Petrogale brachyotis (Gould, 1841)

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2015, Macropodidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 630-735 : 709

26.

Short-eared Rock Wallaby

Petrogale brachyotis

French: Wallaby a oreilles courtes / German: Kurzohr-Felskanguru / Spanish: Ualabi rupestre de orejas cortas

Other common names: Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby, Short-eared Rock-wallaby, Western Short-eared Rock Wallaby

Taxonomy. Macropus (Petrogale) brachyotis Gould, 1841 ,

“ Swan River ” (= Hanover Bay, north-western Australia).

A member of the brachyotis species group which also includes P. wilkinsi , P. burbidge:, and P. concinna . Formerly included eastern and central Northern Territory populations, but these reinstated as a distinct species ( P. wilkinsi ) in 2014. Deep genetic divisions exist between the two subspecies and across the Kimberly, suggesting that populations may represent distinct species; further investigation required. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

P.b.brachyotisGould,1841—Kimberley(includingKoolanI),inNWAustralia,EtoVictoriaRiver,inNWNorthernTerritory.

P. b. victoriae Potter et al., 2014 — between the Victoria and Daly Rivers, in NW Northern Territory.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 44.4-51.7 cm (males) and 46.1-48.2 cm (females), tail 40.5-56.5 cm (males) and 37-51 cm (females); weight 3.3-6 kg (males) and 2.9-5 kg (females). Light gray to gray-brown dorsally (occasionally reddish), white to pale gray ventrally. Indistinct dark brown mid-dorsal stripe from forehead to shoulders in some specimens; light gray shoulder stripe behind dark axillary patch; side stripe absent, faint hip stripe occasionally present. Limbs same color as body or lighter. Face similar in color to head/shoulders or darker. Ears less than half-length of head and uniformly colored. Tail same color as body dorsally, darkens (brown to black) distally, with slight terminal brush in some specimens. P. b. victoriae is paler and lacks distinct lateral and dorsal markings. Diploid chromosome number of both subspecies is 18.

Habitat. Rocky hills, slopes and outcrops, boulderpiles,cliffs, gorges, and escarpments in savanna woodland and monsoon rainforest.

Food and Feeding. Poorly known. Likely to be similar to Wilkins’s Rock Wallaby ( P. wilkinsi ).

Breeding. Poorly known. Females produce a single young and appear to breed continuously.

Activity patterns. Largely nocturnal in summer, crepuscular or partially diurnal in other months. Shelters during day in caves and crevices, among rocks, or within boulder piles. Moves off the rocks in late afternoon or early evening to feed in surrounding woodland. In cooler months may sit on rocks to bask in the sun, especially in late afternoon or early morning.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Poorly known. Home ranges likely to be similar to those of Wilkins’s Rock Wallaby. Genetic data suggest that females are highly philopatric and dispersal is male-biased, with dispersal distances at least 1-2 km. Genetic connectivity has been detected between populations up to 67 km apart in relatively continuous habitat.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Shorteared Rock Wallaby is currently common throughout most ofits distribution and occurs in several protected areas. In the long term it may be threatened by habitat degradation as a consequence of cattle grazing and altered fire regimes. Additional research on its general ecology and the impact of potential threats is required.

Bibliography. Eldridge (1997), Eldridge & Telfer (2008), Pearson (2012), Potter, Close et al. (2014), Potter, Cooper et al. (2012), Potter, Eldridge, Cooper et al. (2012), Potter, Eldridge, Taggart & Cooper (2012), Sharman etal. (1989), Woinarski et al. (2014a), Woinarski, Telfer & Burbidge (2008).

Figures

On following pages: 29. Monjon (Petrogale burbidgel); 30. Proserpine Rock Wallaby (Petrogale persephone); 31. Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby (Petrogale xanthopus); 32. Rothschilds Rock Wallaby (Petrogale rothschild); 33. Black- footed Rock Wallaby (Petrogale lateralis).

Subspecies and Distribution. P.b.brachyotisGould,1841—Kimberley(includingKoolanI),inNWAustralia,EtoVictoriaRiver,inNWNorthernTerritory. P. b. victoriae Potter et al., 2014 — between the Victoria and Daly Rivers, in NW Northern Territory.