until its older sibling is old enough to leave the pouch. Once the joey leaves, the blastocyst resumes development. Even after leaving the pouch, the joey may continue to suckle from the teat it used while in the pouch. This enables the mother to provide different types of milk for the more developed and less developed offspring. This reproductive strategy is also used by honey possums, bats, seals, and other macropods. Embryonic diapause is highly efficient as it allows for the rapid replacement of lost or deceased young.
Females of the species have a pouch in which they keep their incompletely developed young. Mother red-legged pademelons make soft clucking noises to call their young. They are often found in small groups, foraging 30-50m apart so that they can warn each other of oncoming predators. They are largely nocturnal.
Red-legged pademelon behaviour varies under different circumstances. They are least active in the hours around midday and midnight. Late afternoon, evening and early morning they can be seen grazing on open grassland near the rainforest edges but quickly retreat into the forest if disturbed. They are generally solitary but may group together at night while feeding on grasslands. They feed at equal distances apart and are under the control of one dominant pademelon that controls their feeding area and sets their feeding distance. They communicate by vocalisations and thumping their heels on the ground. They use several vocalizations in social behaviour. In hostile interactions and if a female rejects a male during courtship, a harsh rasping sound is uttered. Soft clucking sounds are made by the courting male, similar sounds are made when a mother is calling her young.
The security of their family structure, as well as their speed and agility in closed rainforest protects them against most feral animal attacks. When the animal is resting, it sits on the base of its tail whilst placing the rest of it between the hind legs. The animal then leans back against a rock or sapling. As it falls asleep, its head leans forward to rest on the tail or on the ground beside it.
The main predators of Thylogale stigmatica are dingoes, tiger quolls, amethystine pythons, and occasionally feral domestic dogs. The rate of predation increases following a forest fire, when there is less forest cover. They detect predators by spreading out when foraging. Each pademelon can watch for predators on its particular area. If a predator is seen, a warning to others in the area is spread by a thumping sound made by the hind legs.
The red-legged pademelon (Thylogale stigmatica) is a species of small macropod found on the northeastern coast of Australia and in New Guinea. In Australia it has a scattered distribution from the tip of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland to around Tamworth in New South Wales. In New Guinea it is found in south central lowlands.
The red-legged pademelon is usually solitary but may group together when feeding. It is found mostly in rainforests, where it is rarely seen, but it is not considered threatened. In New South Wales, however, it is considered to be vulnerable. It feeds on fallen fruit, leaves and grasses. It weighs 2.5 to 7 kg and is 38–58 cm long with a 30–47 cm tail.
There are four subspecies of the red-legged pademelon:
T. s. stigmatica, found in the Cairns region of Queensland; T. s. coxenii, found in Cape York Peninsula; T. s. orimo, found in New Guinea; T. s. wilcoxi, found in southern Queensland and New South Wales.
