By Evan Hyatt
Geographic Range
Black Wallaroos are found in limited areas on the sandstone escarpment and plateau of the western edge of Arnhem Land, a region of northern Australia located to the west of the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Biogeographic Regions:
australian 
(native ).
Habitat
These animals usually occur in a wide range of vegetation types varying from closed forests to open Eucalyptus forests to hummock grasslands and heaths. In most cases, they are found in areas that have large boulders in the landscape.
Terrestrial Biomes:
forest .
Physical Description
(28.6 to 48.4 lbs; avg. 38.5 lbs)
The Black Wallaroo is one of the smallest species in the kangaroo family. They are roughly two thirds the size of northern wallaroos. They range from .8 meters tall in females, up to about 1 meter tall in males. The name comes from the color of the males, which are a sooty brown to glossy black, while females are a dark brown to grey color. The ears are shorter than nothern wallaroos. Unlike kangaroos where the muzzle is covered with hair, the black wallaroo's nose is completely naked.
Some key physical features:
endothermic ; bilateral symmetry .
Reproduction
All year
The Black Wallaroo, similar to other wallaroos, breed continously throughout the year under good conditions. Females often increase their area of activity in order to attract the largest most dominant male in that area. Reproduction often depends on lactation to nourish the underdeveloped young, which depends on the availability of food resources.
The female gestates between 31 and 36 days, and once born, the young, which are only a few centimeters in length, find their way to the mother's pouch and attach themselves to a nipple. A young is attached to the nipple until approximately 4 months of age, during which time the mother may be carrying another embryo in the uterus in an "embryonic diapause" or halted state of development. After the young detach themselves from the nipple, they continue to live in the pouch, but the mother is able to give birth to the other baby, which has resumed uterine development. The female wallaroo is then able to support two different aged joeys in the pouch simultaneously.
Key reproductive features:
year-round breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (internal ); viviparous ; delayed implantation .
The young emerge from the pouch after about 6 months. The mother can control the opening of the pouch with muscles to either keep the joey inside when the mother is alarmed or to get the joey to exit the pouch. Even after the joey is not living in the pouch anymore, it returns to the pouch to suckle for many months.
Parental investment:
altricial ; female parental care .
Behavior
The Black Wallaroo is a rather solitary animal, except while breeding; with no more than three individuals being found in a group (usually an adult male and female, along with a large young) Mothers often groom their young while it is still suckling but after it has exited the pouch.
Aggressive behaviors are shown between males, but rarely lead to injury, and usually end quickly. Threatening displays include stiff-legged walking, pulling on grass or bushes, and upright postures.
These animals are extremely shy, running until out of sight if approached. This makes them difficult to study, thus making the black wallaroo probably the least known of the kangaroos.
Food Habits
Black Wallaroos are grazers, who spend between 7 and 14 hours a day feeding, depending on the season. They are most active at dawn and dusk, but relatively inactive during the middle of both the day and night when they are resting. They eat mostly grasses and shrubs but will occasionally eat other plants.
Plant Foods:
leaves.
Predation
- dingos (Canis lupus dingo)
- red foxes (Vulpes vulpes)
- eagles (Accipitridae)
- crocodiles (Crocodylidae)
- humans (Homo sapiens)
The Black Wallaroo uses camoflauge to hide from predators. They are also rather quick, and they rely on speed to escape predators.
Predators include eagles, which take the young, dingos, foxes, crocodiles, and humans.
Economic Importance for Humans: Positive
There are not many positive benefits to humans mainly because these animals live in such a small area of Australia. They do not intrude on farm land, and do not disturb crops. They are the only type of kangaroo which is not good to eat; the meat has a rank and unpleasant smell and taste.
Conservation Status
IUCN Red List: [link]:
Lower Risk - Near Threatened.
US Federal List: [link]:
No special status.
CITES: [link]:
No special status.
The Black Wallaroo occurs naturally in a very small area, so it is important to protect this area. A large part of their habitat is located in the Kakadu National Park in Australia, which is already protected. The largest threat to the survival of the species is the change of fire patterns in their home range, which has altered the flora composition in the area where they live. Little is known about the abundance or population of this species, however, which makes it hard to determine if they are threatened by this change of fire patterns.
Other Comments
Wallaroo actually means, "rock kangaroo."
For More Information
Find Macropus bernardus information at
Contributors
Evan Hyatt (author), University of Michigan.
Bret Weinstein (editor), University of Michigan.
