Black-flanked rock-wallaby

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Black-flanked rock-wallaby
Black-footed Rock-wallaby(small).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Diprotodontia
Family: Macropodidae
Genus: Petrogale
Species:
P. lateralis
Binomial name
Petrogale lateralis
(Gould, 1840) [3]
Black-flanked Rock Wallaby area.png
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 wallaby, one of several rock-wallabies in the genus Petrogale . A shy, nocturnal herbivore, its two main subspecies are found in mostly isolated populations across western and southern Western Australia (WA), the Northern Territory and parts of South Australia (SA). With some subspecies showing a decline in populations in recent years, the whole species is classed as an endangered species under the Commonwealth EPBC Act.

Contents

Taxonomy

The species, in the genus Petrogale, was first described by John Gould in 1842. [4] Subspecies include:

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. [7]

Petrogale lateralis purpureicollis (purple-necked rock-wallaby) by Le Souef in 1924 is given in some listings, [8] but this is now regarded as a distinct species. [4]

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. [9] 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. [5]

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. [5]

Behaviour

The black-flanked rock-wallaby is a rather shy nocturnal animal, and feeds at night on grasslands that are close to rocky areas for shelter. [5] [9]

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. [5]

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 granite outcrops, sandstone cliffs, scree slopes, and hummock grasses with a few trees and shrubs, and also near coastal limestone cliffs. P. lateralis lateralis lives across southern and western WA; P. lateralis hacketti lives on three islands of the Recherche Archipelago in southern WA; P. lateralis (western Kimberley race) is found only in the Edgar Range, Erskine Range, possibly the Grant Range and also nearby areas of the west Kimberley); P. lateralis (MacDonnell Ranges race) used to be widespread in central desert regions across the Northern Territory, SA and WA, but there has been a decline in both distribution and abundance. [5]

Conservation status

Illustration from Gould's Mammals of Australia, 1863 Petrogale lateralis - Gould.jpg
Illustration from Gould's Mammals of Australia, 1863

Predation by introduced foxes and feral cats, habitat damage caused by sheep, goats and rabbits, invasive species, climate change and alteration of fire regimes have caused the population to decline. Several sites where populations occur are protected, and a recovery plan is under way. Fox control has been established at several sites. [1]

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. [5]

Conservation measures

The populations in Western Australia are managed by the Western Australian Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, consisting of control of foxes and monitoring. [1]

The state government reported that there were just 50 animals left in the wild in South Australia in 2007. [12] In October 2007, 15 wallabies were moved into an open-range zoo which undertakes breeding programs for endangered species, Monarto Zoo. The animals came from the Pukatja/Ernabella area and another undisclosed location in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands. Work to monitor the species' survival was said to involve Aboriginal trackers and schoolchildren from Pukatja to help track the wallabies' movements. [13]

Previously widespread throughout the ranges of central Australia, the warru was as of July 2019 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. [14]

In August 2021, the federal government's National Indigenous Australians Agency, which had been funding the Warru Kaninytjaku Indigenous ranger program in the APY Lands for 10 years, announced that funding would continue for at least seven more years. The rangers manage two warru populations, in the Musgrave Ranges and Tomkinson Ranges, and have helped to build the numbers up from around 20 to hundreds. With new funding, the program included the Everard Ranges, which is important because multiple populations mean that if one is lost, warru from another population could be re-introduced from one of the others. [15] In August 2022, 25 warru that had been raised in the pintji, along with another 15 taken from a wild population, were released in the Everard Ranges, with tracking devices for monitoring by the rangers. These were the first warru to inhabit the area in around 60 years. [16]

Ecological and cultural significance

The warru is an important part of the local ecosystem, as its consumption of the native vegetation helps to regenerate it. In addition, it is an important symbol in Anangu mythology. [15]

Related Research Articles

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A wallaby is a small or middle-sized macropod native to Australia and New Guinea, with introduced populations in New Zealand, Hawaii, the United Kingdom and other countries. They belong to the same taxonomic family as kangaroos and sometimes the same genus, but kangaroos are specifically categorised into the four largest species of the family. The term "wallaby" is an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo or a wallaroo that has not been designated otherwise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brush-tailed rock-wallaby</span> Species of marsupial

