Long-nosed Potoroo - profile

Distribution

The long-nosed potoroo is found on the south-eastern coast of Australia, from Queensland to eastern Victoria and Tasmania, including some of the Bass Strait islands. There are geographically isolated populations in western Victoria. In NSW it is generally restricted to coastal heaths and forests east of the Great Dividing Range, with an annual rainfall exceeding 760 mm.

Habitat and ecology

• Inhabits coastal heaths and dry and wet sclerophyll forests. Dense understorey with occasional open areas is an essential part of habitat, and may consist of grass-trees, sedges, ferns or heath, or of low shrubs of tea-trees or melaleucas. A sandy loam soil is also a common feature.
• The fruit-bodies of hypogeous (underground-fruiting) fungi are a large component of the diet of the Long-nosed Potoroo. They also eat roots, tubers, insects and their larvae and other soft-bodied animals in the soil.
• Often digs small holes in the ground in a similar way to bandicoots.
• Mainly nocturnal, hiding by day in dense vegetation - however, during the winter months animals may forage during daylight hours.
• Individuals are mainly solitary, non-territorial and have home range sizes ranging between 2-5 ha.
• Breeding peaks typically occur in late winter to early summer and a single young is born per litter. Adults are capable of two reproductive bouts per annum.

Regional distribution and habitat

• Hawkesbury-Nepean
• Hunter-Central Rivers
• Northern Rivers
• Southern Rivers