Yellow-footed rock-wallaby

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Yellow-footed rock-wallaby [1]
Petrogale xanthopus - Monarto 1.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. xanthopus
Binomial name
Petrogale xanthopus
J. E. Gray, 1855
Yellowfooted RockWallaby IUCN Range.png
Distribution of the yellow-footed rock-wallaby

The yellow-footed rock-wallaby (Petrogale xanthopus), formerly known as the ring-tailed rock-wallaby, is a member of the macropod family (the marsupial family that includes the kangaroos, wallabies, tree-kangaroos, and wallaroos).

Contents

Description

The yellow-footed rock-wallaby is grey to fawn-grey above and light-coloured below with a black mid-dorsal stripe from the crown of the head to the centre of the back. There is a distinct white cheek stripe, with ears ranging in colour from orange to grey-brown. The forearms and hind legs are bright yellow to rich orange to a light orange-brown. The tail is orange-brown irregularly ringed with dark brown and golden-brown, with the colour of the tip variable from dark brown to white. The head and body length is 480–650 mm (usually 600 mm), with tail length 570–700 mm (usually 690 mm), and weight 6–11 kg. [3] [4] [5]

Distribution and habitat

This species of rock-wallaby is found in western New South Wales, eastern South Australia and isolated portions of Queensland. [2] [3] [4] [5] It is not typically found near human habitation, instead preferring rough terrain and rock outcroppings. [2] [3] [4] [5]

Subspecies

There are two recognised subspecies. [1] There are no observable differences between the two subspecies, but genetic analysis of DNA samples from the different populations found them to be genetically distinct. [6] The genetic divergence between the subspecies is greater than that between some other rock-wallaby species, reinforcing the subspecies status. [6]

The two subspecies are:

P. x. xanthopus

P. x. xanthopus is listed as vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 by the Australian government. [3] [7] Colonies persist in South Australia, within the Gawler Ranges, the Flinders Ranges and the Olary Ranges. [3] The population is SA is estimated at 2,000 to 6,500 animals, with great uncertainty and likely large fluctuations. [7] [8] Due to conservation efforts by sanctuaries in the Flinders Ranges [9] [10] and pastoralists in the Olary Ranges, [11] populations there have increased in recent years.

In NSW, colonies have been found at three sites in the Gap Range and seven sites in the Coturaundee Range, [3] with a population of between 170 and 215 animals. [7] Threats include competition from introduced herbivores (in particular feral goats and rabbits), predation by foxes and feral cats, isolation of populations, and habitat destruction through mineral exploration. [3]

P. x. celeris

P. x. celeris is listed as vulnerable under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 by the Australian government. [4] It has a restricted distribution in the rocky ranges of central-western Queensland. [4] Threats include fox predation, competition with domestic and wild introduced species (particularly goats and cattle), climate change, reduced access to water sources, habitat loss and fragmentation, and increase in bushfires. [4] The population of P. x. celeris was estimated to be 5,000-10,000 individuals in 1993, but is now considered unknown. [12] [13]

Conservation

Previously the species has been killed in large numbers for its pelt, primarily through the period between the 1880s and 1920s. [14] [5] [7]

The yellow-footed rock-wallaby was originally known and described from specimens from South Australia. The species was subsequently discovered in New South Wales (and Queensland) where it was first recorded in 1964 [15] [16] in the Coturaundee Ranges, now part of Mutawintji National Park. [17] The two small mountain ranges in the far west of the state are still the only known places where the species survives in New South Wales. [3]

In 1968, the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary was established on the 610-square-kilometre (240 sq mi) Arkaroola pastoral lease, with a specific goal of protecting the yellow footed rock wallaby. Conservation activities include extensive fox baiting, and the control of feral cats and goats, as well as occasional hand-rearing of abandoned joeys. [18] [10] [19]

In 1979, the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife purchased 100 square kilometres of this land, which then became Coturaundee Nature Reserve, for the conservation and protection of the yellow-footed rock-wallaby. [17] Further funds were allocated to fox and goat eradication. [7] [14] Annual surveys of the area, which is now part of Mutawintji National Park, indicate that the population is now recovering, seemingly having grown progressively since 1995, with at least one large fluctuation due to rainfall changes noted. [8] The recovery strategy that saved the yellow-footed rock-wallaby initially served as a model to preserve other rock-wallabies, including the brush-tailed rock-wallaby, from extinction. [5]

