Mammals
Black-Footed Rock-Wallaby
Petrogale lateralis · also called black-flanked rock-wallaby
Tucked into the shade of a sun-baked boulder pile, a black-footed rock-wallaby waits out the desert heat, part of a genetically distinct population isolated from its nearest relatives by vast stretches of open, unsuitable country.
Overview
The black-footed rock-wallaby, Petrogale lateralis, is a heat-adapted marsupial native to mountain and desert habitat scattered across arid and semi-arid regions of Australia. Its patchwork of genetically distinct isolated populations, reliance on boulder-pile shelter to survive extreme desert heat, and ongoing decline from introduced predators and competitors make it one of the more genetically fascinating and conservation-sensitive members of the rock-wallaby group found anywhere in Australia.
Islands of rock in a sea of desert
Scattered across isolated rocky outcrops separated by vast stretches of open desert, the black-footed rock-wallaby’s populations have drifted apart genetically much like animals on separate islands, each colony adapting somewhat independently to its own patch of rock.
Status
Vulnerable, having declined across parts of its range due to predation by introduced foxes and cats and competition from introduced goats and rabbits.
Black-Footed Rock-Wallaby: common questions
Why are black-footed rock-wallaby populations so genetically distinct from one another?
This species is composed of several genetically distinct populations scattered across isolated rocky outcrops, a pattern that has developed because populations are often separated by considerable stretches of unsuitable habitat, limiting movement and interbreeding between them over long periods of time.
How does the black-footed rock-wallaby cope with desert heat?
This species shelters among boulder piles and rock crevices that provide shade and protection from extreme daytime heat, emerging to forage on grasses, leaves, and seeds mainly during cooler hours around dawn and dusk.
What threats does the black-footed rock-wallaby face?
This species has declined across parts of its range due to predation by introduced foxes and cats, along with competition for shelter and food from introduced goats and rabbits, pressures that have left several isolated populations small and vulnerable.
Why is it called the black-footed rock-wallaby?
This species often shows darker fur along its feet and flanks compared with the rest of its coat, a feature reflected in both its common name and one of its alternate names, the black-flanked rock-wallaby.