The brush-tailed rock-wallaby or small-eared rock-wallaby is a kind of wallaby, one of several rock-wallabies in the genus Petrogale. It inhabits rock piles and cliff lines along the Great Dividing Range from about 100 km north-west of Brisbane to northern Victoria, in vegetation ranging from rainforest to dry sclerophyll forests. Populations have declined seriously in the south and west of its range, but it remains locally common in northern New South Wales and southern Queensland. However, due to a large bushfire event in South-East Australia around 70% of all the wallaby's habitat has been lost as of January 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Threatened fauna of Australia</span> Animals at risk of becoming extinct

Threatened fauna of Australia are those species and subspecies of birds, fish, frogs, insects, mammals, molluscs, crustaceans, and reptiles to be found in Australia that are in danger of becoming extinct. This article lists species classified as threatened species under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarto Safari Park</span> Open-range zoo in South Australia


Monarto Safari Park, formerly known as Monarto Zoological Park and Monarto Zoo, is a 1,500-hectare (3,700-acre) open-range zoo located in South Australia administered by the Royal Zoological Society of South Australia. By area, Monarto Safari Park is the largest zoo in Australia. It is located at Monarto, approximately 70 kilometres (43 mi) from Adelaide's centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yellow-footed rock-wallaby</span> Species of marsupial

The yellow-footed rock-wallaby, formerly known as the ring-tailed rock-wallaby, is a member of the macropod family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rock-wallaby</span> Genus of marsupials

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufous hare-wallaby</span> Species of marsupial

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Short-eared rock-wallaby</span> Species of marsupial

The short-eared rock-wallaby is a species of rock-wallaby found in northern Australia, in the northernmost parts of the Northern Territory and Western Australia. It is much larger than its three closest relatives, the eastern short-eared rock-wallaby, the nabarlek and the monjon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monjon</span> Species of marsupial

The monjon is the smallest species of rock-wallaby (Petrogale) in the family Macropodidae, found in northwestern Australia. They are restricted to a small area of the Kimberley in the state of Western Australia, and on nearby islands within the Bonaparte Archipelago. Common names also include Burbidge's rock-wallaby and Burbidge's rock-weasel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nabarlek</span> Species of marsupial

The nabarlek is a small species of macropod found in northern Australia. They are a shy and nocturnal animal that resides in rocky hollows and forages in the surrounding area. Their diet is grasses, sedges, and ferns found in and around their scrub covered refuges. They are distinguished by a reddish tinge to the mostly grey fur and a distinct stripe at the cheek. They move with great speed and agility when observed, with a forward leaning posture and a bushy tail that arches over the back.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proserpine rock-wallaby</span> Species of marsupial

The Proserpine rock-wallaby is a species of rock-wallaby restricted to a small area in Conway National Park, Dryander National Park, Gloucester Island National Park, and around the town of Airlie Beach, all in Whitsunday Shire in Queensland, Australia. The etymology of the name is from Greek mythology in the form of the tale of Persephone, or Proserpine to the Romans, as well as from the location they were discovered. With its mythological background, the name symbolizes the fortuitous finding of the species at the beginning of spring and the restoration of knowledge of the species to mankind. In 1992 the species was listed as Endangered under the Endangered Species Protection Act, and in 1999, the Proserpine rock-wallaby was once again listed as ‘Endangered’ under the Commonwealth Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC), which became effective on June 16th, 2000. It was most recently assessed by the IUCN in 2015 with it listing as endangered under criteria B1ab(iii,v).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rothschild's rock-wallaby</span> Species of marsupial

Rothschild's rock-wallaby – sometimes known as the Roebourne rock-wallaby, is a species of macropod found in Western Australia, in the Pilbara district and the Dampier Archipelago. It is not currently considered to be threatened, but is at risk from the red fox.

