Petrogale xanthopus, Gray, 1855

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 : 711

31.

Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby

Petrogale xanthopus

French: Wallaby a pattes jaunes / German: Gelbful 3-Felskanguru / Spanish: Ualabi rupestre de patas amarillas

Other common names: Ring-tailed Rock Wallaby, Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby

Taxonomy. Petrogale xanthopus Gray, 1855 ,

Flinders Ranges , South Australia, Australia. Two subspecies are recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

P.x.xanthopusGray,1855—FlindersRanges,GawlerRanges,andOlaryHills,SouthAustralia;GapandCoturaundeeRanges,WNewSouthWales.

P. x. celeris Le Souef, 1924 — Gowan, Grey, Cheviot, Yangang, and Macedon Ranges, bounded by Adavale, Blackall, and Stonehenge, SW Queensland.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 48-65 cm, tail 57-70 cm; weight 6-11 kg for P. x. xanthopus ; head-body 56-60 cm, tail 56-5—-67-5 cm; weight 6-12 kg for P. x. celeris. A large, robust, brightly colored, distinctively marked, long-eared rock wallaby. P. x. xanthopus is generally gray dorsally, white ventrally; distinct white cheek stripe, ears orange, dark brown mid-dorsal stripe from crown of head to center of back, dark brown axillary patch; off-white side stripe, brown-and-white hip stripe; arms, legs, and feet rich orange to bright yellow. Tail orange-brown with irregular dark brown annulations,tail tip dark brown or white. Brightness of ornamentation and distinctiveness of tail annulations variable. P. x. celeris is similar to P. x. xanthopus , but more gracile and often paler; has dorsal stripe black, light orange-brown above eyes, ears gray-brown, arms, legs, and base oftail light orange-brown, hip stripe indistinct,tail annulations less pronounced. Diploid chromosome number of both subspecies is 22.

Habitat. Rocky outcrops, boulder piles, cliffs, gorges, and steep rocky slopes in semiarid open forest, woodland, grassland, shrubland, and herbland.

Food and Feeding. Feeds mostly on grasses, forbs, and browse. Plants with stellate trichomes ( Malvaceae , Solanaceae and Amaranthaceae ), chenopods, and ferns form a minor component of the diet. Some seeds and fruits are also eaten. During dry conditions the quantity of browse in the diet significantly increases. Grasses were consistently preferred at one site, but their consumption and species composition varied with rainfall. Forbs, plants with stellate trichomes and grasses were preferred at another site. Captive-bred animals, raised on a commercial pellet diet, readily adapted to natural foods following reintroduction. Although some northern populations appear to survive without access to free water, many southern populations are associated with permanent or semi-permanent water sources from which individuals regularly drink, especially in summer. Females have been observed transferring saliva to their young-at-foot.

Breeding. Both males and females reach sexual maturity from 18 months. Females are able to breed throughout year, producing one young per pregnancy; births increase, however, following periods of effective rainfall, and may cease during drought. Older females and those in captivity tend to produce more male than female pouch young. Exhibits embryonic diapause and post-partum estrus, females mating 1-4 days after giving birth. Estrous cycle is 32-37 (mean 34) days and gestation 31-33 (mean 32) days. Young spend c.6-5 months in the pouch and are weaned by c.14 months. Juvenile mortality is usually greater than 50%. Adult males are significantly larger than adult females, suggesting intense competition among males for access to females.

