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Native Mammals in Australian Zoos

Discussion in 'Australia' started by zooboy28, 11 Feb 2014.

  1. zooboy28

    zooboy28 Well-Known Member

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    This is a list of the native mammals kept in Australian Zoos, the counterpart to this thread - Exotic Mammals in Australian Zoos

    Please comment with species missing (likely to be relatively few) or holdings that don't seem right (likely to be relatively many), and I will update the list.




    Because many species are very commonly kept, and it is not feasible to list all the collections they are found in, I have categorised species based on the number of zoos holding them:

    Species Holdings:
    1-5 Collections – Rare (all holdings listed).
    5-10 Collections – Uncommon
    10-20 Collections – Common
    20+ Collections – Very Common


    Monotremata:
    Tachyglossidae:
    -Short-beaked Echidna Tachyglossus aculeatus
    Very Common

    Ornithorhynchidae:
    -Platypus Ornithorhynchus anatinus
    Uncommon - Australian Reptile Park, David Fleay Wildlife Park, Healesville Sanctuary, Lone Pine Koala Park, Melbourne Zoo, Platypus House, Taronga Zoo, Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre, Wildlife Sydney

    Marsupialia:
    Dasyuromorphia
    Myrmecobiidae:
    -Numbat Myrmecobius fasciatus
    Rare - Perth Zoo. Currently (January 2020) one also at the Alice Springs Desert Park (still?). Previously Australian Reptile Park, Healesville Sanctuary, and Wild Life Sydney have also held retired females from Perth Zoo.

    Dasyuridae:
    -Chuditch (Western Quoll) Dasyurus geoffroii
    Rare – Perth Zoo, Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Taronga Zoo

    -Northern Quoll Dasyurus hallucatus
    Rare - Daintree Wild Zoo (still?), Perth Zoo, Territory Wildlife Park

    -Spot-tailed (Tiger) Quoll Dasyurus maculatus
    Common

    -Eastern Quoll Dasyurus viverrinus
    Common

    -Dibbler Parantechinus apicalis
    Rare – Perth Zoo

    -Common Planigale Planigale maculata
    Rare – Territory Wildlife Park (still present Nov 2022)

    -Red-tailed Phascogale Phascogale calura
    Uncommon - Adelaide Zoo, Alice Springs Desert Park, Halls Gap Zoo, Perth Zoo, Sydney Zoo, Taronga Zoo, Territory Wildlife Park

    -Tasmanian Devil Sarcophilus harrisii
    Very Common

    -Fat-tailed Dunnart Sminthopsis crassicaudata
    Uncommon

    -Julia Creek Dunnart Sminthopsis douglasi
    Rare - Julia Creek Information Centre (?)

    -Brush-tailed Mulgara Dasycercus blythi
    Rare - Alice Springs Desert Park


    Peramelemorphia
    Peramelidae:

    -Golden Bandicoot Isoodon auratus
    Rare – Alice Springs Desert Park, Territory Wildlife Park

    -Northern Brown Bandicoot Isoodon macrourus
    Rare – Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Kuranda Koala Gardens, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Territory Wildlife Park, Wildlife Habitat, Yarra Valley Nocturnal Zoo

    -Southern Brown Bandicoot Isoodon obesulus
    Rare – Adelaide Zoo, Caversham Wildlife Park, Cleland Wildlife Park, East Coast Natureworld, Softfoot Sanctuary
    (Note that this species has been split into two species, eastern obesulus and western fusciventer, and the zoos generally do not specify which are held. Generally western zoos (e.g. Caversham) would hold the western species while eastern zoos (e.g. Cleland) would hold the eastern species).

    -Greater Bilby Macrotis lagotis
    Very Common

    -Eastern Barred Bandicoot Perameles gunnii
    Rare – Trowunna Wildlife Sanctuary, Wings Wildlife Park. [No longer at Healesville Sanctuary, Melbourne Zoo, or Werribee Open Range Zoo ?]

