Rock kangaroos

Rock kangaroos
Yellow-footed rock kangaroo ( Petrogale xanthopus )
Systematics
Subclass : Marsupials (Marsupialia) Superordinate : Australidelphia Order : Diprotodontia Family : Kangaroos (Macropodidae) Subfamily : Macropodinae Genre : Rock kangaroos
Scientific name
Petrogale
Gray , 1837

Short-eared rock kangaroo ( Petrogale brachyotis )

Black paw rock kangaroo
( Petrogale lateralis )

The rock kangaroos ( Petrogale ), English rock wallabies , are a genus of the kangaroo family (Macropodidae). With 17 species they are among the most species-rich genera in this family.

General

Rock kangaroos inhabit mountainous regions in northwest, east, and southeast Australia , but not Tasmania . They are medium-sized kangaroos, with the exception of the dwarf stone kangaroo, all species reach a body length (without tail) of 50 to 80 centimeters and a weight of 3 to 9 kilograms. Stripes or patterns on their bodies are characteristic of many species.

Rock kangaroos are nocturnal and spend the day hidden in caves or crevices. They are excellent climbers, with well-developed pads on their hind feet. The long and bushy tails serve less as a support than as a balancing aid during their over four meter wide jumps over rock crevices. Like all kangaroos, they are herbivores, but very frugal: in an emergency they also feed on tree bark or roots.

In contrast to other smaller species of the kangaroo family, they are less threatened and in some cases still widespread, perhaps because their rocky habitats are inaccessible to rabbits, sheep and other introduced food competitors.

The species

There are 17 species, which can be divided into three groups of species:

• brachyotis group
  • The short-eared rock kangaroo ( P. brachyotis ) lives in northwestern Australia . It is characterized by the strikingly short ears.
  • The Kimberley rock kangaroo ( P. burbidgei ) is the second smallest species after the dwarf rock kangaroo . It lives in the Kimberley plateau in Western Australia .
  • The dwarf stone kangaroo ( P. concinna ) is the smallest species. It is only 30 cm long (without tail), weighs 1 to 2 kg and lives in the north-west of Australia. It is sometimes classified in the genus Peradorcas .
  • The Wilkins rock kangaroo ( Petrogale wilkinsi ) was only recognized as a separate species at the end of 2014.
• xanthopus group
  • The Proserpine rock kangaroo ( P. persephone ) is the most threatened species. It only lives in a small area on the Queensland coast and is listed as threatened by the IUCN .
  • The Rothschild rock kangaroo ( P. rothschildi ) lives in northwestern Western Australia.
  • The yellow-footed rock kangaroo ( P. xanthopus ) is the most beautiful of all kangaroos with its gray, white and brown patterned fur and the ringed tail. Due to hunting, it became extinct in part of its range, protective measures have led to a recovery of the population. Yellow-footed rock kangaroos inhabit southeast Australia.
• lateralis / penicillata group
  • The variable rock kangaroo ( Petrogale assimilis ) is native to northern Queensland .
  • The Cape York rock kangaroo ( P. coenensis ) is only known from three locations on the Cape York Peninsula . It should be a very rare species.
  • The Godman rock kangaroo ( P. godmani ) is found in the east of the Cape York Peninsula.
  • The Herbert rock kangaroo ( P. herberti ) is native to southeast Queensland.
  • The Queensland rock kangaroo ( P. inornata ) is characterized by a uniform gray coat. It lives in eastern Queensland.
  • The black paw rock kangaroo ( P. lateralis ) is distributed over almost all of Australia.
  • The Mareeba rock kangaroo ( P. mareeba ) only lives near the town of Mareeba in northern Queensland.
  • The brush- tailed rock kangaroo ( P. pennicillata ) lives in several small areas spread across Australia. A small group, descended from escaped specimens, lives wild on the Hawaiian island of Oahu .
  • The purple-naped rock kangaroo ( P. purpureicollis ), whose systematic position has long been disputed, is characterized by its striking neck color.
  • The Sharman rock kangaroo ( P. sharmani ) lives in an area of ​​only 2000 km² on the coast of Queensland.

literature

• Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 ISBN 0-8018-5789-9
• DE Wilson, DM Reeder: Mammal Species of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 2005. ISBN 0-8018-8221-4

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Potter S., Close RL, Taggart DA, Cooper SJB and Eldridge MDB 2014. Taxonomy of Rock-Wallabies, Petrogale (Marsupialia: Macropodidae). IV. Multifaceted Study of the brachyotis group identifies additional taxa. Australian Journal of Zoology. 62 (5) 401-414. doi: 10.1071 / ZO13095

Web links

Commons : Rock Kangaroos ( Petrogals )  - Collection of images, videos and audio files