The purple-necked rock-wallaby (Petrogale purpureicollis) is a species of rock-wallaby first described in 1924 by Albert Sherbourne Le Souef, then director of the Taronga Zoo in Sydney, Australia, who noted a purple colouration around the neck and cranial features that distinguish it from other rock-wallaby species.
The purple colouration was thought by some sceptical scientists to be due to the animal rubbing against a dye, but the animal does in fact secrete a purple pigment. The pigment is known to wash off in the rain and fade away after death, causing some possible confusion with other rock-wallaby species.
The species has undergone taxonomic upheaval for decades and has variously been classified as an unadorned rock-wallaby, brush-tailed rock-wallaby, and black-flanked rock-wallaby. Le Souef and others have asserted that it was a new species, and this has been affirmed by a 2001 paper in the Australian Journal of Zoology.
References
- ^ Burbidge, A.A.; Woinarski, J. (2016). "Petrogale purpureicollis". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T136463A21955566. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-1.RLTS.T136463A21955566.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
External links
- Entry into the Australian Journal of Zoology
- Short biography of Albert Sherbourne Le Souef
- ABC article This page has an image.
Petrogale purpureicollis |
---|
-
Annuals36
-
Bulbs, Corms & Tubers41
-
Ferns27
-
Fruits3
-
Garden Plants23
-
Grasses26
-
Herb17
-
Insects1
-
Mammals1
-
Midwest Native Plants0
-
Northeast Native Plants112
-
Perennials123
-
Rose1
-
Shrubs47
-
Trees112
-
Tropical Plants53
-
Upland Birds5
-
Vines18
-
Viola Tricolor1
-
Water Gardening & Plants9
-
Waterfowl0
-
Wetland Birds0
-
Wetland Plants4
-
Wildbirds172
-
Wildflowers1
-
Woodland Plants29
Recent Comments