Nabarlek
The dwarf stone kangaroo ( Petrogale concinna ) is a pouch species from the family of kangaroos ( Macropodidae ).
Features
Dwarf stone kangaroos include burbidgei the smallest representatives of the rock kangaroos and the smallest kangaroos at all with Petrogale. They reach a body length from 29 to 35 centimeters and additionally there is a 22 to 31 centimeters long tail. It weighs 1 to 1.7 kg. Her short, silky fur is reddish - gray at the top, the bottom is white-gray, the tail is darker towards the tip. As with most kangaroos, the hind legs are much longer and stronger than the front legs, the soles are provided with thick pads. Unique among mammals is their bag Tooth change: after the last normal molar are more molars, the break in wear of the previous one. The exact number of teeth is not known, it could be up to nine molars that come out one by one.
Distribution and habitat
Dwarf stone kangaroos live in Australia, their range is divided into two parts. For one, they come in the Kimberley region in northern Western Australia before, on the other hand in the Top End in the north of the Northern Territory. Their habitat is rocky mountain regions.
Way of life
These kangaroos are nocturnal during the dry season and during the day hide in crevices or caves to go out at night in search of food. In the rainy season they are more common on the day active. The food changes with the season, so they eat in the dry season mainly ferns, while they rather take in the rainy season grasses to himself. The ferns are highly abrasive to the teeth, which probably was the reason for the development of the unique dentition.
The pairing can take place throughout the year. After a 30 - day gestation, the female gives birth to usually a single young is born. This spending his first months of life in the mother's pouch, it comes with 160 days for the first time out and with 175 days on their own. Weaning occurs much more abrupt than in the other rock kangaroos.
Endangering
Little is known about the level of danger of the stone dwarf kangaroos. Area, they are extinct, elsewhere they are, however, often before. There is no information about the population trend or potential hazards, the IUCN lists the species under "too little data available " ( data deficient ).
System
Due to the unique dentition and differences in lifestyle, the dwarf stone kangaroo is sometimes performed in a separate genus Peradorcas. However, two species of wallaby, related to the short-eared rock wallaby ( Petrogale brachyotis ) and Petrogale burbidgei closer to the dwarf stone kangaroo as with the other rock kangaroos. In order not to let the paraphyletic rock kangaroos, the dwarf stone kangaroo is now also incorporated in this genus.
The two separate populations in the distribution areas are sometimes managed as separate sub- species, it is, however, no morphological or genetic studies, whether this separation is justified.