Bridled Nail-tail Wallaby
Onychogalea fraenata
Australia's Threatened Species Category
Endangered
Listed since: 16/12/2016
IUCN's Threatened Species Category
Vulnerable
Listed since: 1/03/2016
Population trend: Stable
Other names: Bridled Nailtail Wallaby
Priority Species? No
The Australian government's Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032 selected over 100 priority species derive from consultation with threatened species experts and the wider community. While all species are important, focusing on a limited number of species can help target effort and resources so that outcomes can be achieved, measured and shared.
Description
All four wild populations of the Bridled Nail-tail Wallaby are in reserve systems; Taunton National Park (Scientific), Idalia National Park, Scotia Sanctuary, and Avocet Nature Refuge. The Bridled Nail-tail Wallaby occurs in woodland, particularly in Brigalow scrub, preferring areas with the most fertile soil. They shelter beneath shrubs, in large grass tussocks, and inside hollow logs. Bridled Nail-tail Wallabies have a distinctive 'bridle' of white around the shoulder blades, which begins as a white stripe bordered by black at the back of the neck.
Threats
Reasons suggested for the decline of the Bridled Nail-tail Wallaby include competition with domestic herbivores (notably sheep), habitat alteration, and predation by introduced predators, especially the�Fox. There is strong evidence to support the hypothesis that the introduction of domestic grazing, especially sheep, is the major cause of decline of the species with clearing of native vegetation for agriculture and stock probably also played a role in the decline. Bridled Nail-tail Wallabies were also killed in large numbers by pastoralists in the early 1900s.
Quollity Conservation Hub's Vulnerability Score:
37
To help compare the relative vulnerability of different species, we have developed a scoring system based on biological and ecological characteristics that influence a species' ability to survive and recover from environmental change and natural disasters.
The framework is adapted from assessment methods used by conservation experts following the Black Summer bushfires to help identify species most in need of conservation action, research, and recovery funding.
Each species is assessed using a range of factors, including its conservation status, lifespan, reproductive rate, habitat and dietary requirements, ability to disperse or recover after fire, and the number and severity of threats it faces.
In general, the higher a species' score, the greater its overall vulnerability and risk of decline or extinction.
Like all conservation assessments, this scoring system is limited by the information currently available. Many threatened species remain poorly studied and receive limited research funding, meaning some assessments rely on the best available scientific knowledge or information from closely related species. As new research becomes available, scores may be updated to reflect our improved understanding.