Nail-tail wallaby refers to ''Onychogalea'', a genus describing three species of
macropods, all of which are found in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
. Related to kangaroos and wallabies, they are smaller sized species distinguished by a horny spur at the end of their tail. The
northern nail-tail wallaby is still common in the northern part of Australia, the
crescent nail-tail is now
extinct
Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...
, and the
bridled nail-tail is considered rare and
endangered, with probably fewer than 1100 mature individuals in the wild.
[International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resource]
"Onychogalea fraenata"
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2008 Nail-tail wallabies are smaller than many other wallabies.
Taxonomy
There are three recognised species of the genus ''Onychogalea'', the nail-tailed wallabies, they are:
* ''
Onychogalea fraenata
The bridled nail-tail wallaby (''Onychogalea fraenata''), also known as the bridled nail-tailed wallaby, bridled nailtail wallaby, bridled wallaby, merrin, and flashjack, is a vulnerable species of macropod. It is a small wallaby found in thre ...
'', the bridled nailtail, whose range and population has greatly declined since colonisation;
* ''
Onychogalea lunata'', the crescent nailtail, warong, once abundant and widespread across the southwest and centre, the smallest species entered a rapid decline and became extinct;
* ''
Onychogalea unguifera
The northern or sandy nail-tail wallaby (''Onychogalea unguifera'') is a species of macropod found across northern Australia on arid and sparsely wooded plains. The largest species of the genus ''Onychogalea'', it is a solitary and nocturnal he ...
'' the northern species, still extant in the
Kimberley
Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to:
Places and historical events
Australia
* Kimberley (Western Australia)
** Roman Catholic Diocese of Kimberley
* Kimberley Warm Springs, Tasmania
* Kimberley, Tasmania a small town
* County of Kimberley, a ...
and
Top End regions.
Description
A genus of
Macropodidae, small and herbivorous species with a shy disposition. The earliest descriptions noted their elegant shape, graceful movements and beautiful markings.
Named for one of their general characteristics, the nail-tailed wallaby has a horny point two or three millimetres wide at the tip of the tail, an almost unknown characteristic for a mammal that has been compared to the bony spur of a
lion
The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'' native to Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body; short, rounded head; round ears; and a hairy tuft at the end of its tail. It is sexually dimorphi ...
's tail.
References
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q429799
Macropods
Marsupials of Australia
Taxa named by John Edward Gray