Macropus fuliginosus (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 : 725-726

48.

Western Grey Kangaroo

Macropus fuliginosus

French: Kangourou gris / German: Westliches Graues Riesenkanguru / Spanish: Canguro gris occidental

Other common names: Black-faced Kangaroo, Kangaroo Island Kangaroo, Mallee Kangaroo, Sooty Kangaroo

Taxonomy. Kangurus fuliginosus Desmarest, 1817 ,

Kangaroo Island , South Australia, Australia.

Placed into the subgenus Macropus within Macropusin 1985. Although two or three subspecies have traditionally been recognized on morphological criteria, recent comprehensive genetic studies revealed no major differentiation within the species. Monotypic.

Distribution. S Australia from Shark Bay, Western Australia, to SW Queensland, including W New South Wales and W Victoria; also Kangaroo I, South Australia.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 94.6-222.5 cm (males) and 67.1-174.6 cm (females), tail 42:5-100 cm (males) and 44.3-81.5 cm (females); weight 18-72 kg (males) and 17-39 kg (females). A large, highly sexually dimorphic, brownish-gray kangaroo with long ears and a finely haired muzzle. Dark brown to brownish gray dorsally, including head and tail, paler and more gray ventrally and often on limbs. Face, digits, and terminal third oftail dark, sometimes almost black; elbows often also dark. Ears dark and sparsely furred externally, paler inside, with a contrasting white fringe. Kangaroo Island population is dark sooty brown, with shorter limbs, tail, and ears. Males have a strong and distinctive currylike odor. Diploid chromosome numberis 16.

Habitat. Forest, woodland, mallee scrub, shrubland, and heathland in areas of uniform or winter rainfall, in proximity to permanent water. Occurs also in modified habitats such as pasture, crops, plantations, and golf courses. Avoids areas grazed by sheep. Ideal habitat has patches of cover, which provide shelter from weather and predators, and open grassy patches, which provide food resources. Reaches highest densities in heterogeneous landscapes; rare in homogenous areas of intensive cereal crops and continuous mallee scrub.

Food and Feeding. A grazer. Native and exotic pasture grasses are strongly preferred, and usually sought even when availability is low. Some shrubs and trees ( Casuarina spp. , Casuarinaceae ) can also be preferred during dry conditions, but newly germinated grasses strongly selected after rain. Non-grass monocotyledons (e.g. grass trees and lilies), forbs, chenopods, succulents, shrubs, and heaths are also consumed. Large adult males appear to consume a higher proportion of grass than do adult females. In Western Australia, lupin crops and “poison bush” ( Gastrolobium spp. , Fabaceae ) are also eaten.

Breeding. Females reach sexual maturity from 14 months and males from 20 months. Can breed throughout year, but most births occur from late spring to early autumn, becoming more synchronous and peaking later in south of range. Females produce one young per pregnancy, although twins are occasionally reported. During drought, as few as 20% of females carry pouch young, although nearly all females carry young after drought breaks. The estrous cycle is 27-54 (mean 35) days and gestation 27-46 (mean 31) days. Young spend around eleven months in the pouch. Does not exhibit post-partum estrus or embryonic diapause. Females return to estrus as the incumbent young nears end of pouch life. After permanent emergence, young accompany their mother as a young-at-foot until after weaning, at c.18 months. There is intense competition among adult males for access to females. Males establish dominance relationships through repetitive, ritualized bouts of grooming, display, sparring, wrestling, and kicking. They routinely test the estrous state of females by eliciting urination, nosing the stream, and exhibiting flehmen (lip-curl); males form consort relationships with estrous females, guarding them from rival males before and after copulation.

