Bridled Nail-tail Wallaby
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Bridled Nail-tail Wallaby | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
||||||||||||||
| Conservation status | ||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Onychogalea fraenata (Gould, 1841) |
The Bridled Nail-tail (or Nail-Tailed) (or 'nailtail') Wallaby (Onychogalea fraenata) is a wallaby which has white 'bridle' line, running down from the back of the neck. Another distinguishing feature is the horny spur on the end of its tail which is usually from 3 to 6 mm long) and is partly covered by hair. The use of the spur is not clearly understood. Some other markings include:
- a black dorsal stripe along the back
- stripes on the cheeks (often found on other species of wallabies as well)
The Bridled Nail-tail Wallaby can grow to 1 meter in length, half of which is tail, and weighs 4 to 8 kg. Females are somewhat smaller than the males.
The Bridled Nail-tail Wallaby was considered extinct until it was rediscovered in 1973 near Dingo, Central Queensland. Following captive breeding wild populations can now be found on two State reserves (Idalia and Taunton National Parks) and one private reserve in central Queensland, Australia. There are thought to be around 400-600 currently alive. [1]
The Bridled Nail-tail Wallaby feeds at dusk and during the night. It sleeps during the day (therefore it is nocturnal), usually in a hollow beside bushes or trees. It keeps close to the edges of pasture grasses. Basically these wallabies are shy and solitary animals, but occasionally form small groups of up to 4 to feed together when grazing is in short supply. The Bridled Nail-tail Wallaby likes to avoid confrontation and has two main ways of avoiding threats - hiding in hollow logs and crawling under low shrubs. If caught in the open, it may try to lie completely still hoping not to be observed.
Joeys are brought up in the mother's pouch. One young is born at a time and availability of food sources determine how often they breed. The gestation period is about 23 days and the joey stays in the pouch for around 4 months.
[edit] References
- ^ G Gordon and BC Lawrie (1980). The Rediscovery of the Bridled Nail-Tailed Wallaby, Onychogalea fraenata (Gould) (Marsupialia: Macropodidae). Journals > Wildlife Research. CSIRO. Retrieved on 2007-06-09. “(Abstract) 0. fraenata has been located near Dingo in central Queensland, the first record of this species since the 1930s”
- Australasian Marsupial & Monotreme Specialist Group (1996). Onychogalea fraenata. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Listed as Endangered (EN A1a, C1+2b v2.3)
- Groves, Colin (16 November 2005). in Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 66. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
