The Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby (Petrogale pemc/i/ofoj 

 in Western Victoria 



by N. A Wmo i ll il' 



Absi bac i 



1 vkIcikc 15 presented nf pa^l O0C1W 

 cnen of PvMtyfa i»nidllarn in W, 

 Vic. insMl reinffiira .11 Hv.tduk ( M« 

 faeces .it Mount \iupilcs. jmd "U 

 lite-iatnie tclcienies lo living animals 

 in Ihc liiainpions Details .ire given of 

 the dkcnvcrj of a Miiviving colony in 



the £j i|M.ms. and ill observations ol 



three members of ihc colony TO 

 hahil.il is described, ami ftstiitj arc 



iffV©n 01 jn aascfswiaU ol food 111 lne 

 iocfl] raek-vwtllubies, based on study ot 



tttfflpfe* Ol faeces Qttwi mammals 

 occurring in the colony itea aM noted, 

 ami st&e$$mciii ls ' n ' u 'c of the extent 



and nunicncal Strength of Ihc rocK- 



KfliU&bv occurrence Sticucstmns arc 



made for conscrvaUon ol Ihc GraWPlMM 

 rock-wallabies. 



INTRO.H.CT.ON 



The Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby was 

 thought lo have disappeared Iron, 

 Victoria OVfit 50 years ago. and u 

 was rediscovered in (he Snowy River 

 valley to NE. Gippsland by Mr. 

 Keith Rogers of Wulgulmcrang m 

 al.oul L938 (Wakolicid 19S$), Sub 

 sequently il was ascertained that Ihe 

 species survived in about nine small 

 colons areas in that region, and thai 

 it was apparently limited to a trad 

 of country approximately 25 miles 



lone and "20 miles wide (WafcefwW 



1961. 1963b). 



An additional one-rime occurrence 

 of the species is documented by Lin- 

 gard (date unknown), who describes 

 a rock -wallaby colony which he 

 visited in Ihc Curravvong area, near 

 the Snowy Rlvec in SE. New Soulh 

 Wales, m 1842 (see Fig. 1). 



During Ihc past several years I he 

 NE. Gippsland colonies have been. 



92 



reduced in number Ihc one al \\';<\. 

 I.ili y Rocks. Wlllgulmerailg, has died 

 out. and the colony near Moiini 

 Seldom seen appears lo have been 

 eliminated in the severe hushlire tj| 

 1965. Other Of the smallet occutr 

 etXESS ni.iv also have succumbed. bin 

 the species should survive indefinite!', 

 both in the. I it tie River Gorge. Wnl. 

 iMihuerang, anil in the Snowy Riui 

 QorgC to tbfi east of Butchers Ridge, 

 Suhfossil remains of a single 

 individual of frfrtfjofe penkMtm 

 were found m one of the Bvaduk 

 Caves. SW. Vic, by Mr Lionel 

 I Imoic of Hamilton, in 1961. This 

 m.ii.i i;it was considered to be pre- 

 historic (Wakefield 1964a). and M 

 represent "the sole indication that the 

 species ever occurred in W. Vic 

 toria ' (Wakefield 1964b). However 

 the latter opinion overlooked report', 

 by Ihomas flSWO and Audas ( 1925. 

 I9M)) that the species lived in the 

 Gram pi ails. 



Figure 1 shows past and picveni 

 occiuieiices i>l I'ciro^ilc pmiciUuui 

 in and near Victoria. The localilu-v 

 are those discussed in previous re- 



pons (Wakefield 1-961. l%3hi 



.,nd m the present article 



I hi Bvvnuh Si'i.c tMi h 



This was found in the Bridge Cave. 



Byaduk. on rocks in cavern behind 



bat chamber", and it comprises most 



of a skull, with adult dentition on 



one side, and large pieces of POM- 



cranial bones. It is lodged ID (K 



.»i.fln, r Oepi.il.ntnl. »iltWjfl IrjOfcr,- lV>- 

 l,«c. CUyi™. Vi.do.iA 



Vtd Nat Vol. W 