From 1998, when the first Indigenous Protected Area was set up adjacent to the southern boundary of the Gammon Ranges National Park, near Nepabunna, the Adnyamathanha people have been helping to protect the rock wallaby at Nantawarrina IPA. The Adnyamathanha people call the animal andu. [20] [21] [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wallaby</span> Macropods of Australia and New Guinea

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">Goobang National Park</span> Protected area in New South Wales, Australia

Goobang is a national park located in New South Wales, Australia, 296 kilometres (184 mi) northwest of Sydney. It protects the largest remnant forest and woodland in the central west region of the state, where interior and coastal New South Wales flora and fauna species overlap. Originally named Herveys Range by John Oxley in 1817, the area was reserved in 1897 as state forest because of its importance as a timber resource, and was designated a national park in 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mutawintji National Park</span> Protected area in New South Wales, Australia

The Mutawintji National Park, formerly the Mootwingee National Park, is a protected national park that is located in the Far West region of New South Wales, in eastern Australia. The 68,912-hectare (170,290-acre) national park is situated approximately 880 kilometres (550 mi) west of Sydney and about 130 kilometres (81 mi) north-east of Broken Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ikara–Flinders Ranges National Park</span> Protected area in South Australia

The Ikara–Flinders Ranges National Park, formerly Flinders Ranges National Park, is a national park situated approximately 430 km (270 mi) north of Adelaide. It lies northeast of the small town of Hawker, in the northern central part of South Australia's largest mountain range, the Flinders Ranges, and covers an area of 95,000 ha (370 sq mi) between Hawker and Blinman. It is known for the land formation known as Wilpena Pound, while other well-known features include the Heysen Range and the Brachina and Bunyeroo gorges. The Heysen Trail and Mawson Trail pass through the park.

<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">Flinders Ranges</span> Mountain range in South Australia

The Flinders Ranges are the largest mountain ranges in South Australia, which starts about 200 km (125 mi) north of Adelaide. The ranges stretch for over 430 km (265 mi) from Port Pirie to Lake Callabonna.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park</span> Protected area in South Australia

The Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park is a protected area in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia, immediately south-west of and adjacent to the Arkaroola Protection Area. They encompass some of the most rugged and spectacular country in South Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arkaroola</span> Town in South Australia

Arkaroola is the common name for the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, a wildlife sanctuary situated on 610 square kilometres of freehold and pastoral lease land in South Australia. It is located 700 kilometres north of the Adelaide city centre in the Northern Flinders Ranges, adjacent to the Vulkathunha-Gammon Ranges National Park and the Mawson Plateau. The most common way to get there is by car, but air travel can be chartered from Parafield Airport, Adelaide Airport or Aldinga Airfield. It was used as a location set for the 2002 film The Tracker.

Leigh Creek is a former coal-mining town in eastern central South Australia. At the 2016 census, Leigh Creek had a population of 245, a 55% decrease from 550 in the previous census in 2011.

<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">Black-flanked rock-wallaby</span> Species of marsupial

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.

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

The rock-wallabies are the wallabies of the genus Petrogale.

<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">Allied rock-wallaby</span> Species of marsupial

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, the unadorned rock-wallaby, the Herbert's rock-wallaby, the Godman's rock-wallaby, the Mareeba rock-wallaby and the Mount Claro 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).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tirari–Sturt stony desert</span>

The Tirari–Sturt stony desert is a deserts and xeric shrublands ecoregion in central Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feral goats in Australia</span>

Feral goats are an invasive animal species in Australia. First arriving in the 18th century with European settlers, feral goat populations originated from escaped domestic individuals. Today, feral goats are found across Australia, where they cause economic and environmental damage through overgrazing and competition with livestock and native marsupials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yapunyah waterhole</span>

Yapunyah Waterhole lies in the Mulga Lands bioregion of western Queensland. The waterhole is about two kilometres long and covers approximately 22 hectares when full. It is defined as a permanent waterhole in a region where permanent waterholes are extremely rare and therefore provide important refuges for aquatic plants and animals. These rare waterholes were also vital for Aboriginal people and provided both spiritual and physical nourishment.

