Nail-tail wallaby refers to ''Onychogalea'', a genus describing three species of
macropods, all of which are found in
Australia. 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
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 h ...
is still common in the northern part of Australia, the
crescent nail-tail is now
extinct, and the
bridled nail-tail is considered rare and
endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and in ...
, 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 nailtail, whose range and population has greatly declined since colonisation;
* ''
Onychogalea lunata
The crescent nail-tail wallaby, also known as the worong (''Onychogalea lunata''), was a small species of marsupial that grazed on grasses in the scrub and woodlands of southwestern and central Australia. They were common in Western Australia bef ...
'', 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 species, still extant in the
Kimberley and
Top End
The Top End of Australia's Northern Territory is a geographical region encompassing the northernmost section of the Northern Territory, which aside from the Cape York Peninsula is the northernmost part of the Australian continent. It covers a ra ...
regions.
Description
A genus of
Macropodidae
Macropodidae is a family of marsupials that includes kangaroos, wallabies, tree-kangaroos, wallaroos, pademelons, quokkas, and several other groups. These genera are allied to the suborder Macropodiformes, containing other macropods, and ar ...
, 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's tail.
References
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q429799
Macropods
Marsupials of Australia
Taxa named by John Edward Gray