Mammals of the Mount Alexander Region

Short-beaked Echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus)
Widespread and relatively common monotreme. Found in open bushland and usually solitary.

Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)
Seen occasionally in local creeks and rivers. Known from Campbells Creek and other rivers with near permanent water flows. Listed as vulnerable in Victoria. Sightings should be reported to the Australian Platypus Conservancy

Brush-tailed Phascogale; Tuan (Phascogale tapoatufa)
A marsupial species, small, shy and nocturnal, that nests in trees. Listed as vulnerable in Victoria. Conservation programs are underway in an attempt to build numbers. This includes the provision of nest boxes to compensate for the lack of tree hollows.

Yellow-footed Antechinus (Antechinus flavipes)
A widespread and abundant carnivorous marsupial found in a range of habitats. Mainly nocturnal and crepuscular but often seen during the day foraging around trees and fallen branches.

Koala (Phascolarctus cinereus)
An uncommon marsupial. Found in open forests and woodland and usually solitary.

Common or Bare-nosed Wombat (Vombatus ursinus)
Wombats may be found in the cooler, wetter forests in the southern part of our region. Recently there have been sightings in the Chewton area where some have been caught by a wildlife camera.
They are mainly nocturnal.

Common Brushtail Possum (Trichosurus vilpecula)
A widespread, nocturnal arboreal marsupial. It is common in both urban and bushland settings. The tail is thick and bushy.

It is about the same size as a domestic cat.

Common Ringtail Possum (Pseudocheirus peregrinus)
A widespread, nocturnal and arboreal marsupial, found in both urban and bushland settings. Easily distinguished by the white terminal band to the tail.

It is about half the size of the Common Brushtail Possum.

Krefft’s (Sugar) Glider (Petaurus notatus)
A small nocturnal gliding possum that is relatively common in the region. It is sometimes seen within urban areas. Family groups may occupy nest boxes as shown in the photo (right).

Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus)
This is the common kangaroo for our area. Large numbers may be seen close to Castlemaine where they come out of the bush to graze on open paddocks in the late afternoon.

Swamp Wallaby; Black Wallaby (Wallabia bicolor)
A relatively common marsupial, smaller than the Eastern Grey Kangaroo. It is generally nocturnal and crepuscular, but also sometimes active during the day. Most often seen in areas of thicker scrub and undergrowth such as damp gullies. Usually solitary.

Grey-headed Flying-fox, Grey-headed Fruit-bat (Pteropus poliocephalus)
These are the largest bats in our area. They live in extensive colonies and range widely in search of the fruit that they eat. They have been seen locally feeding on plums and figs. A few individuals occasionally roost in the Castlemaine Botanic Gardens. The nearest colony is in Bendigo.

Lesser Long-eared Bat (Nyctophilus geoffroyi)
This is a common bat in our area that will often roost in protected locations around the house such as, in this case, a folded sun umbrella.

Rakali; Water Rat (Hydromys chrysogaster)
An uncommon and rarely sighted semi-aquatic rodent that nests in the banks of waterways and is most active early in the morning. Often their presence is indicated by their “feeding tables”, logs extending above water level where they bring their yabbie prey to eat and leave the empty broken yabbie shells on the log.

More information about the Rakali and how to report sightings to improve distribution records can be found on the Australian Platypus Conservancy website.