Yellow‐footed rock‐wallaby in Queensland 133
context may support higher goat populations, as shown by the significant relationship between mean effective distance to water and goat presence during the 2020s. By 2023, the EOO and AOO of the subspecies had both
increased because of recolonization of north-eastern sites. The EOO and AOO are likely to increase further by 2025, once 5 years have elapsed following the translocations made further north-east on Ravensbourne and these sites become eligible for inclusion in geographical range calcula- tions (Table 3; IUCN, 2022). However, because of the exis- tence of small subpopulations, ,10 suitable locations (as defined by the significant threat of goat competition), the population size of,10,000 and there being,1,000 animals in each subpopulation, as well as there being other known threats, P. xanthopus celeris remains eligible for categoriza- tion as Vulnerable under IUCN criteria B2ab(iii) and C2a(i) (Table 3). Habitat quality is predicted to decline because of the ongoing threat posed by goats, which have been intro- duced to numerous rock-wallaby localities since the erection of exclusion fences in the past decade. Given the evidence presented here, this is projected to result in declines of these rock-wallaby subpopulations. Potential P. xanthopus celeris habitat between the apparently isolated McGregor Range subpopulation and the main occurrence of the sub- species should be thoroughly surveyed, possibly via helicop- ter, which has proven to be an effective survey method in Idalia and Welford national parks (N. Finch, pers. comm., July 2023). Repeat surveys, including of a minimum subset of core monitoring sites, should occur approximately every decade to provide vital data on population trends and threats to inform future conservation management.
Author contributions Organization and leadership of the 2020s surveys, collation of data from the 1970s–2020s, writing: JLS; co-design of the original methodology, participation in the 1980s surveys, organ- ization and leadership of the 2010–2015 surveys: PDM; 2010s surveys: JLS, ICG, AH, TLW, DM; 2020s surveys: JLS, ICG, AH, JM, TLW, RJF, AJH; data analysis: RJF, AJH; writing and revision: all authors.
Acknowledgements Funding for this project was provided by Threatened Species Operations, Department of Environment, Science and Innovation, Queensland Government. Rodney Manthey, Neil Marks, David Akers, Ingrid Elmitt, Harry Macdermott, Boris Laffineur, Rod Fensham, Rosie Kerr, Shane Hume, Rebecca Richardson, Chloe Tully, Jim Wilson, Aisha Damali, Zainab Damali- Healy, Rowan Fairfax, Oliver Scully and Maree Tulley assisted with field surveys during 2010–2023. We thank the yellow-footed rock- wallaby researchers of the 1970s and 1980s, including Greg Gordon, Merv Parker, Gary Porter, Tony Paulsen, GordonWilkinson, Caroline Sandercoe, Jenny Curnow, Daryl Reimer, Ross Blick, G. Innes and K. Smith, for providing pioneering baseline data. Discussions with Ian Hume illuminated aspects of P. xanthopus celeris dynamics at Lisburne and Amaroo over the past 4 decades. Boris Laffineur accessed SILO data for the sites. Cameron Wilson provided a shapefile of exclusion fences. Jane McDonald commented on the text. We thank the land- holders andmanagers for their hospitality and interest in thismarsupial. JLSwas funded bytheNationalEnvironmental ScienceProgramthrough theThreatened SpeciesRecoveryHub during data collation, analysis and writing. PDM passed away suddenly in September 2018. We warmly
acknowledge his contributions to yellow-footed rock-wallaby research andconservationandhis loveof the backcountryofwesternQueensland.
Conflicts of interests None.
Ethical standards This research abided by the Oryx guidelines on ethical standards.
Data availability Survey data presented in this article are available in the Supplementary Material.
References
ALLEN, C.B. (2001) Analysis of dietary competition between three sympatric herbivores in semi-arid west Queensland. PhD thesis. University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
ALLEN, B.L., FLEMING, P.J.S.,ALLEN, L.R., ENGEMAN, R.M., BALLARD, G. & LEUNG, L.K.-P. (2013) As clear as mud: a critical review of evidence for the ecological role of Australian dingoes. Biological Conservation, 159, 158–174.
ARCHER, M., FLANNERY,T.F.&GRIGG, G.C. (1985) The Kangaroo. Kevin Weldon, Sydney, Australia.
BRISCOE, D.A.,CALABY, J.H.,CLOSE, R.L.,MAYNES, G.M.,MURTAGH, C.E. & SHARMAN, G.B. (1982) Isolation, introgression and genetic variation in rock-wallabies. In Species at Risk: Research in Australia (eds R.H. Groves &W.D.L. Ride), pp. 73–87. Australian Academy of Science, Canberra, Australia.
CASTLE, G., KENNEDY, M.S. & ALLEN, B.L. (2023) Stuck in the mud: persistent failure of ‘the science’ to provide reliable information on the ecological roles of Australian dingoes. Biological Conservation, 285, 110234.
COPLEY, P.B. (1983) Studies on the yellow-footed rock-wallaby, Petrogale xanthopus Gray (Marsupialia: Macropodidae) I. Distribution in South Australia. AustralianWildlife Research, 10, 47–61.
COPLEY, P.B. & ROBINSON, A.C. (1983) Studies on the yellow-footed rock-wallaby, Petrogale xanthopus Gray (Marsupialia: Macropodidae). 2. Diet. Australian Wildlife Research, 10, 63–76.
COPLEY, P.B., ELLIS,M.& VAN WEENEN,J.(2016) Petrogale
xanthopus.In The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.
dx.doi. org/10.2305/
IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T16750A21955455.en.
DAWSON, T.J. & ELLIS, B.A. (1979) Comparison of the diets of yellow-footed rock-wallabies and sympatric herbivores in western New South Wales. AustralianWildlife Research, 6, 244–254.
DICKMAN, C.R., MAHON, P.S., MASTERS,P.&GIBSON, D.F. (1999) Long-term dynamics of rodent populations in arid Australia: the influence of rainfall. Wildlife Research, 26, 389–403.
DOVEY, L.,WONG,V. & BAYNE,P.(1997) An overview of the status and management of rock-wallabies (Petrogale) inNew South Wales. Australian Mammalogy, 19, 163–168.
ELDRIDGE, M.D.B. (1997) Restriction analysis of mitochondrial DNA from the yellow-footed rock-wallaby, Petrogale xanthopus: implications for management. Wildlife Research, 24, 289–294.
ELDRIDGE, M.D.B. (2023) Yellow-footed rock-wallaby Petrogale
xanthopus.In Strahan’s Mammals of Australia, 4th edition (eds A.M. Baker & I.C. Gynther), pp. 340–342. New Holland Publishers, Sydney, Australia.
FINLAYSON, H.H. (1935) The Red Centre:Manand Beast in the Heart of Australia. Angus & Robertson, Sydney, Australia.
GORDON, G., MCGREEVY, D.G. & LAWRIE, B.C. (1978) The yellow- footed rock wallaby, Petrogale xanthopus Gray (Macropodiae) in Queensland. AustralianWildlife Research, 5, 295–297.
Oryx, 2025, 59(1), 123–135 © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Fauna & Flora International doi:10.1017/S0030605324000760
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132 |
Page 133 |
Page 134 |
Page 135 |
Page 136 |
Page 137 |
Page 138 |
Page 139 |
Page 140
