Cape York rock-wallaby

The Cape York rock wallaby ( Petrogale coenensis ) is a little explored Känguruart from the kind of rock kangaroos ( Petrogale ).

Features

The Cape York rock wallaby belongs to a group of seven very similar wallaby species in eastern Queensland, to be distinguished almost exclusively by chromosomal or genetic characteristics. The head-body length is 540-565 mm in males and 440 mm in females, the tail length 500-540 mm in males and 470 mm in females. In the males, the head length is 120 mm, the ear length 58 mm, the arm length 100 mm, the hind leg length 190 to 210 mm, the foot length 152-155 mm and the weight of 5 kg. The females reach a weight of 4.2 kg. The head length is 105 mm at them, ears length 54 mm, arm length 84 mm, length 197 mm, the hind leg and the foot length 135 mm. The top is brown, the underside is gray to light brown. On the flanks of a white or yellowish- brown stripe runs. Behind the arms of a dark spot can be seen. There is a light stripe on the cheeks. The area of ​​the head about it is darker. The arms are pretty bright, but the fingers are black. The karyotype formula is 2n = 22 The centromere is located between the middle and end on chromosome four. All autosomes are acrocentric.

Dissemination

The Cape York rock wallaby is known only from three locations on the Cape York Peninsula in eastern Queensland, including the region of the Mungkan Kandju national parks in the central -east of the peninsula between the Musgrave River and Roscoe River.

Habitat and behavior

The Cape York rock wallaby inhabits rocky outcrops, rocky gullies and rock piles usually within the open forest country. It is mainly nocturnal and feeds on grasses.

Status

Since its first description in 1992, the Cape York rock wallaby has been described as rare. By 2008, however, four new populations were discovered in 2011 and the species was photographed for the first time. The IUCN lists the Cape York rock wallaby on the early warning list ( near threatened ).