IUCN red list status:
Vulnerable
For more information, please visit iucnredlist.org
Dusky Pademelons live in the forests of New Guinea, as well as neighbouring islands.
They are herbivores, feeding on a variety of herbs, green shoots, grasses, and flowers which they forage from the undergrowth of trees.
Dusky Pademelons are usually solitary animals, travelling large distances in search for food. They move through the forest from dusk to dawn resting throughout the day.
‘Joeys’ are born 30 days after the adults mate; they continue to grow inside their mothers pouch until they fully emerge at around 6 months old. They can live 5-6 years in the wild and up to 10 years in captivity.
Dusky Pademelon
About the Dusky Pademelon
Dusky Pademelons are a species of marsupial native to forests of the island of New Guinea, and are also known as dusky wallabies. They have large ears to listen for predators, strong hind legs and a short thick tail for balance.
They are foragers, feeding on the undergrowth of lowland forests and in clearings, eating grass, leaves, shoots, and fruits. They have been observed to graze in clearings and at the forest’s edge under the cover of night.
ICUN Status: Vulnerable due to habitat loss, as well as being hunted for their meat. It’s thought that their population has decreased by 30% in the last 15-20 years.
Did you know?
Pademelons are neither kangaroos or wallabies. They do, however, all belong to the marsupial family, rearing their young in a pouch.
