Eastern rabbit kangaroo
| Eastern rabbit kangaroo | ||||||||||||
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Eastern rabbit kangaroo ( Lagorchestes leporides ), |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Lagorchestes leporides | ||||||||||||
| ( Gould , 1841) |
The eastern rabbit kangaroo ( Lagorchestes leporides ) is an extinct species of marsupial from the kangaroo family (Macropodidae).
Like all lagorchestes it was a very small member of the kangaroo, reaching the size of a rabbit . Its fur was gray-brown on the upper side, the flanks were reddish and the underside was white. As with most kangaroos, the hind legs were significantly longer and stronger than the front legs and the tail was long and muscular.
The eastern rabbit kangaroos lived in southeastern Australia , their range included eastern South Australia , western New South Wales and northwestern Victoria . Their habitat were open grasslands.
The animals were relatively common until the middle of the 19th century, when the population began to decline. The main reasons for this were the conversion of their habitat into pastureland for sheep and cattle and the abolition of the traditional Aboriginal slash and burn , which had created a small-scale pattern of old and young vegetation and thus provided food and cover for the animals. The last specimen was seen in 1890.
In Europe the species was maintained in Berlin and Frankfurt.
supporting documents
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
Web links
- Lagorchestes leporides onthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . Retrieved May 18, 2009.