Head to head
Parma Wallaby vs Banded Hare-Wallaby
The parma wallaby and banded hare-wallaby both carry extraordinary survival stories, each having come far closer to complete extinction than most people realise.
| Parma Wallaby | Banded Hare-Wallaby | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Notamacropus parma | Lagostrophus fasciatus |
| Rediscovery story | Found on a NZ island, then on the mainland | Never rediscovered on the mainland |
| Current natural range | A small part of eastern Australia | Two small islands off Western Australia |
| Evolutionary status | One of several similar wallaby species | Last surviving member of its subfamily |
| Distinctive marking | Pale throat patch | Faint dark banding across the back |
| Conservation status | Near Threatened | Endangered |
| Population trend | Decreasing | Decreasing |
| Habitat | Forest, grassland | Grassland, coastal |
Parma Wallaby vs Banded Hare-Wallaby: common questions
Which species came closer to total extinction, the parma wallaby or the banded hare-wallaby?
The banded hare-wallaby arguably faced the higher stakes, since it is the last surviving member of an entire macropod subfamily with no other close relatives left at all, while the parma wallaby, though also presumed extinct for decades, belongs to a genus with several other living wallaby species.
How was the parma wallaby rediscovered?
An introduced population of this species was unexpectedly identified living wild on a New Zealand island, providing the first confirmation the species still survived anywhere, before it was later also rediscovered living wild in a small part of its native mainland Australian range.
Why is the banded hare-wallaby considered irreplaceable?
This species is the sole surviving member of an entire macropod subfamily, meaning its loss would erase not just one species but an entire unique branch of the kangaroo family's evolutionary history, a distinction the parma wallaby, despite its own rarity, does not share.