Big Sky Country

The secret life of phascogales

Bush Heritage Australia Season 1 Episode 2

Climb up the tree. Open the nest box. And look inside the lives of Red-tailed Phascogales. 

These small arboreal marsupials - with their big ears, big eyes and fluffy red tails - are just as loveable as koalas and kangaroos, but with a few big differences. They can fit in the palm of your hand. They have death-inducing mating habits. And, while they were once widespread across the southern half of Australia, they are now mostly restricted to the wheatbelt region of Western Australia.  

Over a decade ago, a small group of these phascogales were bundled up, driven 100 kilometers and translocated to their new home: Kojonup Reserve on Wagyl Kaip and Southern Noongar country in WA. Today, we find out how the population is surviving. 

Guests: Angela Sanders, Dr Michelle Hall and Dr Tony Friend

Produced by Eliza Herbert and Amelia Caddy

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Bush Heritage Australia is a leading not-for-profit conservation organisation that works to protect and regenerate millions of hectares of ecologically important land across the continent. This podcast's focus on trees and Country is especially vital to understanding and advancing Australia's conservation future.

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