Western Brush Wallaby
Macropus irma (Jourdan, 1837)
Size
Head and body length
1200 mm
Tail length
540–970 (720) mm
Weight
7.0–9.0 (8.0) kg
Subspecies
None recognised
Description Photo. Babs & Bert Wells/Department of Conservation and
Pale to mid grey with distinct Land Management
white facial stripe, black and
white ears, black hands and feet. Long tail with crest of black hair towards extremity. Moves
fast with head low and tail extended.
Other common names
Black-gloved wallaby
Distribution
The western brush wallaby was very common in
the early days of settlement and periodically large
numbers were traded commercially for skins.
Their range has been seriously reduced and
fragmented due to clearing for agriculture and there is
a significant decline in abundance within most
remaining habitat. The western brush wallaby is now
distributed across the south-west of Western Australia
from north of Kalbarri to Cape Arid.
Key To Map: Dark grey = present
distribution
Habitat
The western brush wallaby’s optimum habitat is open forest or woodland, particularly
favouring open, seasonally wet flats with low grasses and open scrubby thickets. It is also
found in some areas of mallee and heathland, and is uncommon in karri forest.
Behaviour
The western brush wallaby is a grazer like the larger kangaroos, rather than a browser. It
has not been studied in detail. Activity is greatest in the early morning and late afternoon and
it rests during the hotter part of day, singly or in pairs in the shade of a bush or in small
thickets. It is more diurnal in its habits than other macropods in the region.
Diet
Little is known of the western brush wallaby’s food preferences but it appears to be able to
manage without free water. One study has found that the western brush wallaby consumed 29
species of plants including Carpobrotus edulis, Cynodon dactylon and Nuytsia floribunda
which represented the three most common dietary items.
Breeding
The breeding season has not been defined accurately but young are born some time from
April to May, emerging from the pouch in October or November.
Threatening processes
A dramatic increase in the number of foxes in the early 1970s in south-western Australia
appears to have led to a decline in the numbers of western brush wallaby. It is thought that
juveniles not long out of the pouch may fall prey to this predator. The western brush wallaby
is now uncommon throughout its range but its numbers increase in response to fox baiting. It
is thought that foxes may take young wallabies and there is also evidence that illegal hunting
may affect their abundance in some areas.
Conservation status
2000 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Lower Risk (near threatened)
Western Australian Wildlife Conservation Act Not Listed (Priority 4)
Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act Not listed
Management
The western brush wallaby was fully protected in 1951. As no detailed biological studies
have been completed for this species it is recommended that the following actions be
undertaken:
• Monitor abundance at selected sites throughout range, including areas where fox control
has been implemented.
• Conduct research aimed at clarifying the reasons for the species decline.
Other interesting facts
• The western brush wallaby is a speedy animal, able to weave or side-step with ease as it
moves low to the ground with its long tail extended, and so is clearly adapted to life on
the open ground.
Selected references
Christensen, P. (1995). Western Brush Wallaby. In R. Strahan (Ed.) The Mammals of
Australia. Australian Museum and Reed Books. Chatswood, NSW.
Maxwell S., Burbidge A.A, Morris K. (1996). The 1996 Action plan for Australian
Marsupials and Monotremes. Wildlife Australia, Canberra.
Wann, J. M. and Bell, D. T. (1997). Dietary preferences of the black-gloved wallaby
(Macropus irma) and the western grey kangaroo (M. fuliginosus) in Whiteman Park, Perth,
Western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia 80: 55–62.
Website links
http://www.naturebase.net/projects/west_shield.html
http://www.naturebase.net/news/NewsData/html/cn_00011.html
http://www.ea.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/action/marsupials/26.html
