Heaps of eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) at Tidbinbilla after sunrise, most just grazing or lying around while others engaged in the occasional scuffle. One male (not pictured) bounced towards me about four meters away, standing up as tall as myself to show off his pectoral muscles and biceps — not going to challenge him or those hind feet! Long-nosed potoroos (Potorous tridactylus) also scrambled about in the eucalypt forest, searching intensively for hypogeous fungi, eventually spreading the spores through their feces and as a byproduct aiding in nutrient uptake by plants. Potoroos belong to the kangaroo-rat family (Potoroidae), moving on all fours with a kangaroo-esque mini-hop of their hind two legs. Invasive predators such as foxes and feral cats are major players in population declines of potoroos and other small marsupials (bettongs, bandicoots, bilbies, etc.), leading to local extinctions and much needed breeding and reintroduction programs.
