Petrogale herberti, Thomas, 1926

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2015, Macropodidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 5 Monotremes and Marsupials, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 630-735 : 716

36.

Herbert's Rock Wallaby

Petrogale herberti

French: Wallaby de Herbert / German: Herbert-Felsenkanguru / Spanish: Ualabi rupestre de Herbert

Other common names: Herbert's Rock-wallaby

Taxonomy. Petrogale herberti Thomas, 1926 ,

Eidsvold , Burnett River , south-east Queensland, Australia.

A member of the lateralis / penicillata group of species (which includes also P rothschildi, P. lateralis , P. purpureicollis , P. penicillata, P. inornata , P assimilis , P sharmana, P. mareeba , P. godmani , P. coenensis ). Formerly regarded as a subspecies of P. penicillata , with which it hybridizes, and earlier of P. inornata , but reinstated as a full species in 1992. Monotypic.

Distribution. SE Queensland from Fitzroy River S to Nanango (where it forms hybrid zone with the Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby, P. penicillata ) and W to beyond Rubyvale and Clermont; W limit uncertain.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 50.2-61.5 cm (males) and 47-56 cm (females), tail 51-66 cm (males) and 48-57.1 cm (females); weight 4.9-6.7 kg (males) and 3.1-4.9 kg (females). Gray-brown dorsally, paler (buff to white) ventrally. Darker on face and shoulders, tawny on rump. Indistinct pale cheek stripe, ear black toward base, distinct black dorsal stripe from forehead to beyond shoulders. Blackish axillary patch; white side stripe from axillary patch to thighs. Arms and legs brown, paws and feet darker. Tail darkens distally, with slight terminal brush. Northern specimens tend to be lighter and have less prominent markings and tail brush. Diploid chromosome number is 22.

Habitat. Rocky outcrops, boulder piles, rocky slopes, cliffs, and gorges within forest and woodland.

Food and Feeding. There is no specific information available for this species, but details likely to be similar to those for the Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby.

Breeding. Poorly known. Females produce a single young and appear to breed continuously.

Activity patterns. Nocturnal in summer, crepuscular or partially diurnal in other months. Shelters during day among rocks or within boulder piles. Moves off the rocks in late afternoon or early evening to feed in surrounding forest/woodland. In cooler months may sit on rocks to bask in the sun during day.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no specific information available for this species, but behavior likely to be similar to that of the Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Herbert's Rock Wallaby is relatively common throughout most of its range. It has persisted in some areas that have been heavily cleared for cattle grazing, and also in presence of introduced Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes). Additional research into its general ecology and behavior and the impact of potential threats is required.

Bibliography. Burnett & Martin (2008a), Eldridge (1997), Eldridge & Close (1992, 2008c), Potter, Cooper etal. (2012), Sharman et al. (1989).

Figures

On following pages: 29. Monjon (Petrogale burbidgel); 30. Proserpine Rock Wallaby (Petrogale persephone); 31. Yellow-footed Rock Wallaby (Petrogale xanthopus); 32. Rothschilds Rock Wallaby (Petrogale rothschild); 33. Black- footed Rock Wallaby (Petrogale lateralis).

Distribution. SE Queensland from Fitzroy River S to Nanango (where it forms hybrid zone with the Brush-tailed Rock Wallaby, P. penicillata ) and W to beyond Rubyvale and Clermont; W limit uncertain.