Tuesday, June 12, 2012
MACROPODS OF THE ACT
Just a quick post...
Since I have started publishing wildlife videos on this blog I have received the odd question about the difference between a kangaroo and a wallaby (easy, size, colour, shape and habits) but by far more questions on what kangaroos and wallabies we have here in the ACT. I suppose I just take them all for granted but I’ll answer here as a reference I can point future questions to.
Before European settlement there were roughly 53 species of macropods (kangaroos, wallabies, tree-kangaroos, pademelons and several others) in Australia. Since then six species have become extinct and a further eleven species are in a dire circumstance.
The ACT is not much different to a lot of Australia. In the ACT we had a number of those species which are now locally extinct with the most recent being the rock wallaby which was hunted relentlessly and last seen in the late 1950’s. So in answer to the question we are left with the Eastern grey kangaroo, red-necked wallaby, swamp wallaby and common wallaroo. Four species of what was perhaps quite a few more.
I have lined up our remaining species in this 1:20 video and although I included the rock wallaby as a ‘presumed’ extinct species, 50 years on, I don’t hold much hope of any surviving now.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
-
If anyone is looking for a place to do a little gold prospecting might I suggest the mighty Goodradigbee in the Brindabella Valley. I'll...
-
A little known fact is that Canberra is built on the top of numerous limestone caves... In 1821 Charles Throsby (1777 - 1828) (bio here ) ...
-
Canberra is I think very lucky in that most people are in walking distance, if not a short drive, from a nature reserve. Most allow dogs on ...
-
Duntroon House is the oldest residence in Canberra and has been included as part of the National Estate by the Australian Heritage Commissio...
-
A local feature on one of my walks. Not all ANZAC memorials are located at cenotaphs. On a hill near the Canberra suburbs of Chisholm and Gi...
