Mala
Lagorchestes hirsutus
Australia's Threatened Species Category
Endangered
Listed since: 31/08/2023
IUCN's Threatened Species Category
Vulnerable
Listed since: 31/12/2012
Population trend: Stable
Other names: Rufous Hare-Wallaby (Central Australia)
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
The Mala is one of the smaller sized terrestrial macropods and is a �true� hare-wallaby, receiving the name of rufous hare-wallaby from its supposed resemblance to the hare and the rufous colour of their long, soft fur. The Mala currently only occurs within predator exclusion fenced sites into which they have been reintroduced and on Trimouille Island. Habitat preferred by Mala are spinifex hummock grasslands, tussock grasses and shrublands in
sandplains, sand-dune desert. Mala will feed on spinifex in addition to more nutritious forbs and grasses with a greater water content.
Threats
Historically, predation by foxes and feral cats was the cause of the final declines of wild Mala. With this threat managed by separating Mala from introduced predators (on an island and fenced enclosures), climate change is the most significant current threat to existing subpopulations of Mala. Drought is known to interrupt breeding in rufous hare-wallabies and if drought is prolonged food resources may become limited and breeding disrupted, leading to population decline. Climate change may also increase the risk of uncontrolled fires, which causes direct mortality of Mala and destroys the species� habitat.
Quollity Conservation Hub's Vulnerability Score:
47
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.