Activity patterns. Crepuscular to nocturnal. Foraging activity at one site was mostly bimodal, with peaks around sunrise and 3-5 hours after sunset, and reduced activity around midnight; in summer, however, there was a single peak around midnight. High temperatures suppress activity at night. During winter and spring, movement on to crops occurred at dusk at another site, with a return to cover at dawn; movement continued through the night in other seasons. Departure from crops in the morning was delayed by rainfall throughout the year, but was earlier on hot days in summer. In hot weather, rests during day in shallow hip-holes excavated in patches of shade.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Largely sedentary, although movements of up to 85 km have been recorded. Genetic studies indicate that extensive gene flow over distance greater than 100 km is common for both sexes. Home ranges of both sexes overlap extensively, but are generally larger for males. Average homerange area (100% minimum convex polygon MCP) was 50 ha for males and 56 ha for females at a temperate site where open pasture adjoined wooded cover. Average home ranges (100% MCP) in semi-arid environments are considerably larger: 314 ha for males and 198 ha for females at one site, 763 ha for males and 416 ha for females at another, and 692 ha for both sexes at a third site. Gregarious; forms open-membership groups, which frequently change in size and composition. Group size is positively related to population density, and is smallest in wooded habitat and largest in open habitat, where individuals in larger groups spend less time in scanning for predators and more time in feeding. In non-breeding season (winter), large males associate with other males and show strong segregation from females. In breeding season, large adult males are often seen alone as they rove across their home ranges, checking the reproductive status of adult females. Non-random associations among individuals have been reported. The existence of mobs, comprised of overlapping and frequently interacting individuals, has not yet been demonstrated.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Western Grey Kangaroo is widespread and locally common through much ofits range. It is well represented in protected areas and is not currently facing any major threats. Some habitat has been lost to urbanization and intensive agriculture. In other areas, however, this species has benefited from the clearing of forest/woodland, the establishment of improved pasture, and the provision of water for livestock, as well as the suppression of predators. These changes have enabled Western Grey Kangaroos to expand their distribution and increase in local density in some areas. At some sites they are regarded as overabundant and periodic culling is undertaken. Western Grey Kangaroos are also commercially harvested in New South Wales, South Australia, and Western Australia. Research into the species’ social organization, particularly the occurrence of structured mobs, would be useful.

Bibliography. Andrew & Lange (1986), Arnold, Steven & Weeldenburg (1989a, 1989b, 1994), Arnold, Weeldenburg & Ng (1995), Barker (1987), Beetham et al. (1987), Burbidge, Menkhorst et al. (2008), Cairns et al. (1991), Calaby & Grigg (1989), Caughley, Grice et al. (1988), Caughley, Short et al. (1987), Coulson (1978, 1990, 1993a, 1993b, 1997 2006, 2008a), Coulson & Croft (1981), Coulson & Norbury (1988), Coulson et al. (2006), Dawson, L. & Flannery (1985), Dawson, T.J. (2012), DOE (2012), Eldridge & Rath (2002), Groves (2005b), Halford et al. (1984), Harris, D.B. et al. (2014), Hayman (1989), Jackson & Groves (2015), Johnson, C.N. (1983), Johnson, C.N. & Bayliss (1981), Johnson, PM. (2003), Letnic & Crowther (2013), MacFarlane (2006), MacFarlane & Coulson (2005, 2007, 2009), Mayberry et al. (2010), McCullough & McCullough (2000), Menkhorst & Knight (2001), Neaves, Zenger, Prince & Eldridge (2012, 2013), Neaves, Zenger, Prince, Eldridge & Cooper (2009), Norbury et al. (1988), van Oorschot & Cooper (1989), Poole (1975, 1976), Poole & Catling (1974), Poole et al. (1990), Pople et al. (2010), Priddel (1986, 1987), Priddel, Shepherd & Wellard (1988), Priddel, Wellard & Shepherd (1988), Schmidt et al. (2010), Shepherd (1987), Short & Grigg (1982), Short et al. (1983), Wallis (1989), Wann & Bell (1997), Warburton, Bateman & Fleming (2013).

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. S Australia from Shark Bay, Western Australia, to SW Queensland, including W New South Wales and W Victoria; also Kangaroo I, South Australia.