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Thylogale billardierii
These are two orphan pademelon joeys I'm fostering, Violet and Poppy. Tasmanian pademelons, also known as the rufous-bellied pademelon or red-bellied pademelon, are the sole endemic species of pademelon found in Tasmania (though formerly they were found throughout south-eastern Australia). Tasmanian pademelons have developed heavier and bushier fur because of Tasmania's colder weather, and are generally fatter than their northern relatives. Males reach up to 12 kg in weight and females average 3.9 kg in weight.
Pademelons are solitary and nocturnal, spending the daylight hours in thick vegetation. Rainforest, sclerophyll forest, and scrubland are preferred, although wet gullies in dry open eucalyptus forest are also used. Tasmanian pademelons are a nocturnal browsers feeding on a wide variety of plants, from herbs, green shoots and grass, to some nectar-bearing flowers, fungi, mosses and lichen.
I just want to start with, it's illegal to have native wildlife in ones possession. So I have to be registered with the State to care for injured and orphan wildlife. These two girls arrived separately at about 450 grams in weight each, just barely furred, and are now just over 700 grams. They get bottle-fed a special milk formulation called Wombaroo. Every day I gather a collection of grasses, including their roots, and leaves from browsing-level shrubbery. They really like a creeping vine known as "Buzzies", and "Slippery jack" mushrooms. I'll probably have them until the southern hemisphere spring, when they'll be big enough to release. Pademelons are the smallest of the macropods, classed with the wallabies and kangaroos, although recent DNA studies indicate that they are most closely related to the Tree kangaroos of northern Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Spotted on Jun 17, 2015
Submitted on Jun 17, 2015
11 Comments
Great posting! Thank you for your work as a wildlife rescuer and rehabilitator and for sharing this very interesting information with us!
Your spotting has been nominated for the Spotting of the Week. The winner will be chosen by the Project Noah Rangers based on a combination of factors including: uniqueness of the shot, status of the organism (for example, rare or endangered), quality of the information provided in the habitat and description sections. There is a subjective element, of course; the spotting with the highest number of Ranger votes is chosen. Congratulations on being nominated!
Thank you on all levels Lori. This spotting and its detailed notes made my day, and makes Project Noah proud.
When you do decide to become a carer, Charlie, contact the State Dept of Wildlife to get all the details. We have lots of urban/suburban carers, who may only have orphans for the first few days of their care, or raise them to a certain size before passing them on to someone with suitable outside runs. So don't rule your current situation out completely.
Delfina, yes a little cengeru (kangaroo), about the size of fat cat when full grown. Two little girls. Thanks maite2, they are still very small, but probably about 8 months old. When they are born, they are no bigger than a jellybean. They are very cute José Miguel, it helps little things survive when they are also very messy and need feeding a lot.
Sooo cute!
Awwww Lori , they are so adorable ..thankyou so much for showing me and sharing these two cutie's with all ...they would be keeping you so busy , but what a treat. People like you doing what you do make my heart sing , to know these orphans are fed and loved , i want to be able to be a carer one day when kids are older and a more appropriate housing in the bush somewhere. Keep up the amazing work . :)
Isn't it funny Mark, how young critters needing a lot of parental care come in packaged in cute. And we fall for it everytime.
Cuteness overload. Great work lori. :)
Thanks Sukanya. They are a bit of a mess and a bother, what with the three bottle feedings a day (down from four) and the vegetation spread about the floor, but overall they're a great joy to have around.
lori.tas...what a heartwarming story....thank you for caring....and for sharing the story. Good luck to Violet and Poppy.