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

Family Dasyuridae (Carnivorous Marsupials)

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 

Family Petauridae 

​Eastern ring-tailed possum Pseudocheirus peregrinus

Sugar glider Petaurus breviceps 

Family Phalangeridae 

Brush-tailed possum Trichosurus vulpecula 

Family Burramyidae 

​Eastern pygmy-possum Cercartetus nanus

Little pygmy-possum Cercartetus lepidus 

Family Vombatidae (Wombats)

Wombat Vombatus ursinus


Bats - Order Chiroptera

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