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.
Introduction
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.
Physical appearance
Colour
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.
Other physical features
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.
Habitat
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.
Life cycle and diet
Diet
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.
Life cycle
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.