Bettong

All species of the genus have been severely affected by ecological changes since the British settlement of Australia, those that have not become extinct became largely confined to islands and protected reserves and are dependent on re-population programs. The diversity of the genus was poorly understood before their extirpation from the mainland, and new taxa has been identified in specimens newly discovered and already held in museum collections.[2]

Four extant species are recognised in the work Mammal Species of the World (2005):[1]

• Bettongia gaimardi, Eastern bettong, also known as the Tasmanian bettong
• Bettongia lesueur Boodie
• Bettongia penicillata Woylie
• Bettongia tropica Wakefield, 1967.[3] Northern bettong

In addition, at least three extinct species are known:

• Bettongia moyesi, Middle Miocene bettong from Riversleigh[4]
• Bettongia pusilla, Nullarbor dwarf bettong, known only from subfossil remains, probably became extinct after colonisation
• Bettongia anhydra, described in 2015 from a specimen collected in 1933 near Lake Mackay, Northern Territory.[2]

The phylogeny of the genus has seen a grouping of 'brush-tailed' taxa allied within the genus Bettongia, and this includes the extant species Bettongia gaimardi, B. tropica and B. penicillata.[2]

A conservative arrangement of modern and fossil taxa of Bettongia may be summarised as[5]

• family Potoroidae:

• subfamily †Bulungamayinae
• subfamily †Palaeopotoroinae
• subfamily Potoroinae

• genus Aepyprymnus
• genus Bettongia

• species †Bettongia anhydra
• species Bettongia gaimardi
• species Bettongia lesueur
• species †Bettongia moyesi
• species Bettongia penicillata
• species †Bettongia pusilla
• species Bettongia tropica

• genus †Milliyowi
• genus †Caloprymnus
• genus Potorous
• genus †Purtia
• genus †Wakiewakie
• genus †Gumardee

The species Aepyprymnus rufescens is referred to as the rufous bettong,[6] but this is not strictly correct.

• Kangaroo rat - a heteromyid rodent of North America