Mount Claro rock-wallaby

The Mount Claro rock-wallaby (Petrogale sharmani), also known as Sharman's rock-wallaby, is a species of rock-wallaby found in northeastern Queensland, Australia. It is a member of a group of seven very closely related species also including Godman's rock-wallaby (P. godmani) and Herbert's rock-wallaby (P. herberti).

Mount Claro rock-wallaby[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Diprotodontia
Family: Macropodidae
Genus: Petrogale
Species:
P. sharmani
Binomial name
Petrogale sharmani
Eldridge & Close, 1992
Mount Claro rock wallaby range

Description

It measures 43 to 53 cm high, and its tail is about 50 cm. It weighs 3.6 to 4.8 kg. The upper body is greyish-brown, There is very little difference about this species and the six other species of petrogales found in this region; the difference were made only by genetic studies (it has 20 chromosomes). It is the smallest of the genus and one of the rarest.

Habitat

The Mount Claro rock-wallaby is the smallest of the group, and also has one of the smallest ranges. It is completely restricted to the Seaview and Coane Range west of Ingham.[3]

Diet

It feeds on grass shoots, fruits, seeds and flowers by hand-feeding.

References
  1. 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. pp. 68–69. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. OCLC 62265494.
  2. Winter, J.; Burnett, S. & Martin, R. (2008). "Petrogale sharmani". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008. Retrieved 29 December 2008.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  3. Menkhorst, Peter (2001). A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia. Oxford University Press. p. 130.


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