Mammal
Zygomaturus trilobus
Zygomaturus trilobusAlso known as Marsupial Rhinoceros, Marsupial Hippo
Zygomaturus trilobus was a heavily built quadrapedal marsupial with stout limbs and paired nasal bosses that likely supported keratinous horns in life. Dwelling near coastal wetlands, rivers, and dense scrublands, it used broad, ridged premolars to grind tough water plants, reeds, and woody shrubs. Its compact, hippo-like anatomy enabled it to navigate muddy riparian corridors across southern and eastern Australia before vanishing during the Late Pleistocene extinctions.
MegafaunaHerbivore
—observations
—countries
—peak records
ExtinctConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXExtinctRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyReeds, Sedges, Shrub foliage
Predators
- Marsupial Lion (Thylacoleo carnifex)
- Megalania (Varanus priscus)
- Humans
ThreatsPleistocene aridification, habitat transformation, and hunting pressure
HabitatsRiparian corridors, swamps, coastal wetlands, and sclerophyll woodlands
Life span20–30 years
Classification
- OrderDiprotodontia
- FamilyDiprotodontidae
- GenusZygomaturus
- SpeciesZygomaturus trilobus
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskHigh
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is high
- Extinct; known only from Pleistocene fossil deposits.
Responsible observation
- Fossil sites: Look for heavy skull and tooth remains in limestone caves or riverbeds.
- Museums: View reconstructed articulated skeletons in Australian natural history collections.
Image unavailablePredator 
Predator Cas Liber / Public domain · cc0Neighbor Close Relative
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