    -Long-nosed Bandicoot Perameles nasuta
    Rare – Australian Walkabout Wildlife Park, Taronga Zoo
    [Note: this species has now been split into two species, Northern pallescens and Southern nasuta - captive animals are the Southern species I think]

    Diprotodontia
    Phascolarctidae:

    -Koala Phascolarctos cinereus
    Very Common

    Vombatidae:
    -Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat Lasiorhinus latifrons
    Very Common

    -Common Wombat Vombatus ursinus
    Very Common

    Potoroidae:
    -Rufous Bettong Aepyprymnus rufescens
    Common

    -Eastern Bettong Bettongia gaimardi
    Rare – Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary, Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, Trowunna Wildlife Park, Wings Wildlife Park

    -Burrowing Bettong Bettongia lesueur
    Rare – Alice Springs Desert Park

    -Brush-tailed Bettong Bettongia penicillata
    Uncommon

    -Northern Bettong Bettongia tropica
    Rare - Kuranda Koala Gardens, Wildlife Habitat

    -Long-nosed Potoroo Potorous tridactylus
    Common

    Macropodidae:
    -Lumholtz's Tree Kangaroo Dendrolagus lumholtzi
    Common – Billabong Sanctuary, Billabong Zoo, Currumbin Sanctuary, David Fleay Wildlife Park, Dreamworld, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Oakvale Wildlife Park, Rainforestation Nature Park, Snakes Downunder, Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre, Wildlife Habitat, Wildlife HQ.

    -Spectacled Hare-wallaby Lagorchestes conspicillatus
    Rare – Territory Wildlife Park

    -Mala Lagorchestes hirsutus
    Rare – Alice Springs Desert Park

    -Agile Wallaby Macropus agilis
    Common

    -Antilopine Wallaroo Macropus antilopinus
    Rare – Crocodylus Park, Territory Wildlife Park

    -Black Wallaroo Macropus bernardus
    Rare – Territory Wildlife Park (still present Nov 2022)

    -Black-striped Wallaby Macropus dorsalis
    Rare – Phillip Island Wildlife Park

    -Tammar Wallaby Macropus eugenii
    Common

    -Western Grey Kangaroo Macropus fuliginosus
    Very Common

    -Eastern Grey Kangaroo Macropus giganteus
    Very Common

    -Western Brush Wallaby Macropus irma
    Rare – Bunbury Wildlife Park, Perth Zoo

    -Parma Wallaby Macropus parma
    Common

    -Whiptail Wallaby Macropus parryi
    Rare – were until recently kept at Darling Downs Zoo and Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre; now kept nowhere?

    -Common Wallaroo Macropus robustus
    Common

    -Red-necked Wallaby Macropus rufogriseus
    Very Common

    -Red Kangaroo Macropus rufus
    Very Common

    -Bridled Nailtail Wallaby Onychogalea fraenata
    Rare – David Fleay Wildlife Park

    -Northern Nailtail Wallaby Onychogalea unguifera
    Rare – Wildlife Habitat

    -Nabarlek Petrogale concinna
    Rare – one at Territory Wildlife Park

    -Black-footed Rock Wallaby Petrogale lateralis
    Rare – Australia Zoo, Monarto Zoo

    -Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby Petrogale penicillata
    Uncommon

    -Proserpine Rock Wallaby Petrogale persephone
    Rare – two pairs at David Fleay Wildlife Park

    -Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby Petrogale xanthopus
    Uncommon

    -Quokka Setonix brachyurus
    Common

    -Tasmanian Pademelon Thylogale billardierei
    Common

    -Red-legged Pademelon Thylogale stigmatica
    Uncommon

    -Red-necked Pademelon Thylogale thetis
    Uncommon

    -Swamp Wallaby Wallabia bicolor
    Very Common

    Burramyidae:
    -Mountain Pygmy Possum Burramys parvus
    Rare – Australian Reptile Park, Gumbuya Park, Healesville Sanctuary

    -Eastern Pygmy Possum Cercartetus nanus
    Rare – Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park (displayed on night tours), Trowunna Wildlife Park (off-display)

    Pseudocheiridae:
    -Greater Glider Petauroides volans
    Rare – Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, Taronga Zoo; [apparently no longer kept at David Fleay Wildlife Park]

    -Western Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus occidentalis
    Rare - Caversham Wildlife Park, Peel Zoo, Perth Zoo