Pukatja is an Aboriginal community in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in South Australia, comprising one of the six main communities on "The Lands".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Recherche Archipelago</span> Group of 105 islands in southern Western Australia

The Archipelago of the Recherche, known locally as the Bay of Isles, is a group of 105 islands, and over 1200 "obstacles to shipping", off the south coast of Western Australia. The islands stretch 230 km (140 mi) from east to west and to 50 km (31 mi) off-shore encompassing an area of approximately 4,000 square kilometres (1,544 sq mi). The western group is near Esperance and the eastern group at Israelite Bay. They are located in coastal waters, part of which is designated the Recherche Archipelago Nature Reserve.

Buckaringa Sanctuary is a 20 km2 nature reserve in the southern Flinders Ranges of South Australia. It is 30 km north of the town of Quorn. It is owned and managed by the Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern short-eared rock-wallaby</span> Species of marsupial

The eastern short-eared rock-wallaby or Wilkins' rock-wallaby is a species of rock-wallaby found in the northernmost parts of the Northern Territory of Australia, and is common in the Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks. It was thought to be a subpopulation of the short-eared rock-wallaby Petrogale brachyotis found in the Kimberley, but recent genetic and morphological studies have shown it to be distinct. Wilkins' rock-wallaby is smaller, has more distinct grey/brown markings on its head and sides, and more colourful limbs than the western species.

Wadderin Sanctuary is a nature conservation project within the Shire of Narembeen in the eastern wheatbelt of Western Australia. It is about 290 kilometres (180 mi) east of Perth and 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) north of the town of Narembeen. Wadderin is surrounded by a fox- and cat-proof fence that was completed in early 2008. This has allowed the reintroduction of fauna that is uncommon or locally extinct in the wheatbelt, and includes species that are considered threatened at the national level.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Burbidge, A.A.; Woinarski, J. (2016). "Petrogale lateralis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T16751A21955343. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T16751A21955343.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 "Petrogale lateralis lateralis - Black-flanked Rock-wallaby, Moororong, Black-footed Rock Wallaby". Species Profile and Threats Database . Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, Australian Government. 24 August 2021. Archived from the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  3. "Petrogale lateralis (J. Gould, 1840)". ASM Mammal Diversity Database. American Society of Mammalogists . Retrieved 27 July 2024.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Groves, C. P. (2005). Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M. (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 68. ISBN   0-801-88221-4. OCLC   62265494.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Black-flanked Rock-wallaby Petrogale lateralis (Gould, 1842)" (PDF). Fauna profiles. Government of Western Australia. Department of Environment and Conservation. 24 October 2012.
  6. 1 2 Mark D. B. Eldridge & Sally Potter, 2020. “Taxonomy of rock-wallabies, Petrogale (Marsupialia: Macropodidae). V. A description of two new subspecies of the black-footed rock-wallaby (Petrogale lateralis),” Australian Journal of Zoology67 (1): 19–26.
  7. Elbridge, M. D. B., & Close, R. L. (1995). Strahan, R. ed. Mammals of Australia. Reed Books. pp. 377-381. ISBN   1-56098-673-5.
  8. "Vulnerable animals". Environmental Protection Agency. Queensland Government. Archived from the original on 21 March 2008. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  9. 1 2 Australian Geographic, October - December 2015, p. 75
  10. Mammals of Australia, Vol. II Plate 42, London, 1863
  11. "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)
  12. Gago, Gail (17 May 2007). "News: United effort to save rare wallaby". Premiers and Ministers of South Australia. South Australian Government. Archived from the original on 31 August 2007. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  13. Adelaide Advertiser, Monday, October 1, 2007, page 16
  14. Tucker, Alyssa-Jane (8 June 2017). "Safeguarding South Australia's most endangered mammal". Monarto Zoo. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  15. 1 2 Aeria, Gillian (23 August 2021). "APY rangers get funding boost for endangered black-footed rock wallaby conservation". ABC News. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  16. Alderson, Bethanie (7 September 2022). "Endangered wallabies return to Everard Ranges for first time in 60 years". ABC News. Retrieved 8 September 2022.