Activity patterns. During the day shelters in caves, in crevices, within rock piles, or in shade of rocks and dense vegetation. Largely nocturnal in summer, crepuscular or partially diurnal in other months, moving off rocks around dusk to feed during night. Regularly basks in sun in cooler weather.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Forages up to several hundred meters from base of rocky habitat. Individuals travel up to 2 km to drink from artificial water points, and may travel up to 5 km to water during severe drought. Average home ranges are similar in South Australia (55 ha, 95% minimum convex polygon MCP) and Queensland (68 ha, 100% MCP), males occupying larger home ranges than females. Occurs in colonies of up to 100 individuals, home ranges overlapping extensively among individuals of both sexes. Usually shelters alone but may forage in loose aggregations, spending less time vigilant in captivity when nearest neighbors are within 10 m. Within a colony, loose social groups of several females and an adult male often occur. Although most individuals show high site fidelity, males appear to be more mobile within colony than females. Transitory individuals, typically males, are also present in most colonies. Both genetic and behavioral studies, however, indicate that dispersal between colonies, even within 1 km, is rare.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. The subspecies xanthopus is listed as vulnerable in Australia. Although the Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby was widespread and abundant at the time of European settlement, it subsequently declined significantly, with many local extinctions. In South Australia during late 19™ and early 20" centuries, this species was heavily hunted for sport and for the fur trade, resulting in local population declines. Clearing of habitat for agriculture, and habitat degradation caused by introduced European Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and domestic and ferallivestock (e.g. sheep and goats), as well as predation by introduced Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) and domestic/feral cats (Felis catus), have also been implicated in widespread decline of Yellow-footed Rock Wallabies and continue to be threats at many sites. Alteration to fire regimes, changed access to water, and increased abundance of native herbivores such as Euros ( Osphranter robustus erubescens) may also be threats. Although numbers of Yellow-footed Rock Wallabies are known to fluctuate naturally with variable seasonal conditions, populations may fail to recover after drought when introduced competitors are present. In South Australia Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby populations have been well known since 1880s, but the species was first identified in New South Wales only in 1966, and was rediscovered in 1973 in Queensland, where it had previously been reported in the 1920s—-1930s. Extensive surveys in 1980s found this macropodid to be locally common at somesites throughoutits range, but confirmed widespread declines particularly in South Australia and New South Wales. The largest Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby populations remain in South Australia and Queensland, while the species is highly localized in New South Wales. It is present in protected areas throughout its range, and captive populations of both subspecies are established. Current management includes regular population-monitoring, as well as control of introduced predators and competitors around colonies. This has led to dramatic recovery of some Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby populations. During 1990s captive-bred individuals were successfully reintroduced to sites in south-west Queensland and the Flinders Ranges, South Australia. Additional research into ecology, reproduction, dispersal, impact of native herbivores, and changes to water availability, as well as impact of current management strategies, is required.

Bibliography. Arkell (1999), Barlow (1999), Blumstein et al. (2001), Copley (1983), Copley & Alexander (1997), Copley & Robinson (1983), Copley et al. (2008), Dawson & Ellis (1979), De Preu et al. (2001), Eldridge (2008), Gordon, McGreevey & Lawrie (1978), Gordon, McRae et al. (1993), Hayward et al. (2011), Lapidge (2000, 2001, 2005), Lapidge & Henshall (2001), Lapidge & Munn (2011), Le Souef (1924), Lethbridge & Alexander (2008), Lim, L. (1987), Lim, L., Robinson et al. (1987), Lim, L., Sheppard et al. (1992), Lim, T.L. & Giles (1987), Lowry (1993), Poole et al. (1985), Pope et al. (1996), Potter, Cooper et al. (2012), Robinson et al. (1994), Sharman et al. (1989), Sharp (1997a, 1997b, 2009, 2011), Sharp & McCallum (2010, 2015), Sharp, Norton, Havelberg et al. (2014), Sharp, Norton & Marks (2006), Wilson et al. (1976), Woinarski et al. (2014ba).

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.x.xanthopusGray,1855—FlindersRanges,GawlerRanges,andOlaryHills,SouthAustralia;GapandCoturaundeeRanges,WNewSouthWales. P. x. celeris Le Souef, 1924 — Gowan, Grey, Cheviot, Yangang, and Macedon Ranges, bounded by Adavale, Blackall, and Stonehenge, SW Queensland.