Northern nail-tail wallaby

Northern nail-tail wallaby[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Infraclass: Marsupialia
Order: Diprotodontia
Family: Macropodidae
Genus: Onychogalea
Species: O. unguifera
Binomial name
Onychogalea unguifera
(Gould, 1841)
The distribution of the northern nail-tail wallaby
Data from The Atlas of Living Australia

The northern nail-tail wallaby (Onychogalea unguifera) also known as the sandy nail-tail wallaby, is a species of macropod found in Queensland, Western Australia and Northern Territory. Unlike the bridled nail-tail wallaby (O. fraenata), the northern nail-tail wallaby is not a threatened species.[2] The only other member of the genus, the crescent nail-tail wallaby (O. lunata), is extinct.

The northern nail-tail wallaby by far the largest species in the genus Onychogalea. It is a solitary, nocturnal browser feeding on a variety of foliage. It is a sandy colour, which gave rise to its other common name.[3]

Two subspecies have been defined, but their validity is disputed.

References

  1. Groves, C.P. (2005). Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M., eds. Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 66. OCLC 62265494. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
  2. 1 2 Woinarski, J.; Winter, J. & Burbidge, A. (2008). "Onychogalea unguifera". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2008. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
  3. Menkhorst, Peter (2001). A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia. Oxford University Press. p. 124.
  4. Gordon, G. (1981). "Northern Nailtail Wallaby". In Ronald Strahan. The Complete Book of Australian Mammals. Angus & Robertson. p. 204.


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