Notamacropus rufogriseus (Desmarest, 1817)

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 : 732-733

55.

Red-necked Wallaby

Notamacropus rufogriseus

French: Wallaby de Bennett / German: Rotnacken-Wallaby / Spanish: Ualabi de cuello rojo

Other common names: Brush Kangaroo, Brush Wallaby, Brusher, Eastern Brush Wallaby; Bennett's Wallaby (rufogriseus), Red Wallaby (banksianus)

Taxonomy. Kangurus rufogriseus Desmarest, 1817 ,

King Island , Tasmania, Australia.

Previously placed in genus Macropus , within which moved into subgenus Notamacropus in 1985; in 2015 Notamacropus was elevated to full genus status. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

N.r.rufogriseusDesmarest,1817—Tasmaniaandnearbyislands(Bruny,Robbins,andWalker),alsoinBassStraitIs(CapeBarren,Deal,Flinders,andKing).

N. r. banksianus Quoy & Gaimard, 1825 — coastal SE Australia from Gladstone, SE Queensland, to far SE South Australia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 71:2-92.3 cm (males) and 65.9-74.1 cm (females), tail 69.1-86.2 cm (males) and 62.3-77.8 cm (females); weight 15-26.8 kg (males) and 11-15.5 kg (females) for N. n rufogriseus ; head-body 77-88.8 cm (males) and 70.8-83.7 cm (females), tail 70.3-87.6 cm (males) and 66.4-79 cm (females); weight 15-237 kg (males) and 12-15.5 kg (females) for N. r. banksianus . Mainland Australian population (N. 7 banksianus) has fur short and coarse. Grayish brown, grizzled with pale-tipped hairs dorsally, reddish brown (of variable intensity) on shoulders, neck, arms, head, and sometimes flanks and rump; pale gray to white ventrally. Females typically paler than males. Muzzle black, pale cheek stripe and sometimes dark mid-dorsal stripe on face and head. Ears pale inside, and darken outside toward tips; margins pale at base but dark attips. Feet and tail grayish (mixture of light and dark hairs); digits and distal dorsal crest oftail dark brown to black. Tail well covered with dense fur, short and pale ventrally, longer and darker dorsally, especially toward tip. Tasmanian population ( N. r. rufogriseus ) has fur long and shaggy. Overall darker gray and brownish, rather than reddish, on neck, shoulders, and head compared with N. r. banksianus ; facial markings also less distinct. Diploid chromosome number of both subspeciesis 16.

Habitat. Sclerophyll forest and woodland with shrub or bracken understory near more open grassy areas up to the winter snow line, as well as coastal shrubland and heath. Occurs also in pasture, as well as in eucalypt and pine plantations. Rests in cover of shrubs and trees; forages in relatively flat, open grassy patches close to cover. Will use underpasses and overpasses to cross roads.

Food and Feeding. Mixed feeder. Primarily a grazer in lowland areas, where short green grasses and broad-leaf forbs are the major dietary components. Grasses are selected for, but broad-leaf forbs are consumed according to their availability. Dietis dominated, however, by browse in high-elevation areas. Other forbs, pasture weeds, rushes, grass seed-heads, Acacia pods, fruit, ferns, and fungi are also consumed.

Breeding. Females reach sexual maturity from 13 months and males from 19 months. N. r. banksianus breeds continuously throughout year, females producing one young per pregnancy; however, a spring peak in young vacating the pouch has been observed. N. r. rufogriseus breeds seasonally, giving birth from late summer to mid-winter but mostly February-March, which results in young vacating the pouch in spring. Females exhibit embryonic diapause and post-partum estrus, mating within hours of giving birth; they typically give birth to a single young, although twins are occasionally reported. In N. r. rufogriseus , an embryo conceived in one breeding season remains in diapause until the following season. The estrous cycle is 28-40 (mean 33) days and gestation 29-41 (mean 30) days. Young spends 9-9-5 months in the pouch and is weaned at 14-17 months; after permanent pouch emergence, the young accompanies the mother as a young-at-foot until after weaning. Unlike most other macropodids, where females give birth to a new young a few days after permanent pouch exit of previous young, in the Red-necked Wallaby birth occurs 16-29 days after the pouch becomes vacant. For the first 1-2 months following permanent pouch emergence, the young-at—foot mostly stays concealed in dense vegetation. Although females typically produce nine young over their lifetime, those in good-quality habitat tend to rear more young successfully and produce more sons. The mating system appears to be polygynous. Males compete strongly for access to females, and establish dominance relationships through repetitive, ritualized bouts of display, sparring, wrestling, and kicking; in addition, the testes are relatively large compared with body size, suggesting that sperm competition among males occurs. Males test the estrous state of females by eliciting urination, nosing the stream, and exhibiting flehmen (lip-curl). In the week approaching estrus, females are followed (and sometimes chased) by up to seven males, but are eventually closely guarded by a dominant male who keeps away other interested males. Males have local dominance and mating priority only in defined and largely exclusive areas within their home ranges. At estrus, copulation then occurs with dominant male over a five-minute period.

