Groves in Wilson and Reeder (1993) considered this to be a synonym of B. penicillata, however Nowak (1999) and Jackson and Groves (2015) recognised its specific status, which is also followed by the Australasian Mammal Taxonomy Consortium.

The Northern Bettong is assessed as Endangered because its area of occupancy is less than 200 km², all wild individuals are in two locations and one of these is facing imminent extinction (4-10 individuals estimated in 2023-2024). There is a continuing decline in the extent and quality of habitat, and a continuing decline in the estimated number of mature individuals due to habitat loss and degradation, changed fire regimes, and feral animals. There has been a decline in the number of locations from four to two (soon expected to be one location) since 2000. The estimated area of occupancy at the northern site (Mt. Spurgeon) has declined in the last seven years to around 7 km².

The Northern Bettong is endemic to north-eastern Queensland. There are two remaining localities with extant wild populations: the western side of the Lamb Range (including Davies Creek, Emu Creek and Tinaroo subpopulations, around 1.5 km apart, in an area of occupancy around 75 km²), and the western edge of the Mt Carbine Tableland (Mt Spurgeon and Mt Lewis National Parks, in an area of occupancy around 7 km²). Populations in the Coane Range (Paluma) and at Mt Windsor Tableland are presumed extinct (last confirmed records in 2003: Dennis 2001, confirmed by subsequent surveys including by WWF in 2018). A former population in the vicinity of Ravenshoe has not been seen since the 1920s. A single individual was recorded from the Dawson Valley (near Rockhampton) in 1884; no Northern Bettongs have been seen in this area since then (Dennis 2001, Vernes et al. 2023). The species has been recorded at elevations between 800 m and 1,200 m asl (Vernes et al. 2023). In 2023 a translocated population was established in a fenced area at Mt Zero-Taravale, in the Coane Range near Paluma. The population on the Carbine Tableland appears to have maintained its area of occupancy over the past two decades (Winter 1997, Koleck et al. 2019).

Area of occupancy was estimated at 188 km² in 2016, in 2024 it was estimated as 173 km². The area of occupancy at Mt Spurgeon has declined to around 7 km², it has declined by at least 15 km² since 2021.

The area of occupancy at Mt Spurgeon is being regularly monitored by camera trapping and is continuing to decline.

Two localities have extant wild populations. Lamb Range (Davies Creek, Emu Creek and Tinaroo subpopulations) has an estimated population of around 800-1,500. Mt. Carbine Tableland has an extremely small and declining population estimated to be around thirty individuals in 2020-2021, and four to ten individuals in 2023-2024. None have been found at Mt Windsor Tableland since 2003, despite considerable survey effort, and this population is presumed extinct.
The recently translocated population in a fenced area at Mt Zero Taravale in the Coane Range is around 50 individuals. Before this translocation, none were found at Coane Range since 2003.

The Northern Bettong occurs in a thin strip of sclerophyll forest along the western margin of rainforest in the ecotone between savanna woodland and rainforest. Its habitat includes a range of eucalypt forest types, from tall and wet forest dominated by Eucalyptus grandis (flooded gum) and tall forest dominated by E. resinifera (red mahogany) abutting the rainforest, to medium height and drier woodlands dominated by Corymbia citriodora (lemon-scented gum) and C. platyphylla (poplar gum) (Dennis 2001, Vernes et al. 2023).

This species is solitary and nocturnal. Northern Bettongs depend on truffles (the underground fruiting bodies of ectomycorrhizal fungi) as a food source during the wetter parts of the year. The more than 35 species of truffles eaten comprise over 45% of their diet, depending on location and season. They also eat roots, tubers, the underground parts of grasses, small invertebrates, and seeds; Cockatoo Grass Alloteropsis semialata and lillies Hypoxis spp are particularly important food when truffle abundance is low during the late dry season (Vernes et al. 2023, Bateman and Johnson 2011).

