What is a rock-wallaby?
A rock-wallaby is a small, agile wallaby adapted to living on cliffs, boulders and rocky gorges. Australia has more than a dozen species, many of them threatened.
Rock-wallabies have thick, padded, rough-soled feet that grip rock like the soles of climbing shoes. Their long, bushy tails help them balance as they leap between ledges, and they can bound up near-vertical rock faces with ease.
They shelter in caves and crevices during the day and come out in the late afternoon and night to feed on grasses, leaves and fruit. Rocky habitats provide protection from predators such as dingoes and wedge-tailed eagles.
Famous species
The yellow-footed rock-wallaby of the Flinders Ranges has a striking coat of grey, white, orange and yellow. The brush-tailed rock-wallaby of southeastern Australia is endangered, and the black-flanked rock-wallaby of Western Australia has been helped by fox control.
Many rock-wallaby populations declined because of foxes, feral goats competing for food, and past hunting for fur.
Places to see them include Simpsons Gap near Alice Springs, Granite Gorge near Mareeba and Brachina Gorge in the Flinders Ranges.
Did You Know?
Rock-wallabies can leap several metres between ledges, landing surely on narrow footholds.