Black-flanked rock-wallaby
Black-flanked rock-wallaby | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
Order: | Diprotodontia |
Family: | Macropodidae |
Genus: | Petrogale |
Species: | P. lateralis
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Binomial name | |
Petrogale lateralis (Gould, 1842)
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Black-flanked rock-wallaby range (blue — native, pink — reintroduced) |
The black-flanked rock-wallaby (Petrogale lateralis), also known as the black-footed rock-wallaby or warru, is a species of
Taxonomy
The species, in the genus Petrogale, was first described by John Gould in 1842.[3] Subspecies include:
- Petrogale lateralis lateralis, or warru (the Western Desert Aboriginal name[4]
- Petrogale lateralis (MacDonnell Ranges race)[4]
- Petrogale lateralis (western Kimberley race)[4]
- Petrogale lateralis hacketti, or Recherche rock-wallaby on an island in the Recherche Archipelago[3]
- Petrogale lateralis pearsoni, or Pearson Island rock-wallaby[3]
The specimens obtained at the MacDonnell Ranges, and from the Western Kimberley, are distinct enough to be separate subspecies of the black-flanked rock-wallaby. These populations, and the recognised subspecies, are distinguished by chromosomal as well as morphological distinctions.[5]
Description
The black-flanked rock-wallaby is generally greyish-brown with a paler belly and chest, a dark stripe running from its head down its spine, and it has a dark tail and feet.[7] Colours may vary slightly among subspecies. It has short, thick, woolly fur that is particularly dense around the base of the tail, rump and flanks. Its long tail, useful for balancing in rocky terrain, is tipped with a brush.[4]
Because most of its water comes from its diet, it rarely drinks and can conserve water by taking refuge from the heat in rocky caves.[4]
Behaviour
The black-flanked rock-wallaby is a rather shy
It lives in groups of 10–100 individuals,[citation needed] and form lifelong pair bonds, although females will mate with other males. They reach sexual maturity at one to two years old, but breeding cycles respond to seasonal rainfall. The species features embryonic diapause, where the embryo's development enters a state of dormancy until environmental conditions are suitable.[4]
The gestation period lasts around 30 days, and like other young marsupials, the young are poorly developed and suckle inside the mother's pouch until they are ready to leave. Unlike other kangaroos and wallabies, mothers leave their young in a sheltered place while they feed.[citation needed]
Distribution and habitat
In Western Australia, the wallaby lives in mountainous areas with
Conservation status
Predation by
Petrogale lateralis lateralis has suffered the worst decline of population, while Petrogale lateralis hacketti and Petrogale lateralis (western Kimberley race) had had no recorded decline in Western Australia by 2012.[4]
- IUCN: On the IUCN Red List, it is listed as Vulnerable (last assessed 2014).[1]
- EPBC Act in 2009,[9] since 7 December 2016 and as of 2021[update] the wallaby is classed as endangered (including all subspecies[1]). It was also determined that it requires a recovery plan.[2]
- Government of Western Australia: Classed as endangered under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016 (WA).[2]
Conservation measures
The populations in Western Australia are managed by the Western Australian
The
Previously widespread throughout the ranges of central Australia, the warru was as of July 2019[update] South Australia's most endangered mammal, primarily due to predation by foxes and feral cats. However Monarto has had some success in breeding the wallabies, and has helped to establish a viable population (22) of the wallabies in a 1 square kilometre (0.39 sq mi) fenced area, known as the Pintji, in the APY lands. In June 2017 Monarto announced that 25 of the population bred at Pintji, along with 15 others, had been released into the wild. These will be monitored and feral animal control measures are in place.[12]
In August 2021, the federal government's
Ecological and cultural significance
The warru is an important part of the local
References
- ^ . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ Species Profile and Threats Database. Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Australian Government. 24 August 2021. Archivedfrom the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
- ^ OCLC 62265494.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Black-flanked Rock-wallaby Petrogale lateralis (Gould, 1842)" (PDF). Fauna profiles. Government of Western Australia. Department of Environment and Conservation. 24 October 2012.
- ISBN 1-56098-673-5.
- ^ "Vulnerable animals". Environmental Protection Agency. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 21 March 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
- ^ a b Australian Geographic, October - December 2015, p. 75
- ^ Mammals of Australia, Vol. II Plate 42, London, 1863
- ^ "Petrogale lateralis lateralis - Black-flanked Rock-wallaby". Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. Archived from the original on 12 November 2009. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link) - South Australian Government. Archived from the originalon 31 August 2007. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
- ^ Adelaide Advertiser, Monday, October 1, 2007, page 16
- ^ Tucker, Alyssa-Jane (8 June 2017). "Safeguarding South Australia's most endangered mammal". Monarto Zoo. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
- ^ a b Aeria, Gillian (23 August 2021). "APY rangers get funding boost for endangered black-footed rock wallaby conservation". ABC News. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
- ^ Alderson, Bethanie (7 September 2022). "Endangered wallabies return to Everard Ranges for first time in 60 years". ABC News. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
- Media related to Petrogale lateralis at Wikimedia Commons
- Data related to Petrogale lateralis at Wikispecies