Petrogale concinna, Gould, 1842

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 : 709-710

28.

Nabarlek

Petrogale concinna

French: Nabarlek / German: Zwergfelskanguru / Spanish: Ualabi rupestre pequeno

Other common names: Little Rock Wallaby

Taxonomy. Petrogale concinna Gould, 1842 ,

“ North-west coast of Australia ” (= Victoria River , Northern Territory).

Placed in a separate genus, Peradorcas, in 1904, but restored to Petrogale in 1988. A member of the brachyotis species group which also includes P. wilkinsi , P. burbidge:, and P. concinna . Validity of subspecies requires testing with comprehensive morphological and molecular data; preliminary mtDNA-sequence data suggest that subspecies canescens and monastria are highly divergent and not monophyletic. Three subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

P.c.concinnaGould,1842—VictoriaRiverregion,NorthernTerritory,Australia.

P.c.canescensThomas,1909-TopEnd,NorthernTerritory,Australia.

P. c. monastria Thomas, 1926 — Kimberley, N Western Australia; also Borda, Augustus, Long, and Hidden Is.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 29-35 cm,tail 22-31 cm; weight 1.1-1.7 kg. A small rock wallaby, ears and feet longer than those of the Monjon (PF. burbidger). Unique among marsupials in having continually erupting molars. Mottled dorsally, blackish brown, red-brown and pale cream; hairs have dark gray/brown roots, a red/brown band below a pale cream band, and then blackish tips. Paler ventrally, light gray to yellowish-white. Often rufous or orange-brown on face, shoulders, limbs, rump, and tail. Snout, crown, and ears often dark and grayish; pale lateral face stripe. Dark mid-dorsal stripe from between eyes to upper back often present, and sometimes continues indistinctly to lower back. Dark gray to black axillary patch, with pale (gray to white) patch immediately behind. Flanks paler than back, an indistinct pale hip stripe sometimes present. Paws and feet pale gray or yellowish. Tail has well-developed dark brown (sometimes reddish-brown) terminal tuft; at rest and when hopping, tail frequently curled up and held off substrate. P. c. concinna is more brilliant rust-red dorsally, with indistinct lateral markings and pale gray-brown limbs. P. ¢. monastria is paler and grayer, especially on neck and shoulders, and lighter brown to yellow on limbs and flanks, with lateral markings more distinct; tail pale brown to yellow, sometimes darkening distally, terminaltuft often poorly developed. Diploid chromosome number of P. c. canescens is 16.

Habitat. Rocky outcrops, boulder piles, cliffs, gorges, escarpments, and breakaways in savanna woodland, monsoon rainforest, vine thickets, floodplains, and hummock grasslands.

Food and Feeding. Grass, sedges, browse, forbs, and ferns are consumed, although relative proportions change through the year and vary from one location to another.

Breeding. Sexual maturity in females is reached at c¢.15 months. Females appear to be continuous breeders, producing one young per pregnancy, although reproduction may be suppressed during dry season. Females exhibit embryonic diapause and post-partum estrus, mating shortly after giving birth. The estrous cycle is 31-36 days, about 32 days in dominant females and 35 days in subordinates. Gestation 30-32 days. Young spend c.5-5— 6 months in the pouch and are weaned within two weeks of permanent pouch emergence. In captivity, females became aggressive toward their young following weaning.

Activity patterns. Largely nocturnal in summer, crepuscular or partially diurnal in other months. Shelters during day in caves, crevices, or cracks, among rocks, or within boulder piles. In cooler months, regularly basks in the sun for several hours in early morning and sometimes also in afternoon. Moves off the rocks in late afternoon or early evening to feed.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Poorly known. Moves up to 300 m from rocks when feeding in dry season; forages closer to rocks during the wet. May be largely solitary. In captivity, estrous females are highly aggressive toward other females, males, and young.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. The Nabarlek is poorly known, inhabits remote and rugged areas, and is difficult to distinguish in the field from sympatric Monjon and juvenile Short-eared Rock Wallaby ( P. brachyotis ) /Wilkins’s Rock Wallaby ( P. wilkinsi ). The limited data that are available suggest that it has declined across much ofits range on the mainland. The Victoria River population has not been relocated since mid-1800s, nor have Nabarleks been seen recently at many of their previously occupied sites in both the Kimberley and Top End. They do, however, occur still on some Kimberley islands. This rock wallaby may be threatened by domestic/feral cat (Felis catus) predation, as well as by habitat degradation as a consequence of cattle grazing and altered fire regimes. A recovery plan has been prepared. Additional research on taxonomy, distribution, abundance, general ecology, and the impact of potential threats is urgently required.

Bibliography. Churchill (1997), Eldridge (1997), Gibson & McKenzie (2012), Goldstone & Nelson (1986), Nelson & Goldstone (1986), Pearson (2007, 2012), Pearson & Kinnear (1997), Potter, Close et al. (2014), Potter, Cooper et al. (2012), Sanson & Churchill (2008), Sanson et al. (1985), Sharman et al. (1989), Telfer & Bowman (2006), Telfer et al. (2008), Woinarski, Burbidge & Harrison (2014ak, 2014al, 2014am, 2014an), Woinarski, Burbidge, Telfer et al. (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.c.concinnaGould,1842—VictoriaRiverregion,NorthernTerritory,Australia. P.c.canescensThomas,1909-TopEnd,NorthernTerritory,Australia. P. c. monastria Thomas, 1926 — Kimberley, N Western Australia; also Borda, Augustus, Long, and Hidden Is.