Mammals of Tasmania

​​New Born Tasmanian DevilTasmania has many unique mammals found nowhere else in the world. Some, like the Tasmanian devil are well-known. Others, such as the eastern quoll, pademelon,bettong and long-tailed mouse are less well-known, but equally fascinating.

Like most of Australia's mammals, the Tasmanian mammal fauna comprises many marsupials, or pouched mammals. Marsupials are remarkable for their method of reproduction, such as the production of very tiny young which complete their development in a pouch.

Tasmania has many species which have become, or are on the verge of extinction on mainland Australia. The relatively large amount of intact habitat on the island, and the absence of many introduced animals that have caused problems elsewhere make Tasmania a final refuge - a last chance - for many species.

Choose the species or mammal family you wish to see from the full species list below:

 
Echidnas and Platypus​ - Order Monotremata 
Family Ornithorhychidae (Platypus) 
Platypus Ornithorhynchus anatinus 

 
​Family Tach​yglossidae (Echidnas) 
​​Short-beaked echidna Tachyglossus aculeatus

 

 
Carnivorous Marsupials and Bandicoots​ - Order Polyprotodonta
Tasmanian devil Sarcophilus harrisii
Spotted-tailed quoll Dasyurus maculatus
Eastern quoll Dasyurus viverrinus
Tasmanian dusky antechinus Antechinus swainsonii
Tasman Peninsula dusky antechinus Antechinus vandycki
Swamp antechinus Antechinus minimus
White-footed dunnart Sminthopsis leucopus 

 
Family Thylacinidae (Thylacine)
Thylacine (Tasmanian tiger) Thylacinus cynocephalus 

 
Family Peramelidae (Bandicoots) 
Eastern barred bandicoot Perameles gunnii
Southern brown bandicoot Isoodon obesulus

 

 
Possums, Kangaroos and Wombats - Order Diprotodonta
Superfamily Macropodoidea (Macropods) 
Eastern bettong Bettongia gaimardi
​Long-nosed potoroo Potorous tridactylus
Forester (Eastern grey) kangaroo Macropus giganteus
Bennetts (Red-necked) wallaby  Notamacropus rufogriseus
Rufous-bellied pademelon Thylogale billardierii 

Eastern ring-tailed possum Pseudocheirus peregrinus
Sugar glider Petaurus breviceps 

 
Brush-tailed possum Trichosurus vulpecula 

 
Eastern pygmy-possum Cercartetus nanus
Little pygmy-possum Cercartetus lepidus 

 
Family Vombatidae (Wombats)
Wombat Vombatus ursinus

 

 
Family Vespertilionidae 
Little forest bat Vespadelus vulturnus
Southern forest bat Vespadelus regulus
Large forest bat Vespadelus darlingtoni
Chocolate wattled bat Chalinolobus morio
Goulds wattled bat Chalinolobus gouldii
Lesser long-eared bat Nyctophilus geoffroyi
Tasmanian long-eared bat Nyctophilus sherrini
Eastern false pipistrelle Falsistrellus tasmaniensis

 

 
Rats and Mice - Order Rodentia 
Family Muridae 
Water rat Hydromys chrysogaster
Long-tailed mouse Pseudomys higginsi
New Holland mouse Pseudomys novaehollandiae
Broad-toothed rat Mastacomys fuscus
Swamp rat Rattus lutreolus

 

 
Seals - Order Pinnipedia 
Family Otariidae (Eared Seals) 
Australian fur-seal Arctocephalus pusillus
Long-nosed fur seal Arctocephalus fosteri
Sub-Antarctic fur seal Arctocephalus tropicalis
Australian sea lion Neophoca cinerea 

 
Family Phocidae (True Seals) 
Southern elephant seal Mirounga leonina
Leopard seal Hydrurga leptonyx

 

 
Whales and Dolphins - Order Cetacea 
Family Delphinidae (Dolphins) 
Longfin pilot whale Globicephala melaena
Killer whale Orcinus orca
False killer whale Pseudorca crassidens
Common dolphin Delphinus delphis
Bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus 

 
Family Physeteridae (Sperm Whales) 
Sperm whale Physe​ter catodon 

 
Family Balaenidae (Right Whales) 
Southern right whale Eubalena australis
Pygmy right whale Caperea marginata
Humpback Megaptera novaeangliae