Rat kangaroos are members of the Potoroidae family, which belong to the group known as Kangaroos, and are completely different to the kangaroo rats of North America. The term "bettong" and/or "potoroo" are sometimes used interchangeably with the term "rat-kangaroo". Thus, there can be considered to be either one of two surviving species of rat-kangaroos:
- Rufous Rat-Kangaroo, also known as the Rufous Bettong or Woylie
- Musky Rat-Kangaroo
The Desert rat-kangaroo (also known as the Buff-nosed Rat-kangaroo or the Plains Rat-kangaroo) was another species. The last confirmed record of the Desert rat-kangaroo was in 1935 near Ooroowilanie, east of Lake Eyre, but some scientists believe that, as it is/was a very elusive creature it could still exist in the remote desert.