Home ranges are typically 50-70 hectares, but may be as large as 120 hectares (Vernes et al. 2023). Vernes (2003) found that male Northern Bettongs have a larger home range than females, 72 ± 10.9 ha versus 49 ± 8.4 ha. However, both sexes had a high mean rate of movement while foraging. Ranges overlapped for individuals, both between and within sexes. At Davies Creek, observational and experimental studies have found that small-scale, low intensity fires have no impact on the location or use of individuals’ home ranges and no direct or indirect mortality of bettongs was associated with fire (Vernes 2000, Pocknee 2022). After fire, Vernes (2000) found that bettong search effort for truffles became more focussed in, and foraging success was higher in recently burnt areas than in unburnt areas. During these low-intensity, patchy fires, grassy areas were retained, and bettongs sheltered in hollows and under boulders which are common at Lamb Range sites. Pocknee (2022) found that movement patterns were driven by food sources persisting after fire at Davies Creek. Radio-collared bettongs shifted their nesting areas following low intensity fire to incorporate more unburnt habitat, but nesting areas remained within the pre-fire home range.

Fire, weeds, and logging

Open forest and woodland habitats require fire to maintain food for Northern Bettongs, particularly cockatoo grass and lilies. The species also uses grass to build its nests for daytime shelter. When fire frequency is too low, rainforest species can encroach, shading out grasses (Abell et al. 2006). Up to 70 % of tall forest types have been subject to rainforest invasion in the last 200 years, making areas of habitat less suitable for the northern bettong (Harrington and Sanderson 1994). Vegetation structure appears to be becoming less suitable in wetter habitat at higher elevations (Abell et al. 2006).

Two studies at Lamb Range have shown that regular small-scale, patchy, low-intensity fire benefits Northern bettong habitat without harming individual bettongs (Vernes 2000, Vernes and Pope 2001, Pocknee 2022). However a larger and more intense late dry season fire at Mt Spurgeon after several years without fire in 2021 was associated with a decline in the mean population estimate from around 30 to 4-10 individuals. Small-scale, patchy, low-intensity, managed fire may benefit the species by reducing the risk of larger, uncontrolled fires.

The weed Lantana camara also shades out grasses. The effect of lantana on truffle abundance is unknown. A recent study at Mt Spurgeon found that Northern bettongs did not forage in dense thickets of lantana, although the dietary generalist the Northern brown bandicoot did, suggesting that the specialist food of bettongs is inhibited by dense lantana infestation. A third of the area of bettong habitat at Mt Spurgeon has a medium to heavy infestation of lantana. Australian Wildlife Conservancy monitoring of this population using live trapping has revealed some bettongs in poor body condition and females without young in recent years.

Current populations occur in National Parks and areas with no logging. Past declines in habitat  suitability for both the bettong and the fungi it consumes were probably exacerbated by logging (Bateman and Johnson 2011).

Cats and dingoes

Given the impact that feral cats have on other similar sized and closely related species such as the woylie in Western Australia, cats are likely to be a threat to Northern bettongs. Models predict that cat predation could cause the extinction of small populations such as that of at Mt Carbine Tableland, even if few individual cats are present (Whitehead et al. 2018). Only one cat was detected during extensive camera trapping in the Lamb Range in 2019-2021. Multiple cats have been detected recently at Mt Spurgeon. The effect of dingo predation is unknown. Predators can be attracted to recently burned areas. After a 2021 fire at Mt Spurgeon, camera trapping showed that cattle activity increased (apparently attracted to grass regrowth) and dingo activity increased (apparently attracted to cattle carcasses) at the time of a sharp decline in bettong detections.

Pigs and cattle

Feral pigs may compete for cockatoo grass (Crowley et al. 2004) and truffles, and this may be critical during the seasonal reduction in truffle abundance (Abell et al. 2006). A large proportion (up to 47%) of bettong habitat has been affected by pig activity (Laurance and Harrington 1997).

The abundance of Cockatoo grass, a seasonally critical food source of northern bettongs, is threatened by cattle grazing due to its low seed bank and early wet season flowering; grazing in the early wet season can reduce inflorescence production for two years (Crowley and Garnett 2001). Feral cattle are present in Northern bettong habitat, particularly at Mt Carbine. Past declines in habitat suitability for both the bettong and the fungi it consumes were probably exacerbated by livestock grazing (Bateman and Johnson 2011, Dennis 2001).

