Long-nosed Potoroo

The long-nosed potoroo is a small, shy marsupial that resembles a tiny kangaroo crossed with a rat, thanks to its long pointed snout and rounded body. It’s one of Australia’s more elusive nocturnal animals and is typically found in dense coastal forests and heathlands along southeastern Australia and Tasmania. This species plays a crucial ecological role as a “fungus farmer,” helping disperse the spores of underground fungi essential for forest health.

With strong hind legs and a long, partially prehensile tail, the potoroo is a capable hopper and forager. Its front feet are built for digging, which it does constantly while sniffing out food. Unlike kangaroos, potoroos often move with a hunched, hopping gait close to the ground, which helps them stay hidden from predators.

Their diet mainly consists of underground truffles and fungi, but they also eat roots, tubers, insects, seeds, and fruits. The long-nosed potoroo’s foraging behavior benefits the entire ecosystem, as the fungi they spread improve soil quality and plant health. They are mostly solitary and timid, emerging at night to feed while remaining under cover to avoid predators like foxes, cats, and birds of prey.

Breeding occurs throughout the year, with females typically giving birth to a single joey. The young stays in the pouch for around four months before emerging but continues to suckle for a while longer. Habitat fragmentation, introduced predators, and bushfires have contributed to declining numbers in the wild, and in some areas, the species is listed as vulnerable.

Despite their small size and secretive nature, long-nosed potoroos are a vital part of Australia’s biodiversity, quietly shaping the health of the forests they call home.

Did You Know?

Long-nosed potoroos use their tails like a shopping bag! They curl their partially prehensile tails around nesting material like grass and leaves to carry it back to their burrows, making them one of the few marsupials to use their tails to transport supplies.