Murphy's Creek Mercy Dash

It's not their fault they don't have feathers! Doesn't make them any less interesting. And just like the birds, it's good to know what species are about locally at any given time.

There's expertise within the club and beyond on most aspects of our local fauna. Let's tap into it.
Post Reply
User avatar
Mick Atzeni
Posts: 1843
Joined: Sun Dec 11, 2005 9:08 pm

Murphy's Creek Mercy Dash

Post by Mick Atzeni »

On Sunday 31st Oct, my annual Species Census efforts were unexpectedly waylaid along the Fifteen Mile Rd, Murphys Creek, when I came across a fresh, road-killed Rufous Bettong. On closer inspection, I saw there was a very young joey (no fur) still alive in the pouch, attached to the teat. A quick call to local wildlife carer Trish LeeHong and I was soon carting the late mother with joey intact to Trish's place, where I ended up spending a pleasant morning, and found myself feeding a bottle to a couple of her other orphans for my "trouble" :lol:

Rufous Bettongs, whilst not endangered, are not something you see very often; my last sighting was unfortunately another roadkill near Esk, along the Gatton-Esk Rd with Rod Hobson, about 3 months ago.

Prior to that, was at Perseverance Dam, during a spotlighting outing on my twins' school camp, five years ago!

Hope this latest orphan, all 37 grams of her, makes it through: I know she's in very good hands. :D

Cheers
Mick
User avatar
Brendon & Judi Gray
Posts: 68
Joined: Thu Aug 17, 2006 10:08 pm
Location: Kleinton, Queensland.
Contact:

Rufous Bettongs

Post by Brendon & Judi Gray »

That is a great story and so good to see that you checked the pouch! Fingers crossed for the little one. We have seen Rufous Bettongs here - a pair of them, but only once and I literally stumbbled upon them when walking through the long grass, unknowingly frightenned them from their grass tussock burrow and they both came out in a hurry! We did a lot of research on them after this sighting and hopefully we still get them, they must just go unseen. A friend of mine lives not far " as the crow flies" at cabarlah and she has them nearly nightly at her place, cleaning up the dropped bird seed under the bird feeder, hers come really close to the house and she has told me she has also accidently disturbed them when gardening around shrubs.
Post Reply

Return to “Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians & Bugs”