Western grey kangaroo

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Western grey kangaroo[1]
Male
Female with joey

Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[2]

Delisted (
ESA)[3]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Diprotodontia
Family: Macropodidae
Genus: Macropus
Species:
M. fuliginosus
Binomial name
Macropus fuliginosus
Desmarest, 1817
Western grey kangaroo range

The western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus), also referred to as a western grey giant kangaroo, black-faced kangaroo, mallee kangaroo, sooty kangaroo and (when referring to the

Victoria, and in the entire Murray–Darling basin in New South Wales and Queensland
.

Taxonomy

Long known to the

Paris Museum of Natural History recognized that these animals were indeed distinct from the eastern grey kangaroo and formally described the species as Macropus fuliginosus in 1817. For reasons that remain unclear, the species was, later in 1888, incorrectly described as native to Tasmania.[6] It was not until 1924 that researchers realized that the "forester kangaroo" of Tasmania was in fact Macropus giganteus, the same eastern grey kangaroo that was, and still is, widespread in the southeastern part of the mainland, and reaffirmed Kangaroo Island as the source of the type specimens.[5][6] By 1971, it was understood that the Kangaroo Island western grey kangaroo belonged to the same species as the kangaroos of southern and Western Australia, and that this population extended through much of the eastern part of the continent as well (see range map). For a time, three subspecies were described, two on the mainland and one on Kangaroo Island. The current classification scheme emerged in the 1990s.[citation needed
]

The western grey kangaroo is not found in the north or the far southeast of Australia, and the eastern grey does not extend beyond the New South Wales–South Australia border, but the two species are both common in the Murray–Darling basin area. They never interbreed in the wild, although it has proved possible to produce hybrids between eastern grey females and western grey males in captivity.

Subspecies

There are two subspecies:

Description

The western grey kangaroo is one of the largest macropods in Australia. It weighs 28–54 kg (62–120 lb) and its length is 0.84–1.1 m (2 ft 9 in – 3 ft 7 in) with a 0.80–1.0 m (2 ft 7 in – 3 ft 3 in) tail, standing approximately 1.3 m (4 ft 3 in) tall.[7] It exhibits sexual dimorphism with the male up to twice the size of female. It has thick, coarse fur with colour ranging from pale grey to brown; its throat, chest and belly have a paler colour.[8]

This species is difficult to distinguish from its sibling species, the eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus). However, the western grey kangaroo has darker grey-brown fur, darker colouration around the head, and sometimes has a blackish patch around the elbow.[9]

Ecology and behaviour

A mother with a joey photographed at the Donnelly Mills in Western Australia

Diet

It feeds at night, mainly on grasses and forbs but also on leafy shrubs and low trees.[10] It has a nickname "stinker" because mature males have a distinctive curry-like odour.[11]

Thermoregulation

The western grey kangaroo is a nocturnal species that varies its core body temperature based on daily ambient temperatures. The kangaroo's lowest daily core body temperature occurs mid-morning. In the summer, this was 2.2 °C (4 °F) lower than during cooler spring days.[12] This reduced summer body temperature is thought to allow the species to conserve energy during a time when food availability is low.

Reproduction and development

A female suckling her joey at the Darling range in Western Australia

The western grey kangaroo lives in groups of up to 15, and the males compete for females during the breeding season.

gestation period is 30–31 days, after which the incompletely developed fetus (referred to as a joey) attaches to the teat in the pouch for 130–150 days.[8] Females reach sexual maturity at 17 months while males mature at around 20 months.[13]

The western grey kangaroo is closely related to the eastern grey kangaroo (M. giganteus), and their distribution overlaps extensively, especially in the Murray–Darling basin. However, the two species interbreed only rarely in the wild. Although hybridisation occurs in both directions in the overlap zone between the two species, this does not seem to be the case with captive animals. Although interbreeding between the two species does occasionally occur in captive animals, viable offspring are only produced when the mating pair consists of a female eastern grey kangaroo and a male western grey kangaroo. This is an example of unidirectional hybridisation.[14]

Relationship with humans

The western grey kangaroo is classified as

Least Concern by the IUCN Red List, with a population showing an increasing trend.[2][15] Total population within the commercial harvest areas is estimated to be around 3,781,023 individuals in 2020.[16]

Though the feeding habits of M. fuliginosus can be problematic for agriculture, it is protected and controlled exclusively by the state faunal authorities.[13] Because it is considered a competitor for water and pasture by ranchers, this species is considered a pest in some areas. To limit agricultural damage, kangaroo culling has been allowed under license every year.[15]

Commercial hunting for meat and skin also allowed under regulation, with skins providing a high-quality, long-lasting leather. About 40% of harvested meat is used for human consumption; leather is used as a material for handbags, briefcases, and belts.[15]

Commercial hunting is permitted in New South Wales, mainland South Australia, and Western Australia, but prohibited in Tasmania, Northern Territory and Kangaroo Island.[15]

References

  1. OCLC 62265494
    .
  2. ^ . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  3. ^ https://ecos.fws.gov/ecp0/profile/speciesProfile?sId=6981[dead link]
  4. ^ "Western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus)". ARKive. Bristol, United Kingdom: Wildscreen. 2015. Archived from the original on 2013-12-22. Retrieved 2013-12-13.
  5. ^
    ISSN 0370-2774
    .
  6. ^ . Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  7. ^ Menkhorst, P & Knight, F 2001, A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia, Oxford University Press, Melbourne.
  8. ^ .
  9. .
  10. ^ "Macropus fuliginosus (Western gray kangaroo)". Animal Diversity Web.
  11. ^ "Guide to the kangaroos of Fowlers Gap" (PDF). The University of New South Wales. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-07-19. Retrieved 2008-07-19.
  12. S2CID 10638660
    . Retrieved 2022-12-12.
  13. ^ a b c "Western gray kangaroo". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 2007-02-25.
  14. .
  15. ^ a b c d "Western Gray Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus) Fact Sheet: Summary". San Diego Zoo Global Library. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  16. ^ "Macropod quotas and harvest for commercial harvest areas in NSW, QLD, SA and WA - 2020" (PDF). Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. Australian Government. Retrieved 5 December 2022.