Notamacropus irma (Jourdan, 1837)

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 : 733

56.

Western Brush Wallaby

Notamacropus irma

French: Wallaby de Jourdan / German: Westliches Irma-Wallaby / Spanish: Ualabi de pincel occidental

Other common names: Black-gloved Wallaby, Kwoora

Taxonomy. Halmaturus irma Jourdan, 1837 ,

“ les bords de la riviere des Cygnes [= Swan River] , sur les cotes de Leuwin (Australasie),” south-western Western Australia, Australia.

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

Distribution. SW Western Australia from N of Kalbarri to Cape Arid.

Descriptive notes. Head—body c.120 cm,tail 54-97 cm; weight 7-9 kg. A medium-sized, long-tailed, gray wallaby with contrasting markings on head and limbs. Gray dorsally, heavily grizzled with white hairs, underfur tinged brown; paler and more brown ventrally. Indistinct dark bands across lower back on some individuals. Face dark, crown sooty brown to black, distinct white cheek stripe from tip of muzzle to below eye. Broad, dark mid-dorsal stripe from crown to shoulders. Inside of ears white, back of ears black. Arms and feet pale, but toes and paws black. Faint pale hip stripe, inside of legs also pale. Tail darkens to black distally, with well-developed dorsal crest. Diploid chromosome numberis 16.

Habitat. Open dry sclerophyll forest, woodland, mallee, and heathland. Occasionally in tall wet sclerophyll forest if dense understory is absent.

Food and Feeding. Poorly known. In an urban park found to consume parts of 29 species, mostly exotic succulents and grasses. Also consumes forbs, cycads ( Zamiaceae ), and shrubs. Appears not to require access to free water.

Breeding. Poorly known. Produces a single young. May breed seasonally, with young produced in autumn and emerging from the pouch in spring.

Activity patterns. Poorly known. Rests during heat of day in shade of bushes or small thickets. Appears most active in early morning and late afternoon.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Largely unknown. Usually seen resting and feeding alone or in pairs. Rarely ventures far into open pasture.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Western Brush Wallaby was highly abundant at the time of first European settlement, but has declined significantly in the last 200 years as a consequence of extensive clearance and fragmentation of habitat for agriculture, combined with predation (presumably of juveniles) by introduced Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes). It remains widespread, but is patchily distributed, and can be locally common where fox control is implemented. It occurs in a number of protected areas. Research into all aspects of the Western Brush Wallaby’s biology is required.

Bibliography. Dawson & Flannery (1985), DEC (2012b), Groves (2005b), Hayman (1989), Jackson & Groves (2015), Menkhorst & Knight (2001), Morris & Christensen (2008), Morris, Friend & Burbidge (2008), Wann & Bell (1997), Woinarski et al. (2014ae).

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)

Distribution. SW Western Australia from N of Kalbarri to Cape Arid.