Bettongia penicillata

J. E. Gray, 1837

Brush-tailed Bettong

Taxonomy

Subclass : Theria
Infraclass : Marsupialia
Superorder : Australidelphia
Order : Diprotodontia
Suborder : Phalangerida
Superfamily : Macropodoidea
Family : Potoroidae
Subfamily : Bettongiinae
Genus : Bettongia

Species status

Extinct
Found in the wild
Listed in MSW3 2005

Authority citation

Gray, J.E. 1837-11-01. Descriptions of some new or little known Mammàlia, principally in the British Museum Collection. Magazine of Natural History (n.s.)1(11):577-587.

Authority publication link

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/27268175

Original name as described

Bettóngia penicillàta

Other common names

Brush-tailed Rat-kangaroo · Woylie

Type material

BMNH:Mamm:1850.11.22.47 (= BMNH:Mamm:279f) (= BMNH:Mamm:298c)

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/7b7b3d95-997c-4402-8ecd-d9158ca82102

Type locality

type locality not given. Identified by T. Iredale and E. Le. G. Troughton in 1934 as New South Wales, Australia.

Biogeographic realm

Australasia

Country distribution

Australia

Taxonomy notes

previously included B. anhydra and B. ogilbyi, as well as populations now attributed to the recently described (but extinct) B. haoucharae; given that extant populations are now considered to represent B. ogilbyi, B. penicillata sensu stricto is now considered extinct

Taxonomy notes citation

McDowell, M.C., Haouchar, D., Aplin, K.P., Bunce, M., Baynes, A. and Prideaux, G.J. 2015. Morphological and molecular evidence supports specific recognition of the recently extinct Bettongia anhydra (Marsupialia: Macropodidae). Journal of Mammalogy 96(2):287-296. doi:10.1093/jmammal/gyv006 · Newman-Martin, J., Travouillon, K.J., Warburton, N., Barham, M. and Blyth, A.J. 2025. A taxonomic revision of the Bettongia penicillata (Diprotodontia: Potoroidae) species complex and description of the subfossil species Bettongia haoucharae sp. nov. Zootaxa 5690(1):1-69. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.5690.1.1

IUCN Red List status

Near Threatened

Species Permalink

https://mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1000323

Country distribution map

The map below provides a general overview. Most species inhabit only specific regions within countries. Hover over the highlighted regions to see the country name.

Names and synonyms

Present and past (if available) associated names to the species. Click on a name to view its details. If the list is long, scroll down to see more.

Bettóngia penicillàta

J. E. Gray, 1837

Family

Potoroidae

Root name

penicillata

Validity status

species

Nomenclatural status

available

Type

BMNH:Mamm:1850.11.22.47 (= BMNH:Mamm:279f) (= BMNH:Mamm:298c)

Type kind

holotype

Type specimen URI

https://data.nhm.ac.uk/object/7b7b3d95-997c-4402-8ecd-d9158ca82102

Authority page

584

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/27268175

Authority publication

Magazine of Natural History

Name usages

  1. Gould (1841:@pl. 14 unnumbered p. 1, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/62575975) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68502)
  2. Gould (1842:@pl. 29 unnumbered p. 1, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/62576067) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/68503)
  3. Blyth (1863:186, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/47534867) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/37155)
  4. Collett (1887:905, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/10356945) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67854)
  5. Thomas (1888:110, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/37986504) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/9306)
  6. Ogilby (1892:42, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/938547) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/69482)
  7. Trouessart (1898:1197, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53436410) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59287)
  8. Trouessart (1905:838, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/53423719) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59290)
  9. Corbet & Hill (1980:17) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63069)
  10. Honacki, Kinman & Koeppl (1982:43) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63071)
  11. Flannery (1989:25) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/69735)
  12. Corbet & Hill (1991:20) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/63070)
  13. Groves (1993:49) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/69003)
  14. Groves (2005) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/8527)
  15. Mittermeier & Wilson (2015:626) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/59410)
  16. Jackson & Groves (2015:136) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/34474)
  17. Jackson & Groves (2015:136) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/34474)
  18. Mammal Diversity Database (2018:ID #2785) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67336)
  19. Mammal Diversity Database (2019:ID #2785) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67337)
  20. Mammal Diversity Database (2024, https://www.mammaldiversity.org/taxon/1000323) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67250)
  21. International Union for the Conservation of Nature (2024, https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/2785/21961347) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/67246)
  22. Newman-Martin, Travouillon, Warburton, Barham & Blyth (2025:21) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/70165)

Hypsiprymnus murinus

(W. Ogilby, 1838)

Family

Potoroidae

Root name

murina

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

available

Authority page

63

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/30571120

Authority publication

Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London

Name usages

  1. Jackson & Groves (2015:137) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/34474)
  2. Newman-Martin, Travouillon, Warburton, Barham & Blyth (2025:21) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/70165)

Halmaturus penicillatus

(E. Blyth, 1863)

Family

Potoroidae

Root name

penicillata

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

185

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/47534866

Authority publication

Calcutta

Name usages

Blyth (1863:185, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/47534866) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/37155)

Hypsiprymnus penicillatus

(A. Murray, 1866)

Family

Potoroidae

Root name

penicillata

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

364

Authority page URI

https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15580360

Authority publication

London

Name usages

Murray (1866:364, https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/15580360) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/39798)

Bettongia penicillata penicillata

S. Jackson & Groves, 2015

Family

Potoroidae

Root name

penicillata

Validity status

synonym

Nomenclatural status

name_combination

Authority page

136

Authority publication

Clayton South

Name usages

Jackson & Groves (2015:136) (information at https://hesperomys.com/a/34474)

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