Black-striped wallaby

Rückenstreifenwallaby, drawing by John Gould

The Rückenstreifenwallaby ( Macropus dorsalis), is a Känguruart from the sub-genre of wallabies ( Notamacropus ). It lives in eastern Australia.

Features

Rückenstreifenwallabys reach a body length 53-82 cm and a tail length of 54-83 centimeters. With around 16 kg, the males are significantly heavier than the females reaching only 6.5 kilograms. As with most kangaroos, the hind legs are much longer and stronger than the front legs, the tail is long and muscular. The fur of these animals is colored on the back gray-brown and the belly light gray to whitish. Named giving feature is the black dorsal stripe, more fur drawings are the white stripes on the cheek and the white spot at the hip.

Distribution and habitat

Rückenstreifenwallabys live in eastern Australia. Their range extends from the Cape York Peninsula (Queensland ) through to the north-eastern New South Wales. Habitat of these animals are lined with dense undergrowth forests.

Way of life

These kangaroos are primarily nocturnal, during the day they rest in the dense undergrowth hidden. At night, they go in search of food, where they seek open positions and mainly eat grasses. They live in groups of 2 to 20 animals that remain close to each other even when the nocturnal foraging and not more than 30 meters apart. The groups show no pronounced social structure, the composition changes over and over again, as the group size varies.

After about 33 - to 35 -day gestation, the female gives birth to a single young is born. As with many kangaroo species can also be with them a delayed birth observed. The cub spent his first seven months in the mother's pouch and is weaned at about one year. Sexual maturity occurs at 14 to 20 months.

Endangering

Rückenstreifenwallabys have suffered from the conversion of their habitat in pastures, but today, the populations are stable and have recovered enough that the animals are in some places as a plague. The IUCN lists the species as not at risk.