Eastern Wallaroo
Encyclopedia
The Eastern Wallaroo also known as the Common Wallaroo or the Hill Wallaroo is part of the Wallaroo family (Macropus robustus). It is a large, variable species of macropod (same as the Kangaroo
).
Many mistakenly believe that the Eastern Wallaroo and the Euro the same species, but they are actually two distinct sub-species. The Eastern Wallaroo (Macropus robustus robustus)- which is grey in colour - occupies the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range and the Euro (Macropus robustus erubescens) - rufous in colour - occupies land westward.
The photograph at right is a Euro.
The Eastern Wallaroo is mostly nocturnal and solitary, and is one of the more common macropods. It makes a loud hissing noise and some subspecies are sexually dimorphic, like most wallaroo
s.
There are four subspecies of the Wallaroo:
The Eastern Wallaroo as a species is not considered to be threatened, but the Barrow Island subspecies (M. r. isabellinus) is classified as vulnerable
.
Kangaroo
A kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae . In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus, Red Kangaroo, Antilopine Kangaroo, Eastern Grey Kangaroo and Western Grey Kangaroo. Kangaroos are endemic to the country...
).
Many mistakenly believe that the Eastern Wallaroo and the Euro the same species, but they are actually two distinct sub-species. The Eastern Wallaroo (Macropus robustus robustus)- which is grey in colour - occupies the eastern slopes of the Great Dividing Range and the Euro (Macropus robustus erubescens) - rufous in colour - occupies land westward.
The photograph at right is a Euro.
The Eastern Wallaroo is mostly nocturnal and solitary, and is one of the more common macropods. It makes a loud hissing noise and some subspecies are sexually dimorphic, like most wallaroo
Wallaroo
A Wallaroo is any of three closely related species of moderately large macropod, intermediate in size between the kangaroos and the wallabies. The name "wallaroo" is a portmanteau of wallaby and kangaroo. The term is not generally used by Australians...
s.
There are four subspecies of the Wallaroo:
- M. r. robustus - Found in eastern Australia, males of this subspecies have dark fur, almost resembling Woodward's WallarooWoodward's WallarooWoodward's Wallaroo , also known as the Black Wallaroo and Bernard's Wallaroo, is a species of macropod restricted to a small, mountainous area in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, between South Alligator River and Nabarlek...
(Macropus bernardus). Females are lighter, being almost sandy in colour. - M. r. erubescens - Found on covering most of its remaining range, this subspecies is variable, but mostly brownish in colour.
- M. r. isabellinus - This subspecies is restricted to Barrow Island in Western AustraliaWestern AustraliaWestern Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
, and is comparatively small. It is uniformly reddish brown. - M. r. woodwardi - This subspecies is found in the Kimberley region of Western AustraliaKimberley region of Western AustraliaThe Kimberley is one of the nine regions of Western Australia. It is located in the northern part of Western Australia, bordered on the west by the Indian Ocean, on the north by the Timor Sea, on the south by the Great Sandy and Tanami Deserts, and on the east by the Northern Territory.The region...
and in a band running through Northern TerritoryNorthern TerritoryThe Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
. It is the palest subspecies and is a dull brown-grey colour.
The Eastern Wallaroo as a species is not considered to be threatened, but the Barrow Island subspecies (M. r. isabellinus) is classified as vulnerable
Vulnerable species
On 30 January 2010, the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species identified 9694 Vulnerable species, subspecies and varieties, stocks and sub-populations.-References:...
.