Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby
Encyclopedia
The Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby or Small-eared Rock-wallaby (Petrogale penicillata) is a kind of wallaby
, one of several rock-wallabies
in the genus Petrogale. It inhabits rock piles and cliff lines along the Great Dividing Range
from about 100 km north-west of Brisbane
to northern Victoria
, in vegetation ranging from rainforest
to dry sclerophyl forests
. Populations have declined seriously in the south and west of its range, but it remains locally common in northern New South Wales
and southern Queensland
.
movement of the late 1800s, governor
Grey
introduced this and four other species of wallabies (including the rare Parma Wallaby
) to islands in Hauraki Gulf
, near Auckland, New Zealand, where they became well-established. In modern times, these populations have come to be viewed as exotic
pests
, with severe impacts on the indigenous flora and fauna. As a result, eradication is being undertaken. Wallabies have been removed from Rangitoto
and Motutapu Island
s, and eradication is ongoing from Kawau Island
.
In 2003 some Kawau brush-tails were relocated to the Waterfall Springs Conservation Park north of Sydney
, New South Wales, for captive breeding purposes.
Due to an escape of a pair in the 1916, a small breeding population of the Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies also exists on the island of Oahu
in Hawaii
.
Wallaby
A wallaby is any of about thirty species of macropod . It is an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo or wallaroo that has not been given some other name.-Overview:...
, one of several rock-wallabies
Rock-wallaby
The rock-wallabies are the wallabies of the genus Petrogale.-Description:The medium-sized, often colourful and extremely agile rock-wallabies live where rocky, rugged and steep terrain can provide daytime refuge...
in the genus Petrogale. It inhabits rock piles and cliff lines along the Great Dividing Range
Great Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
from about 100 km north-west of Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
to northern Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, in vegetation ranging from rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
to dry sclerophyl forests
Sclerophyll
Sclerophyll is the term for a type of vegetation that has hard leaves and short internodes . The word comes from the Greek sclero and phyllon ....
. Populations have declined seriously in the south and west of its range, but it remains locally common in northern New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and southern Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
.
External introductions
As part of the acclimatisationAcclimatisation society
Acclimatisation societies were societies created in order to enrich the fauna of a region with animals and plants from around the world. The first such society was La Societé Zoologique d'Acclimatation founded in Paris in 1854 by Isidore Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire. Such societies spread quickly around...
movement of the late 1800s, governor
Governor-General of New Zealand
The Governor-General of New Zealand is the representative of the monarch of New Zealand . The Governor-General acts as the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state....
Grey
George Edward Grey
Sir George Grey, KCB was a soldier, explorer, Governor of South Australia, twice Governor of New Zealand, Governor of Cape Colony , the 11th Premier of New Zealand and a writer.-Early life and exploration:...
introduced this and four other species of wallabies (including the rare Parma Wallaby
Parma Wallaby
The Parma Wallaby was first described by British naturalist John Gould in about 1840. A shy, cryptic creature of the wet sclerophyll forests of southern New South Wales, it was never common and, even before the end of the 19th century, it was believed to be extinct...
) to islands in Hauraki Gulf
Hauraki Gulf
The Hauraki Gulf is a coastal feature of the North Island of New Zealand. It has a total area of 4000 km², and lies between the Auckland Region, the Hauraki Plains, the Coromandel Peninsula and Great Barrier Island...
, near Auckland, New Zealand, where they became well-established. In modern times, these populations have come to be viewed as exotic
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
pests
Pest (animal)
A pest is an animal which is detrimental to humans or human concerns. It is a loosely defined term, often overlapping with the related terms vermin, weeds, parasites and pathogens...
, with severe impacts on the indigenous flora and fauna. As a result, eradication is being undertaken. Wallabies have been removed from Rangitoto
Rangitoto Island
Rangitoto Island is a volcanic island in the Hauraki Gulf near Auckland, New Zealand. The 5.5 km wide island is an iconic and widely visible landmark of Auckland with its distinctive symmetrical shield volcano cone rising 260 metres high over the Hauraki Gulf...
and Motutapu Island
Motutapu Island
Motutapu Island is a island in the Hauraki Gulf to the northeast of the city of Auckland, New Zealand. The island is part of the Hauraki Gulf Maritime Park....
s, and eradication is ongoing from Kawau Island
Kawau Island
Kawau Island is an island in the Hauraki Gulf, close to the north-eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand. At its closest point it lies off the coast of the North Auckland Peninsula, just south of Tawharanui Peninsula, and about by sea journey from Sandspit Wharf, and shelters Kawau Bay...
.
In 2003 some Kawau brush-tails were relocated to the Waterfall Springs Conservation Park north of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales, for captive breeding purposes.
Due to an escape of a pair in the 1916, a small breeding population of the Brush-tailed Rock-wallabies also exists on the island of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
in Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
.