| Mareeba rock-wallaby [1] | |
|---|---|
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| Mareeba rock-wallaby with joey | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Diprotodontia |
| Family: | Macropodidae |
| Genus: | Petrogale |
| Species: | P. mareeba |
| Binomial name | |
| Petrogale mareeba | |
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| Mareeba rock-wallaby range (brown), within Australia | |
The Mareeba rock-wallaby (Petrogale mareeba) is a rare species of rock-wallaby found around Mareeba in northeastern Queensland, Australia.
The Mareeba rock-wallaby is a member of a group of seven very closely related species within the genus Petrogale , which also includes the Cape York rock-wallaby (P. coenensis), the unadorned rock-wallaby (P. inornata) and the allied rock-wallaby (P. assimilis). It was only identified as a separate species in 1992.[ citation needed ] Both the common name and the Latin specific epithet reflect the distribution of this species around the settlement of Mareeba.
The Mareeba rock-wallaby is a rare species, found in the highlands west of Cairns from around Mount Garnet to the Mitchell River and Mount Carbine, and inland to Mungana, [3] but only on the tops of a couple of mountain ranges.[ citation needed ] The animals can be seen in their natural habitat in the Granite Gorge Nature Park, about 60 kilometres (37 mi) inland from Cairns. [4]
Although rare, and a near-threatened species under IUCN classification, [2] the animal is classed as one of "Least concern" under Queenland's Nature Conservation Act 1992 . [5]
After a huge fire raged through the Yourka Reserve near Einasleigh, run by Bush Heritage Australia in December 2019, part of the 2019–2020 bushfires in Australia, it was feared that the rock-wallaby population might not survive. However, it was found that the population was thriving, with several new joeys spotted in their mothers' pouches, using motion-sensing cameras. Reserve manager Paul Hales said that they had been conducting cool burns for years to reduce dense tree foliage, which had prevented the growth of native grasses such as cockatoo grass and kangaroo grass. Still, the December fire had helped to thin out the trees even more, "with daylight reaching the ground for the first time in 25 years". The renewed growth would help to support the survival of the ground-dwelling native animals. [6]
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.
Macropodidae is a family of marsupials that includes kangaroos, wallabies, tree-kangaroos, wallaroos, pademelons, quokkas, and several other groups. These genera are allied to the suborder Macropodiformes, containing other macropods, and are native to the Australian continent, New Guinea and nearby islands.
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.
The yellow-footed rock-wallaby, formerly known as the ring-tailed rock-wallaby, is a member of the macropod family.
The black-flanked rock-wallaby, 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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
The allied rock-wallaby or Weasel rock-wallaby is a species of rock-wallaby found in northeastern Queensland, Australia. It forms part of the P. lateralis/penicillata species complex and is very similar to six other species of rock-wallaby found in this area; these include the Cape York rock-wallaby (P. coenensis), the unadorned rock-wallaby (P. inornata), the Herbert's rock-wallaby (P. herberti), the Godman's rock-wallaby (P. godmani), the Mareeba rock-wallaby (P. mareeba) and the Mount Claro rock-wallaby (P. sharmani).
The Cape York rock-wallaby is a species of rock-wallaby restricted to Cape York Peninsula in northeastern Queensland, Australia. It is a member of a group of seven very closely related rock-wallabies, all found in northeastern Queensland, also including the Mount Claro rock-wallaby (P. sharmani), the Mareeba rock-wallaby (P. mareeba) and Godman's rock-wallaby (P. godmani).
Herbert's rock-wallaby is a member of a group of seven very closely related rock-wallabies found in northeastern Queensland, Australia. Herbert's is the most southerly and most widespread of the group.
The unadorned rock-wallaby is a member of a group of closely related rock-wallabies found in northeastern Queensland, Australia. It is paler than most of its relatives and even plainer, hence its common name.
The Mount Claro rock-wallaby, also known as Sharman's rock-wallaby, is a species of rock-wallaby found in northeastern Queensland, Australia. It is a member of a group of seven very closely related species also including Godman's rock-wallaby and Herbert's rock-wallaby.
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).
Yourka Reserve is a 43,500–hectare nature reserve in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is a former cattle station in the Einasleigh Uplands bioregion on the western edge of the Wet Tropics of Queensland World Heritage Site, 130 km south of Cairns, with the nearest town being Ravenshoe. It is owned and managed by Bush Heritage Australia (BHA), by which it was purchased in 2007.
The Einasleigh Uplands is an interim Australian bioregion, with vegetation consisting of savanna and woodland located on a large plateau in inland Queensland, Australia. It corresponds to the Einasleigh Uplands savanna ecoregion, as identified by the World Wildlife Fund.
The Kangaroo River Nature Reserve, part of the Kangaroo Valley Group of Nature Reserves, is a protected nature reserve that is located on the floor of the Kangaroo Valley in the Southern Highlands and South Coast regions of New South Wales in eastern Australia. The reserve is situated approximately 150 kilometres (93 mi) south of Sydney, 50 kilometres (31 mi) southwest of Wollongong and 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) northwest of Nowra. The reserve has a protective covenant placed upon it with purpose to ensure the protection of the natural heritage of this area. National parks in the area include the Morton National Park and the Budderoo National Park. Other nature reserves in the area include the Barren Grounds Nature Reserve, and the Cambewarra Range, Barrengarry and Rodway nature reserves – the latter three part of the Kangaroo Valley Group of Nature Reserves.
