#846: Woylie

The Woylie is a diminutive relative of the kangaroo, standing about 30 cm tall. She once ranged across 60% of Australia. Now, due to habitat loss- her home being cleared for agriculture - and predation by foxes and feral cats, that range has dropped to 1%; she is Critically Endangered. Whilst she does dine on roots, tubers, shoots and other vegetative matter, the bulk of her nutrients come from underground fungi, which is consumed by bacteria in her stomach. She likely played an important role in the dispersal of fungal spores in the desert ecosystem. Her tail is semi-prehensile, and she uses it to carry nesting material back to her dome-shaped nest.