yellow-footed |
yellow-footed |
yellow-footed |
yellow-footed |
yellow-footed |
yellow-footed |
Click on the image to see a larger version.
|
yellow-footed |
||
| Common Name: | Yellow-footed Rock-Wallaby | ||||||||||||||||
| Scientific Name: | Petrogale xanthopus | ||||||||||||||||
| Family: | Macropodidae | ||||||||||||||||
| Colour: | This wallaby is very colourful. Above, it base colour is fawn-grey while below is white. Its tail has alternate rings of brown and yellow. A rich brown stripe runs from the head to the back. It has a distinctive white cheek stripe. |
||||||||||||||||
| Form: | The Yellow-footed Rock-Wallaby is medium-sized, with a cylindrical ringed tail. It has large, furry ears. Its fur is long, soft and silky. | ||||||||||||||||
| Distribution: | The Yellow-footed Rock-Wallaby is found in the Gawler and Flinders Ranges of South Australia, near Broken Hill and Mootwingee and north-western New South Wales, extrnding to the Grey Range in south-western Queensland. | ||||||||||||||||
| Habitat: | The Yellow-footed Rock-Wallaby is found on rocky outcrops and ranges in arid country. It needs some access to water soaks. | ||||||||||||||||
| Nests: | The Yellow-footed Rock-Wallaby shelters in caves in rocky areas. | ||||||||||||||||
| Food: | The Yellow-footed Rock-Wallaby eats grass, forbs, browse and herbs. During drought it becomes more dependant upon browse. | ||||||||||||||||
| Predators: | The Yellow-footed Rock-Wallaby is hunted by Wedge-tailed Eagles and probably foxes and dingos. | ||||||||||||||||
| Human Influence: | In the late 19th century the Yellow-footed Rock-Wallaby was hunted for its colourful pelts for the fur trade. It soon became very rare and was threatened with extinction. Now it is strictly protected. It competes for food with feral goats, so Faunal Authorities have extensive goat culling programmes where Yellow-footed Rock-Wallabies are found. | ||||||||||||||||
| Abundance: | The Yellow-footed Rock-Wallaby is now common in some areas, but its range is quite restricted. | ||||||||||||||||
| Features: | The Yellow-footed Rock-Wallaby is crespuscular, coming out at dusk and dawn to feed. It is gregarious. It shelters in caves and rock clefts. It is often seen sunning itself on a cliff ledge. If disturbed, it an agile rock leaper. |
||||||||||||||||
| Measurements: |
|
||||||||||||||||
| Breeding: |
|
||||||||||||||||
Students and teachers may use the images and information on this website for their projects if they reference the source keithdavey.com.au (c) 2005 |
|||||||||||||||||
webpage produced by Keith Davey 01-01-05 contact keith@keithdavey.com.au with comments |
