Animal Info - Rufous Hare Wallaby
(Other Names: Canguro-liebre peludo, Mala, Ormala, Spinifex Rat,
Wallaby-lièvre de l'Ouest, Wallaby-lièvre Roux, Western Hare Wallaby, Wurrup)
Lagorchestes hirsutus
Contents
1. Profile (Picture)
2. Tidbits
3. Status and Trends (IUCN Status, Countries Where
Currently Found, Population Estimates, History of Distribution, Threats and Reasons
for Decline)
4. Data on Biology and Ecology (Weight, Habitat, Birth Rate, Diet,
Behavior)
5. References
Profile
Pictures: Rufous Hare
Wallaby #1 (61 Kb JPEG) (Austral.
Wildl. Cons.); Rufous Hare
Wallaby #2 (95 Kb JPEG) (Terrambiente)
The rufous hare wallaby, which weighs up to about 2 kg (4.4 lb), generally is solitary
and nocturnal. It eats seedheads, young sedge and
grass leaves, herbs and shrubs. It is found in arid and semi-arid locations, particularly spinifex hummock grasslands of the sand plain and sand
dune deserts. A short burrow, up to 70 cm (2.3') long, is often dug for protection, and
for shelter in hot weather. Alternatively, it may rest during the day, in a depression
lightly scratched in the ground in the shade of a bush or by a tuft of grass. A female
usually rears one young per year.
The rufous hare wallaby was first documented by Western observers in the early part of the
19th century. It was once common throughout most of the arid and semi-arid parts of Australia. It apparently still existed in the Great
Sandy and Gibson Deserts as recently as the 1930's. During approximately 1935-1960, a
major collapse in its numbers took place in the southwestern portion of Australia. By 1966, it occurred on Bernier and Dorre
Islands, although rare, and it probably still survived in inland western South Australia
and in the inland desert areas of Western Australia. Since then, the wild populations on
the mainland apparently have become extinct. As of 1996 it was reported to exist on
Bernier and Dorre Islands (these populations fluctuate significantly between years of high
and low rainfall) and on the mainland in two experimental reintroduction programs.
The decline of the rufous hare wallaby probably resulted from changed fire regimes. The
aborigines of Australia regularly used to set winter
fires in order to clear areas for easier hunting. This produced a mosaic of vegetation in
different stages of regeneration. This not only provided food for the rufous hare wallaby
but also prevented the build-up of brush which set the stage for devastating fires caused
by lightning during the summer. The decline of hare wallabies coincided with the removal
of the aborigines from large areas and the reduction of winter fires. Other factors for
its recent decline included clearing and fragmentation of habitat in southwestern western
Australia, and may have included predation by introduced cats and foxes and competition
with introduced rabbits.
Tidbits
*** The rufous hare wallaby's scientific name means "dancing hare."
*** These wallabies are not much larger than hares and resemble them in their movements
and, to some extent, in their habits.
*** The females, on average, are larger and heavier than the males.
*** Its habit of hiding in spinifex has given rise
to its name of "spinifex-rat."
*** It was once so common throughout most of the arid and semi-arid parts of Australia that it was an important food source for
aborigines.
Status and Trends
- 1960's: Insufficiently Known
- 1970's - 1980's: Rare
- 1994: Endangered
- 1996 - 2004: Vulnerable (Criteria: D2) (Population Trend: Decreasing)
(IUCN 2004)
Countries Where the Rufous Hare Wallaby Is Currently Found:
2004: Occurs in Australia (IUCN
2004).
Population Estimates:
[Note: Figures given are for wild populations only.]
