Yellow-Footed Rock-wallaby
Common name: Yellow-Footed Rock-Wallaby
Scientific Name: Petrogale Xanthopus
Conservation Status: vulnerable
The Yellow-footed rock-wallaby is one of Australia's most beautiful wallabies with it's striking rich colours and distinctive markings. A full grown wallaby stands about 60cm high and weighs about 7-13kg. There are two subspecies of the Yellow-Footed Rock Wallaby the Petrogale xanthopos xanthopos, which can be found in the Flinders Ranges (SA) and Western NSW. And then there's the Petrogale xanthopos celeris, which can be found in QLD. It is estimated that there are 5,000-10,000 of each sub-species now remain.
Scientific Name: Petrogale Xanthopus
Conservation Status: vulnerable
The Yellow-footed rock-wallaby is one of Australia's most beautiful wallabies with it's striking rich colours and distinctive markings. A full grown wallaby stands about 60cm high and weighs about 7-13kg. There are two subspecies of the Yellow-Footed Rock Wallaby the Petrogale xanthopos xanthopos, which can be found in the Flinders Ranges (SA) and Western NSW. And then there's the Petrogale xanthopos celeris, which can be found in QLD. It is estimated that there are 5,000-10,000 of each sub-species now remain.
Threats To the Yellow-footed Rock-wallaby
The yellow-footed rock-wallaby faces a range of threats. Some of these include:
Hunting:
Between the 1880's and 1920's the yellow-footed rock-wallaby was subject to intensive hunting for fur traders. This period of intense hunting lead to the decline of yellow-footed rock-wallaby numbers in some areas, especially in the Flinders Ranges.
Habitat Destruction:
Habitat destruction is something that started in the past but is still continuing today. There has been a drastic change to the vegetation found in the species range due to grazing by domestic stock and feral herbivores.
Goats:
Goats have a fairly similar diet to the yellow-footed rock-wallaby, especially in times of drought. This effects the rock-wallabies ability to find food and becomes even worse in times of droughts and the competition from feral species. In times of drought in NSW in 1982-83, yellow-footed rock-wallaby numbers dropped by 60%. After the drought, number only recovered in areas where there where no goats.
Hunting:
Between the 1880's and 1920's the yellow-footed rock-wallaby was subject to intensive hunting for fur traders. This period of intense hunting lead to the decline of yellow-footed rock-wallaby numbers in some areas, especially in the Flinders Ranges.
Habitat Destruction:
Habitat destruction is something that started in the past but is still continuing today. There has been a drastic change to the vegetation found in the species range due to grazing by domestic stock and feral herbivores.
Goats:
Goats have a fairly similar diet to the yellow-footed rock-wallaby, especially in times of drought. This effects the rock-wallabies ability to find food and becomes even worse in times of droughts and the competition from feral species. In times of drought in NSW in 1982-83, yellow-footed rock-wallaby numbers dropped by 60%. After the drought, number only recovered in areas where there where no goats.
Habitat
Map showing the yellow-footed rock-wallaby in Australia.
The yellow-footed rock-wallaby’s primary habitat is in rocky outcrops in semi-arid country in the Buckaringa Wildlife Sanctuary in the Flinders Ranges.These rocky outcrops provide the rock-wallaby with shelter from predators and a permanent fresh water source. Buckaringa sanctuary is a 20 km2 nature reserve in the Flinders Rangers. There are at least 3 threatened species in the park. These include the blue-winged parrot, peregrine falcon and the yellow-footed rock-wallaby.
How can we help preserve the yellow-footed rock-wallaby?
Individual donations to the Australian Wildlife Conservancy are essential to save the yellow-footed rock-wallaby from any further decline. When you donate the the AWC somethings that can be done to help are:
- For every $15 donated a wallaby’s habitat will be maintain for a day
- $26 will protect the yellow-footed rock-wallabies form foxes for a week
- $125 will pay for an ecologist to conduct vital research for one day
- For every $278 will pay for a specially designed soft-sided trap to collar a wallaby with GPS
- $1380 will pay for 1 GPS collar