Black wallaroo
| Black wallaroo | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Infraclass: | Marsupialia |
| Order: | Diprotodontia |
| Family: | Macropodidae |
| Genus: | Macropus |
| Species: | M. bernardus |
| Binomial name | |
| Macropus bernardus Rothschild, 1904 | |
 | |
| black wallaroo range | |
The black wallaroo (Macropus bernardus), Bernard's wallaroo[1] or Woodward's wallaroo,[2] is a species of macropod restricted to a small, mountainous area in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, between South Alligator River and Nabarlek. It classified as near threatened, mostly due to its limited distribution.[3] A large proportion of the range is protected by Kakadu National Park.[1]
The black wallaroo is by far the smallest of the wallaroos as well as the most distinctive. It is sexually dimorphic, with the male being completely black or dark brown and the female a mid-grey colour. It is little known but is known to be a shy nocturnal grazer which does not gather in groups. It makes great use of the rocky escarpments where it lives to shelter and escape danger.[3]
References
- 1 2 3 Woinarski, J. (2008). "Macropus bernardus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2008. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
- ↑ 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. p. 64. OCLC 62265494. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
- 1 2 Menkhorst, Peter (2001). A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia. Oxford University Press. p. 118.