SPECIES: Petrogale lateralis MacDonnell Ranges race — Warru, Black-footed Rock-wallaby (MacDonnell Ranges race)
CLASSIFICATION: Vulnerable
Yet another of our Rock-wallaby species finds itself endangered, this week we profile the Warru, or Black-footed Rock-wallaby. Short in stature and shy by nature, the Warru has thick, wooly fur and a long brushy tail that it uses for balance. So adapted is it to it's surroundings, the soles of its feet are even textured to grip the rocks that it hops between.
The remaining population of this species of Rock-wallaby has basically become fragmented thanks to feral cats and foxes. What this means is that the once much larger population has become fragmented and split off into smaller populations, which have over time, become their own subspecies. For a species under threat, this is never a good thing, as the genetic diversity has decreased.
Photo: courtesy Project Noah.