Eastern Hare-wallaby
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| Lagorchestes leporides (Gould, 1841) |
The Eastern Hare-wallaby (Lagorchestes leporides) is an extinct species of wallaby. It lived on inland plains of South-eastern Australia. It had hare-like habits. It sat still in a well-formed 'seat' by day, usually in the shelter of a tussock. If approached too closely, it would bound off at great speed. One wallaby was chased by dogs for 500 metres and suddenly doubled back and came back within 6 metres of John Gould and leapt over his head; it could jump 1.8 metres high.
It was a common species, but may have competed with cattle or sheep or was possibly adversely affected by changing burning patterns or the spread of cats. The last record was a female collected by a Mr. Bennett in August 1889.
[edit] External source
- Flannery, Tim & Schouten, Peter (2001). A Gap in Nature: Discovering the World's Extinct Animals. Atlantic Monthly Press, New York. ISBN 0-87113-797-6.
- Groves, Colin (16 November 2005). in Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds): Mammal Species of the World, 3rd edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, 63. ISBN 0-801-88221-4.
[edit] References
- Australasian Marsupial & Monotreme Specialist Group (1996). Lagorchestes leporides. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 10 May 2006. Database entry includes a brief justification of why this species is listed as extinct
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