    -Common Ringtail Possum Pseudocheirus peregrinus
    Common

    Petauridae:
    -Striped Possum Dactylopsila trivirgata
    Rare – Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre. [No longer held at Wildlife Habitat (Port Douglas) as of a July 2022 report]

    -Leadbeater's Possum Gymnobelideus leadbeateri
    Rare – Healesville Sanctuary

    -Yellow-bellied Glider Petaurus australis
    Uncommon

    -Sugar Glider Petaurus breviceps
    Common
    [Note on Sugar Gliders: a 2020 paper split the Australian populations into three species - ariel, breviceps, and notatus - of which captive populations would be composed of the latter two. The abstract is here: Integrative taxonomic investigation of Petaurus breviceps (Marsupialia: Petauridae) reveals three distinct species]

    -Mahogany Glider Petaurus gracilis
    Rare – Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (still?), Dreamworld, Kuranda Koala Gardens, Wildlife Habitat

    -Squirrel Glider Petaurus norfolcensis
    Common

    Acrobatidae:
    -Feathertail Glider Acrobates pygmaeus
    Uncommon
    [Note: now split into two species, the Narrow-toed Feathertail Glider A. pygmaeus and the Broad-toed Feathertail Glider A. frontalis. I don't know what the composition of the captive population is.]

    Phalangeridae:
    -Short-eared Brushtail Possum Trichosurus caninus
    Rare – Currumbin Sanctuary, David Fleay Wildlife Park, Wildlife HQ, Macadamia Castle [only on proper display at the last-named collection]

    -Common Brushtail Possum Trichosurus vulpecula
    Very Common

    -Northern Brushtail Possum Trichosurus arnhemensis
    Rare – Territory Wildlife Park

    Placentalia
    Chiroptera
    Pteropodidae:

    -Black Flying Fox Pteropus alecto gouldii
    Rare – Caversham Wildlife Park, Halls Gap Zoo, Phillip Island Wildlife Park, Territory Wildlife Park

    -Spectacled Flying Fox Pteropus conspicillatus
    Rare – Amazement Farm and Fun Park, Caversham Wildlife Park, Featherdale Wildlife Park, Hunter Valley Zoo, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, Wildlife Habitat

    -Grey-headed Flying Fox Pteropus poliocephalus
    Uncommon

    -Little Red Flying Fox Pteropus scapulatus
    Rare – Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary

    Megadermatidae:
    -Ghost Bat Macroderma gigas
    Uncommon - Adelaide Zoo, Alice Springs Desert Park, Currumbin Sanctuary, Featherdale, Gorge Wildlife Park, Perth Zoo, Sydney Zoo, Taronga Zoo, Territory Wildlife Park, Wildlife Sydney.

    Carnivora
    Canidae:

    -Dingo Canis lupus dingo
    Very Common

    Otariidae:
    -New Zealand Fur Seal Arctocephalus forsteri
    Rare – Sea World Gold Coast, Melbourne Zoo, Taronga Zoo, Underwater World (Mooloolaba)

    -Australian Fur Seal Arctocephalus pusillus doriferus
    Rare – Melbourne Zoo

    -Subantarctic Fur Seal Arctocephalus tropicalis
    Rare – Sea World Gold Coast, Taronga Zoo (still?), Underwater World (Mooloolaba)

    -Australian Sealion Neophoca cinerea
    Rare – Adelaide Zoo, Pet Porpoise Pool (Dolphin Marine Magic), Sea World Gold Coast, Taronga Zoo,

    Cetacea
    Delphinidae:

    -Common Bottle-nosed Dolphin Tursiops truncatus
    Rare – Sea World Gold Coast

    -Indo-Pacific Bottle-nosed Dolphin Tursiops aduncus
    Rare – Pet Porpoise Pool (Dolphin Marine Magic), Sea World Gold Coast

    Sirenia
    Dugongidae:

    -Dugong Dugong dugon
    Rare – one male at SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium (the female of the pair died in May 2018)

    Rodentia
    Muridae:

    -Australian Water Rat Hydromys chrysogaster
    Rare – Perth Zoo, Territory Wildlife Park, Wings Wildlife Park

    -Greater Stick-nest Rat Leporillus conditor
    Rare – Adelaide Zoo, Alice Springs Desert Park, Cleland Wildlife Park, Monarto Zoo, Taronga Zoo (still?)

