26 August 2015

Possible Nabarlek

Hello mammal enthousiasts!

Here is a link to my film material of my possible Nabarlek, filmed in Kakadu National Park.

Hope it will clarify the species involved. It was solitary on the rocks and very small.

Best regards,

Pieter de Groot Boersma

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8 Comments

  • 29 August 2015
    Malcolm Turner

    Yes, it is a Nabarlek. Note the bushy tail held up in a curve. Nice footage.
    Malcolm Turner

  • 31 August 2015
    Israel

    looks like a short-eared rock wallaby to me. They are larger than nabarlek, but the white stripe on the flank is a distinguishing feature.

  • 31 August 2015
    pietervogelfreak

    Hi Malcolm and Israel, thank you for your replies! It is a difficult matter. For instance, is the tail held in a curve that reliable as an identification? And the white stripe on the flank isn’t that distinguishing for the Wilkins’s (Short-eared) Rock Wallaby as I look at this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzsBAjBU8BA

    Hope to hear from you again,

    Best regards,

    Pieter de Groot Boersma

    • 31 August 2015
      Israel

      the Perth Zoo animal in that video was a misidentified short-eared rock wallaby. The zoo’s census for 2013 lists it as a nabarlek (and that is what all the articles and videos from then identify it as) but in the 2014 census this had been corrected.

      Other features of the short-eared rock wallaby as opposed to nabarlek (going by the field guide for Australia) are that the former has a black brush tail, and dark paws. Both species seem to hold their tail in an upward curve.

  • 31 August 2015
    Jon Hall

    I have a hunch its a Narbalek though I am not certain: the way it carries its tail is Narbalek-like to me. I have seen a Narbalek only once for sure, but have seen Short-eared RWs many times. I have sent it to others and will let you know if I get a reply

  • 30 September 2015
    Jon Hall

    Just to complete this discussion, I sent the video to experts in the Northern Territory who all believe this is a Short-eared Rock Wallaby. Its marking are, they think. too prominent to be a Narbalek. And I don’t believe we will get a better informed opinion than that jon

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