Aroona Sanctuary is a private protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located in the gazetted localities of Leigh Creek and Puttapa and whose north-western boundary is within 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) of the locality's town centre.

References

  1. 1 2 Groves, C. P. (2005). "Petrogale xanthopus". In Wilson, D. E.; Reeder, D. M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 69. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  2. 1 2 3 Copley, P.; Ellis, M.; van Weenen, J. (2016). "Petrogale xanthopus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T16750A21955455. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T16750A21955455.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Approved Conservation Advice for Petrogale xanthopus xanthopus (Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby (SA and NSW))" (PDF). Department of the Environment and Energy. Australian Government. 26 March 2008. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Threatened Species Scientific Committee (5 May 2016). "Conservation Advice Petrogale xanthopus celeris yellow-footed rock-wallaby (central-western Queensland)" (PDF). Department of the Environment and Energy. Australian Government. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Threatened Species Unit (September 1999). "Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby" (PDF). Office of Environment and Heritage. NSW Government. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  6. 1 2 Eldridge, M.D.B. (1997). "Restriction Analysis of Mitochondrial DNA from the Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby, Petrogale xanthopus: Implications for management". Wildlife Research. 24 (3): 289–294. doi:10.1071/WR96045 – via CSIRO publishing.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Petrogale xanthopus xanthopus — Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby (SA and NSW)". Species Profile and Threats Database. Department of the Environment, Canberra. 2017. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  8. 1 2 "Petrogale xanthopus xanthopus (yellow-footed rock-wallaby (South Australia, New South Wales))". Department of Environment. Australian Government. 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
  9. ↑ Yellow-footed rock-wallaby recovery in the Flinders and Olary Ranges, South Australia 'Assessment of Australia's Terrestrial Biodiversity 2008'. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  10. 1 2 The Arkaroola Policy regarding visiting the Sanctuary with a Dog Sprigg, M., Arkaroola Sanctuary. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  11. ↑ Pastoralists bring yellow-footed rock wallaby back from the brink in South Australia's arid lands ABC Rural, 29 May 2017. Retrieved 29 May 2017.
  12. ↑ Gordon, G. (July 1993). "The conservation status of the yellow-footed rock-wallaby in Queensland". Oryx. 27 (3): 159–168. doi: 10.1017/S0030605300027964 – via ResearchGate.
  13. ↑ "The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 2019-11-05.
  14. 1 2 Maxwell, S.; Burbidge, A. A.; Morris, K. (1996). "Recovery Outline Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby (SA+NSW)". The 1996 Action Plan for Australian Marsupials and Monotremes. Gland, Switzerland: IUCN Species Survival Commission.
  15. ↑ Yellow-footed rock-wallaby (Department of Environment and Resource Management) QLD, Australia, ...Within this range the rock-wallabies live in a number of colonies in Idalia, Welford and Hell Hole Gorge National Parks, and also on private land...
  16. ↑ Ford, Fred (1 October 2014). John Gould's Extinct and Endangered Mammals of Australia. Canberra: National Library of Australia. p. 192. ISBN   9780642278616.
  17. 1 2 "from 5000 BC to present day at Mutawintji National Park". Teaching Heritage. NSW Department of Education and Training. 1999. Retrieved 7 January 2016.
  18. ↑ History of Arkaroola Arkaroola Sanctuary. Accessed 17 July 2018.
  19. ↑ Wallaby with Doug Sprigg ABC News. Accessed 17 July 2018.
  20. ↑ "Nantawarrina, the first IPA in Australia". indigenous.gov.au. 23 August 2018.
  21. ↑ Braham, Kate (2007). Creating Livelihoods Through Indigenous Protected Areas: The Nantawarrina Experience (PDF) (BEnvMgmt (Hons) thesis). Flinders University. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
  22. ↑ "Nantawarrina". Nepabunna. Retrieved 13 November 2020.
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