History of Distribution:
The rufous hare wallaby was first documented by Western observers in the early part of
the 19th century. It was once so common throughout most of the arid and semi-arid parts of
Australia, occupying more than 25% of that country,
that many early explorers commented on its abundance. The areas where it occurred included
Western Australia (the wheatbelt east to the South Australia border north of Nullarbor
Plain; north to Shark Bay and east through the Great Sandy and Gibson Deserts to the
Northern Territory border), Northern Territory (spinifex
deserts from Stuart Highway west to the Western Australia border) and South Australia (the
northwest desert area). It apparently still existed in the Great Sandy and Gibson Deserts
as recently as the 1930's.
During approximately 1935-1960, a major collapse in its numbers took place in the
southwestern portion of Australia. By 1966, it
occurred on Bernier and Dorre Islands, although rare, and it probably still survived in
inland western South Australia and in the inland desert areas of Western Australia. By
1987, it occurred only in two populations in the Tanami Desert, Northern Territory and
Dorre and Bernier Islands in Shark Bay, Western Australia. In the early 1990's it was
reported that "satisfactory" numbers existed on Bernier and Dorre Islands, with
only one small mainland population remaining in the Tanami Desert, comprising
approximately 30 individuals. Unfortunately, the mainland population was apparently wiped
out by fire. As of 1996 it was reported to exist on Bernier and Dorre Islands (these
populations fluctuate significantly between years of high and low rainfall) and on the
mainland in two experimental reintroduction programs.
Threats and Reasons for Decline:
The aborigines of Australia avidly hunted hare
wallabies for food, but this may have benefited the animals. The aborigines regularly set
winter fires in order to clear areas for easier hunting. This produced a mosaic of
vegetation in different stages of regeneration. This not only provided food for the rufous
hare wallaby but also prevented the build-up of brush which set the stage for devastating
fires caused by lightning during the summer. The decline of hare wallabies coincided with
the removal of the aborigines from large areas and the reduction of winter fires. The two
mainland colonies of the rufous hare wallaby discovered in the Tanami Desert in the 1970's
were in localities where regular winter burning was still practiced. (Bolton & Latz 1978) Other factors for
its recent decline included clearing and fragmentation of habitat in southwestern western
Australia, and may have included predation by introduced cats and foxes and competition
with introduced rabbits.
Data on Biology and Ecology
The rufous hare wallaby weighs 0.78 - 1.96 kg (1.7 - 4.3 lb).
Habitat:
Arid and semi-arid parts of Australia,
particularly spinifex hummock grasslands of the sand
plain and sand dune deserts. Studies have shown that the Western hare wallaby is fairly
mobile but is largely absent from large areas of old spinifex, preferring areas with a
mosaic of unburnt areas and areas that are regenerating after fires. Island populations
occur in hummock grasslands and sand plain heath.
The rufous hare wallaby is one of the species that live in the Southwest
Australia Biodiversity
Hotspot (Cons.
Intl.).
Birth Rate:
A female usually rears 1 young per year.
Diet:
The rufous hare wallaby appears to favor recently burned vegetation that is
regenerating, traveling up to 150 m (490') into recently burnt areas to feed from its
colony in an unburnt area. Studies of a small population in the Tanami Desert showed that
it ate seedheads and young sedge and grass leaves. (Bolton & Latz 1978) Herbs and shrubs are
also eaten. It has a stomach that is well adapted to a high plant-fiber diet.
Behavior:
A short burrow, up to 70 cm (2.3') long, is often dug for protection, and for shelter
in hot weather. Alternatively, it may rest during the day, hidden under a hummock of spinifex.
References
Austral. Wildl. Cons., Bolton & Latz 1978, Burbidge & McKenzie 1989, Burton & Pearson 1987, Cons.
Intl., Earth
Sanctuaries, Flannery 1990, IUCN 1966,
IUCN 1994, IUCN 1996, IUCN 2000, IUCN
2003a, IUCN 2004,
Kennedy 1992,
Maxwell et al. 1996, Nowak
& Paradiso 1983, Terrambiente
Top of Page | Search
This Site
Home | Rarest Mammals
| Species Index | Species Groups
Index | Country Index | Links
Last modified: June 3, 2006;
|