    -Grassland Melomys Melomys burtoni
    Rare – Territory Wildlife Park

    -Black-footed Tree Rat Mesembriomys gouldii gouldii
    Rare – Adelaide Zoo, David Fleay Wildlife Park (still?), Perth Zoo, Sydney Zoo, Territory Wildlife Park

    -Spinifex Hopping Mouse Notomys alexis
    Common

    -Mitchell's Hopping Mouse Notomys mitchellii
    Rare – Kyabram Fauna Park, Melbourne Museum (off-display), Monarto Zoo (on display?)

    -Plains Rat Pseudomys australis
    Uncommon – Alice Springs Desert Park, Halls Gap Zoo, Mogo Zoo, Monarto Zoo (on display?), Taronga Zoo, Wildlife Sydney

    -New Holland Mouse Pseudomys novaehollandiae
    Rare – Melbourne Zoo, Moonlit Sanctuary

    -Smoky Mouse Pseudomys fumeus
    Rare – Healesville Sanctuary

    -Central Rock Rat Zyzomys pedunculatus
    Rare – Alice Springs Desert Park





    Species removed from the listings since 2014:

    -Kultarr Antechinomys laniger
    Alice Springs Desert Park

    -Crest-tailed Mulgara Dasycercus cristicauda
    Perth Zoo (2016?)

    -Stripe-faced Dunnart Sminthopsis macroura
    Alice Springs Desert Park (2017)

    -Sandhill Dunnart Sminthopsis psammophila
    Alice Springs Desert Park

    -Long-footed Potoroo Potorous longipes
    Healesville Sanctuary (single animal, arrived and died in 2022)

    -Short-eared Rock Wallaby Petrogale brachyotis
    Perth Zoo (the individual was originally misidentified as a Nabarlek P. concinna)

    -Wilkin's Rock Wallaby Petrogale wilkinsi
    Territory Wildlife Park (2019)

    -Western Pygmy Possum Cercartetus concinnus
    Cleland Wildlife Park (2020 or 2021)

    -Rock Ringtail Possum Petropseudes dahli
    Territory Wildlife Park (2017)

    -Northern Blossom Bat Macroglossus minimus
    Territory Wildlife Park (2018)

    -Bare-rumped Sheath-tail Bat Saccolaimus saccolaimus
    Territory Wildlife Park (2018)

    -Leopard Seal Hydrurga leptonyx
    Taronga Zoo (2014)

    -Australian Hump-backed Dolphin Sousa sahulensis
    Sea World Gold Coast (2019)

    -Brush-tailed Tree Rat Conilurus penicillatus
    Halls Gap Zoo

    -Fawn-footed Melomys Melomys cervinipes
    Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary (2016?)

    -Bush Rat Rattus fuscipes
    Taronga Zoo

    -Long-haired Rat Rattus villosissimus
    Walkabout Creek Discovery Centre (2017?)

    -Carpentarian Rock Rat Zyzomys palatilis
    Territory Wildlife Park


    Species gained since 2014:

    -Common Planigale Planigale maculata
    Territory Wildlife Park

    -Julia Creek Dunnart Sminthopsis douglasi
    Julia Creek Information Centre (?) (formerly also at David Fleay's until c.2016)

    -Brush-tailed Mulgara Dasycercus blythi
    Alice Springs Desert Park

    -Mitchell's Hopping Mouse Notomys mitchellii
    Melbourne Museum (albeit off-display), and later Kyabram Fauna Park and Monarto Zoo

    -New Holland Mouse Pseudomys novaehollandiae
    Melbourne Zoo, Moonlit Sanctuary

    -Smoky Mouse Pseudomys fumeus
    Healesville Sanctuary

    -Central Rock Rat Zyzomys pedunculatus
    Alice Springs Desert Park
     
    Last edited by a moderator: 13 Feb 2024
  2. Hix

    Hix Wildlife Enthusiast and Lover of Islands 15+ year member Premium Member

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    Last time I was at Cleland they had a numbats.