Activity patterns. Nocturnal to crepuscular. Emerges from coverto feed in open areas in morning, except in cold weather. Spends most of daylight hours resting in dense vegetation (shrubs, long grass, or ferns), emerging again late in afternoon to feed. On overcast or cool days may commence feeding earlier in afternoon. When feeding in open areas, retreats to dense coverif disturbed.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Sedentary. Typically forages close to forest edge, but will venture 200 m or more from cover. Home ranges of malesare larger than those of females, although the size of male home rangesis variable and correlates with body size. In an agricultural landscape, male home ranges (100% minimum convex polygon MCP) averaged 32 ha while those of females averaged 12 ha; those in a eucalypt plantation (100% MCP) were larger, 72 ha for males and 33 ha for females. Home ranges are relatively stable over time and overlap widely with those of members of both sexes, although centers of activity for large males tend to coincide with areas of high female density and exclude those of medium-sized males. In a study of culling and fencing, individuals maintained their home-range areas but modified their use of habitat in response to control measures. In another study, home range of females was larger in winter (11 ha) than in summer (6 ha) as females began increasingly to utilize improved pasture. Females with young-atfoot tend to shift their centers of activity toward areas of dense cover. Young females tend to settle within their mother’s home range, but males disperse at around two years of age. Moderately gregarious. Although seen mostly alone, with average group size less than two, groups of up to nine individuals occur and feeding aggregations of up to 30 have been observed; groups are larger in winter. Individuals in larger groups sometimes spent less time vigilant and more time foraging. Groups frequently change in size and composition, females tending to associate with relatives and males with others of similar bodysize.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Rednecked Wallaby remains widely distributed and locally common, especially in Tasmania, north-east New South Wales and south-east Queensland. It is present in multiple protected areas. This species has declined in some parts (e.g. southern mainland) as a result of extensive land-clearing and hunting, although it may now be expanding in some areas following the establishment of extensive blue gum ( Eucalyptus globulus , Myrtaceae ) plantations. Several island populations in Tasmania (nominate rufogriseus ) are now extinct, including those on islands of Clarke, Preservation, and Vansittart (in Furneaux Group). In 19" century, Red-necked Wallabies were heavily hunted for their pelts and as an agricultural pest. While heavy clearing of habitat is detrimental, this macropodid has in some areas benefited from the fragmentation and thinning of forest and can be regarded as a pest of pasture, crops, and forestry plantations. Local population control is periodically undertaken by means of shooting or poisoning. In Tasmania, Red-necked Wallabies are also commercially harvested for meat and skins. The species was successfully introduced in the 1960s to the Tasmanian islands of Maria and Babel, and is well established in captivity in Australia and globally. Wild populations have also become established in New Zealand and at several locations in Europe (England, Scotland, Ireland, France, Germany). In the Canterbury district on the South Island of New Zealand, where first introduced in 1870s, these wallabies are viewed as serious pests and they continue to expand their range despite being regularly culled.

Research into ranging behavior, demography, mating system, and population genetics across the species’ range is required.

Bibliography. Abbott & Burbidge (1995), Bird (2011), Blumstein & Daniel (2003b), Bond & Jones (2008), Calaby & Grigg (1989), Catt (1977), Choquenot & Warburton (2006), Clarke & Loudon (1985), Coulson (1978, 1990, 1999), Coulson & Croft (1981), Curlewis (1989), Dawson & Flannery (1985), DOE (2012), Fleming et al. (1983), Fletcher (2003), Garnick et al. (2014), Green et al. (2014), Groves (2005b), Hayman (1989), Higginbottom (2000), Higginbottom & Johnson (2000), Jackson & Groves (2015), Jackson & Vernes (2010), Jarman & Calaby (2008), Jarman & Phillips (1989), Johnson, C.N. (1986, 1987a, 1987b, 1989b, 1989¢c, 1989d), Johnston & Sharman (1979), King (2005), Lavery (1985), Le Page et al. (2000), Long (2003), Louden (1987), le Mar & McArthur (2005), le Mar et al. (2003), McKenzie, Menkhorst & Lunney (2008), Merchant & Calaby (1981), Paplinska et al. (2010), Rose et al. (1997), Ross et al. (2011), Southwell (1987b), Sprent & McArthur (2002), Stuart-Dick & Higginbottom (1989), Warburton (1986, 1990), Watson & Croft (1993), Watson et al. (1992), While & McArthur (2005, 2006), Wiggins & Bowman (2011), Wiggins et al. (2010), Wodzicki & Flux (1967), Yalden (1988, 1990).

Figures

47. Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), 48. Western Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus), 49. Red Kangaroo (Osphranter rufus), 50. Black Wallaroo (Osphranter bernardus), 51. Antilopine Wallaroo (Osphranter antilopinus), 52. Common Wallaroo (Osphranter robustus), 53. Whip-tailed Wallaby (Notamacropus parryi), 54. Agile Wallaby (Notamacropus agilis), 55. Red-necked Wallaby (Notamacropus rufogriseus), 56. Western Brush Wallaby (Notamacropus irma), 57. Black-striped Wallaby (Notamacropus dorsalis), 58. Tammar Wallaby (Notamacropus eugenii), 59. Parma Wallaby (Notamacropus parma)

Subspecies and Distribution. N.r.rufogriseusDesmarest,1817—Tasmaniaandnearbyislands(Bruny,Robbins,andWalker),alsoinBassStraitIs(CapeBarren,Deal,Flinders,andKing). N. r. banksianus Quoy & Gaimard, 1825 — coastal SE Australia from Gladstone, SE Queensland, to far SE South Australia.