Mount Claro rock-wallaby

Mount Claro rock-wallaby[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Subclass: Marsupialia
Order: Diprotodontia
Family: Macropodidae
Genus: Petrogale
Species: P. sharmani
Binomial name
Petrogale sharmani
Eldridge & Close, 1992
Mount Claro rock wallaby range

The Mount Claro rock-wallaby (Petrogale sharmani), also known as Sharman's rock-wallaby, is a species of rock-wallaby found in northeastern Queensland, Australia. It is a member of a group of seven very closely related species also including Godman's rock-wallaby (P. godmani) and Herbert's rock-wallaby (P. herberti).

Description

It measures 43 to 53 cm high, and its tail is about 50 cm. It weighs 3.6 to 4.8 kg. The upper body is grayish-brown, There is very little difference about this species and the six other species of petrogales found in this region; the difference were made only by genetic studies (it has 20 chromosomes). It is the smallest of the genus and one of the rarest.

Habitat

The Mount Claro rock-wallaby is the smallest of the group, and also has one of the smallest ranges. It is completely restricted to the Seaview and Coane Range west of Ingham.[3]

Nutrition

It feeds on grass shoots, fruits, seeds and flowers by hand-feeding.

References

  1. Groves, C.P. (2005). Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M., eds. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 68–69. OCLC 62265494. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
  2. Winter, J., Burnett, S. & Martin, R. (2008). Petrogale sharmani. In: IUCN 2008. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 29 December 2008.
  3. Menkhorst, Peter (2001). A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia. Oxford University Press. p. 130.

External links


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