    And Taronga has had Water Rats in the Platypus House, unless they've been moved on.

    :p

    Hix
     
  3. TeaLovingDave

    TeaLovingDave Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

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    No kowari at all in Australian collections? :eek:
     
  4. zooboy28

    zooboy28 Well-Known Member

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    When was the last time you were at Cleland? They had a pair of females for a while, and then these died out I guess, and a new female was bought in in June 2011, but according to Facebook was no longer living at the park in July 2012.

    The Platypus house had two exhibits for platypus and one for spinifex hopping mice last Christmas. I was a bit surprised by how few collections held water rats.
     
  5. zooboy28

    zooboy28 Well-Known Member

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    Not that I'm aware of. I am hoping they come back. As far as I know, this is the only native mammal found in overseas zoos but not in Australian ones.
     
  6. TeaLovingDave

    TeaLovingDave Moderator Staff Member 10+ year member

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    Bonny little creatures; I believe it has been a close-run thing as to whether the species can hang on in captivity over here due to genetic bottlenecking and studbook mismanagement in the past.
     
  7. MRJ

    MRJ Well-Known Member 15+ year member Premium Member

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    Yellow bellied gliders at Moonlit
     
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  8. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    I was going to say about water rats at Taronga but forgot. I wonder why they don't have them now. Like you I'm surprised how rare they seem to be in zoos!

    For the pinnipeds I've also got NZ fur seal at Melbourne Zoo (in advance, because at least one of the Napier ones is supposed to be going there).

    Lumholtz's tree kangaroo also at Dreamworld.

    Does anyone know if there are still any Bennett's tree kangaroos around? I know Cairns Tropical Zoo for one used to have the species.
     
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  9. Hix

    Hix Wildlife Enthusiast and Lover of Islands 15+ year member Premium Member

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    Last at Cleland in 2010, so I guess they've gone. And if there were two tanks for platypus at Taronga, then they've moved the water rats out of one of them.

    :(

    Hix
     
  10. tetrapod

    tetrapod Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Best guess would be their size, specialised requirements (for a rodent), difficulty in breeding and short lifespan. Personally I think they are an underrated native species.
     
  11. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    unfortunately the leopard seal at Taronga had to be put to sleep a few weeks ago due to ill-health
     
  12. Riley

    Riley Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Taronga have recently got Northern nailtail wallabies
     
  13. Grant Rhino

    Grant Rhino Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    Werribee Open Range Zoo have fat tailed dunnarts

    I will confirm that they haven't died on Friday (they only live for about 14 months). If you haven't heard from me by Saturday, then they are still there.
     
  14. zooboy28

    zooboy28 Well-Known Member

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    Really? That's a great addition! Do you have any photos for the gallery?
     
  15. zooboy28

    zooboy28 Well-Known Member

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    I did see one there earlier in the year, but didn't think to update this list. Thanks for reminding me.
     
  16. zooboy28

    zooboy28 Well-Known Member

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    I have updated the list with these new additions, and the sad loss. If anyone knows any other changes, please post them here.
     
  17. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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  18. LaughingDove

    LaughingDove Well-Known Member

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    I don't know if you would count this place as a zoo but Barna Mia (Barna Mia | Explore Parks WA | Department of Parks and Wildlife) has a few species that seem to be fairly rare in Australian collections:
    Western-barred Bandicoot (Perameles bougainville)
    Greater Bilby (Macrotis lagotis)
    Rufous-hare Wallaby (Lagorchestes hirsutus) (Listed here as Mala)
    Burrowing Bettong (Bettongia lesueur)
    Southern Brown Bandicoot (Isoodon obesulus)
    Brush-tailed Bettong (Bettongia penicillata)

    This was when I visited in July 2014 but I doubt it has changed since it is a breeding centre for these species. I was also told that they previously held Banded Hare-wallaby (Lagostrophus fasciatus) but they were sent away because they only ever achieved one breeding.
     
  19. devilfish

    devilfish Well-Known Member

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    What a brilliant thread. I'd recently been looking for a resource like this, and although I'd seen the 'exotic mammals' counterpart I've only just found this one. Good work zooboy!
     
  20. Jabiru96

    Jabiru96 Well-Known Member

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