Small population effects

The northern bettong’s restricted range and small, isolated populations and subpopulations make them susceptible to stochastic extinction events, inbreeding depression or predation from a few individual cats or dingoes (Dennis 2001, Whitehead et al. 2018). Only one locality (Lamb Range) appears to have a large enough population to be self-sustaining (Dennis 2001, Todd et al. 2022).

Because of the small populations, road deaths may also be a threat. For example, eleven individuals were killed between April 2021 and April 2022 along a 5 km stretch of the Kennedy Highway near Davies Creek and a 3 km stretch of Danbulla Drive at Tinaroo (~1% of the population).

Climate change

Eastern Australia is expected to experience decreased rainfall, increased average temperatures and increased frequency of droughts. Truffle abundance decreases with reduced rainfall. Decreased abundance of truffles during drought conditions appears to have caused a contraction of the northern bettong’s range from south to north, and from west to east (Abell et al. 2006). Drought may have been a cause of the decline of the Coane Range population (Bateman et al. 2011 a,b). Small, isolated populations are particularly vulnerable to drought (Abell et al. 2006). Further contraction of the species range and associated population declines are likely to continue as drought frequency and intensity continues as a result of climate change (Abell et al. 2006). 

Climate change is likely to affect fire management in Northern bettong habitat.  The frequency and intensity of wildfires may increase due to prolonged periods of dryness and high temperatures, resulting in degradation of habitat.  In addition, seasonal shifts and contraction of periods of suitable weather to support planned burning (small, patchy, low-intensity burning) may reduce the ability of managers to implement appropriate prescribed burning to maintain habitat quality for bettongs.  The occurrence of severe weather events, including tropical cyclones, may also influence the impact of fire events in bettong habitat through an increase in fuel (eg. fallen timber and leaf litter).

Detailed climate modelling has shown that extended drought is likely to reduce the distribution of Northern Bettong by altering the productivity of its major food resources (Bateman et al. 2011a,b).

The Northern Bettong is listed as a threatened species under Australian law. It occurs in protected areas of Davies Creek National Park, Mt Spurgeon National Park, and the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. It has a state-based recovery team and a Conservation Advice document is being prepared. It is listed on Appendix I of CITES. Conservation of the Northern Bettong is the responsibility of the Queensland Department of Environment and Science. Most of its habitat has now been incorporated into the protected area estate, both government and private (Australian Wildlife Conservancy).

Research at Lamb Range indicates that application of landscape mosaic burn pattern in the early to mid dry season enables the species-diverse open structured, grassy ground layer preferred by the Northern bettong. This regime is also most suitable for the survival and proliferation of cockatoo grass, a food essential to Bettongs in the late dry season when truffle availability is low. An appropriate burning regime has been implemented at Lamb Range in recent decades, and has recently been implemented at Mt Spurgeon. The two locations are now being managed for the bettong’s conservation by implementing mainly early dry season low-intensity, patchy burning to maintain the grassy understorey and inhibit rainforest encroachment. There has been sporadic weed control in recent decades at Mt Spurgeon, lantana removal is now being implemented (blocks of dense lantana remain, control of weeds is an ongoing task). There has been some control of cattle and pigs by shooting. Removal of carcasses of cattle from the area of occupancy of the Northern bettong at Mt Spurgeon has been recommended. There has been increased monitoring of feral cats using appropriately-placed camera traps at both locations, and a plan to control feral cats is in preparation.

In May 2023 50 bettongs from the Lamb Range were translocated to Mt Zero-Taravale Wildlife Sanctuary (Australian Wildlife Conservancy), a 950 ha area fenced to exclude mammal predators (Todd et al. 2023). This translocation has so far been successful- the animals are being monitored, are reproducing and the predator-proof fence remains secure against cat and dingo incursion.
 
A plan is in preparation to implement a 'genetic rescue' at Mt Spurgeon by introducing animals from Lamb Range, however this requires threats to be controlled at Mt Spurgeon (improved habitat condition and invasive animal control).