Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby

Scientific name: Petrogale xanthopus
A yellow-footed rock wallaby Click to enlarge image
A yellow-footed rock wallaby Image: Babs and Bert Wells
© Australian Museum

Fast Facts

  • Classification
    Genus
    Petrogale
    Species
    xanthopus
    Family
    Macropodidae
    Order
    Diprotodontia
    Class
    Mammalia
    Phylum
    Chordata
  • Size Range
    Up to 65 cm

Brightly-coloured and distinctively-marked, fawn-grey body, white ventrally, with rich orange to bright yellow forearms, hind limbs and feet.

Identification

A large brightly-coloured and distinctively-marked rock-wallaby. Generally fawn-grey, white ventrally, with rich orange to bright yellow forearms, hind limbs and feet. Prominent dark mid-dorsal stripe from top of head to middle of back. Long ears and dark auxiliary patch. White stripes on cheeks, sides and hips. Tail long and orange brown with irregular dark brown rings.

Habitat

Rocky outcrops, boulder piles, cliffs, gorges and steep rocky slopes in semi-arid woodland.

Distribution

Eastern and southern Australia

Feeding and diet

They use rocky shelters as refuges from high summer temperatures, emerging to feed after dark on grasses, forbs and browse.

Other behaviours and adaptations

A social species, typically occurring in colonies of up to 100 individuals. Highly agile, they move about in steep and rocky terrain with ease. In the cooler months, they are more active in daylight and are often seen warming themselves in the morning and evenings. Home ranges varies from 24-200 ha and overlap with other members of the colony.

Breeding behaviours

They breed throughout the year, but births tend to peak after heavy rainfall. A single young is born after approx. 35 days gestation and attaches to one of four teats in the mother’s pouch, where it spends the next 6-7 months. Sexual maturity is reached at approx. 18 months.

Conservation status

A rare species with a naturally patchy distribution, it has declined in many areas.

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