There are fifteen known species of rock wallabies including P. concinna. Petrogale concinna has a variety of names such as the Nabarlek and little pigmy rock wallaby. It was discovered in 1842 by a gentleman by the name of Gould.
Marsupials are rarely vocal. When they are used, vocalizations play a role primarily in mating, territorial, and mother to young encounters. Captive Petrogale concinna displayed vocalization during adult female encounters. Using vocalization establishes dominance among females. Vocalization was nearly always given by the defending animal, with each call appearing to have different functional significances. Threat calls are screams, given in response to an attack; sneezes are given at intermediate distances in response to movements of the opponent; coughs are threat calls given in response to an approach; barks are hesitant calls that are generally given at long distances.
Communication Channels: tactile ; acoustic
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Although Petrogale concinna is not listed as being threatened it is found on two of Australia's conservation reserves; Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: data deficient
No known negative economic importance.
Little is known about Petrogale concinna.
Positive Impacts: research and education
Members of this species are herbivores. They may play a role in determining the structure of plant communities.
Ecosystem Impact: disperses seeds
Petrogale concinna does not stray far from the safety of its rock shelter, except that at night it may travel far distances to feed on grasses, sedges and ferns. During the dry season this species relies on a fern Marsilea crenata, feeding primarily on grasses during the wet season.
Unlike most macropodids, adult P. concinna lack a specialized structure called a gastric sulcus. This structure is found in most herbivores that have modified stomachs for microbial fermentation of food, and facilitates movement of liquid digesta. Captive P. concinna were seen frequently regurgitating food. According to Goldstone and Nelson “this behavior is not analogous to rumination in ruminants and has been termed mercyism”.
Plant Foods: leaves; roots and tubers
Primary Diet: herbivore (Folivore )
Petrogale concinna is found only in the Northern Territory of Australia and a few neighboring islands (Borda, Augustus, Long and Hidden).
Biogeographic Regions: australian (Native )
Petrogale concinna is restricted to the sandstone or granite rocky hills, cliffs and gorges of northern Australia.
Range elevation: 300 to 600 m.
Habitat Regions: tropical
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland
The maximum known lifespan of Petrogale concinna is 17 years.
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 11.7 years.
Petrogale concinna has dull, reddish colored fur with light grey and black marbling. The belly is greyish-white. The tip of tail is black and bushy. The fur is short with a soft, silky texture. The soles of the feet are thickly padded and granulated in order to grip rock; these animals use skin friction rather than large claws to climb. Body size varies among individuals. Head and body length can range from 310-365 mm; the tail can range 260-335mm; hind feet can be 95-105 mm; ear length can be 41-45 mm; and weight can range from 1200-1600g g.
The teeth of Petrogale concinna are unique among marsupials. Throughout life, the molars of P. concinna continually erupt. The old molars are pushed forward until they eventually fall out in the front of the mouth. The actual number of molars is unknown. As many as nine molars can successively erupt, but there are seldom more than five molars in place at any time. Researchers believe this phenomenon could be an adaptation to the ferns that they eat, because fern tissue is extremely abrasive.
As Petrogale concinna runs, it carries its body horizontally with its tail arched high over its back.
Range mass: 1200 to 1600 g.
Range length: 310 to 365 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike
Current threats to P. concinna include habitat change by altered fire regimes and possible attacks by feral cats.
Known Predators:
Little is known about this species in the wild. Captive Petrogale concinna females are known to attack males after mating by kicking and bites to the back of head and neck. If the male was not removed, he would be killed.
Captive Petrogale concinna breed throughout the year, and post-partum estrus and embryonic diapause occur. The estrous cycle lasts from an average of 31-36 days. Dominant females posess a shorter estrous cycle than subordinant females. Females have one offspring per litter and gestation lasts roughly thirty days. The time to weaning in P. concinna is much shorter than that of the other species in its genus. After 160 days outside of the pouch, the joey is completely weaned and, in 175 days, it is independent.
Breeding season: Breeding occurs continually throughout the year.
Average number of offspring: 1.
Average gestation period: 30 days.
Average weaning age: 160 days.
Average time to independence: 175 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female): 2 years.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male): 2 years.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; year-round breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous ; embryonic diapause ; post-partum estrous
Average gestation period: 30 days.
Average number of offspring: 1.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 430 days.
Females nurse and care for their young until they reach independence. Once the young are weaned, mothers do not tolerate their continued presence. Females drive off young when they attempts to suckle. They may bite at the tail of the young, occasionally causing the tail to become lost due to irritation caused by bites.
Parental Investment: altricial ; pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)
