The Gray Wallaby (Macropus greyi), once considered the most elegant and graceful of wallabies in Australia, is now remembered as an extinct species that inhabited the region until the 1920s. This marsupial enchanted with its ash-striped fur. light and dark along the sides, and their presence was relatively common until around 1910.
However, European colonization marked a tragic fate for the Grey's Wallaby, as it was intensely hunted for its skin. Additionally, threats multiplied with fox persecution, destruction of their grassland habitat, and competition for resources. These factors contributed to its rapid decline, and in 1943, it was officially declared extinct.
With a slim, elegant figure, Grey's Wallaby featured a pale ash brown coat with a buff yellow belly, and a tail that turned almost white at the tip. The distinctive black mark on his face, which extended from his nose to his eye, added a unique touch to his appearance.
This Wallaby, although mainly nocturnal, displayed unusual and extremely rapid movements during the twilight hours, outperforming most terrestrial predators. Despite conservation efforts in the 1920s, the last sightings in the wild occurred in 1924, and the last known individual in captivity survived until 1939. Although investigations were conducted in the 1970s in response to suspicious reports, the Grey's wallaby is presumed extinct, leaving its memory as a reminder of the consequences of human interference on wildlife.
Approximate measurements of Notamacropus greyi:
However, European colonization marked a tragic fate for the Grey's Wallaby, as it was intensely hunted for its skin. Additionally, threats multiplied with fox persecution, destruction of their grassland habitat, and competition for resources. These factors contributed to its rapid decline, and in 1943, it was officially declared extinct.
With a slim, elegant figure, Grey's Wallaby featured a pale ash brown coat with a buff yellow belly, and a tail that turned almost white at the tip. The distinctive black mark on his face, which extended from his nose to his eye, added a unique touch to his appearance.
This Wallaby, although mainly nocturnal, displayed unusual and extremely rapid movements during the twilight hours, outperforming most terrestrial predators. Despite conservation efforts in the 1920s, the last sightings in the wild occurred in 1924, and the last known individual in captivity survived until 1939. Although investigations were conducted in the 1970s in response to suspicious reports, the Grey's wallaby is presumed extinct, leaving its memory as a reminder of the consequences of human interference on wildlife.
Approximate measurements of Notamacropus greyi:
- Scale 1:24 Complete
- Length 63mm
- Height 45mm
- Snout-tail length 65 mm
- Scale 1:18 Complete
- Length 84mm
- Height 60mm
- Snout-base tail length 87 mm
