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The Black-footed Rock Wallaby (Petrogale lateralis) belongs in the genus Petrogale in the family Macropodidae, a group of of marsupials commonly known as rock wallabies.
Rock Wallabies are no taller than half a metre, and it is their agility and speed as they travel across seemingly sheer cliff faces that amazes many people who are lucky to catch a glimpse of them in motion. When not moving, they blend almost perfectly into the rocky escarpment.
Images © Dorothy L
Their ability to traverse rock faces is down to their powerful spring-loaded hind legs, textured soles providing maximum traction, as well as their muscular tails for steering and stability.
The Black-footed Rock Wallaby can often be seen along the rocky escarpment of the East and West MacDonnell Ranges.
Following images of the Black-footed Rock Wallaby sighted on the Meyer’s Hill escarpment in the Olive Pink Botanic Garden. During the cooler months you may catch a glimpse of them enjoying the warmth of the winter sun on the eastern side of the escarpment. Sometimes they come down in the early morning into the garden area, where on occasion you can also see the wallaroos and euros.
Sometimes in the early morning, if you are enjoying coffee or breakfast at the garden cafe, you may see the occasional Black-footed Rock Wallaby come down to the outdoor cafe area to see what is happening.
Check out our Fauna section about the Black-footed Rock Wallaby and Kangaroo, Wallaroo, Euro, Wallaby.
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Black-footed Rock Wallaby | Grey-crowned Babbler | Insects | Sacred Kingfisher | Western Bowerbird
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Infraclass: Marsupialia
- Order: Diprotodontia
- Family: Macropodidae
- Genus: Petrogale
- Species: P. lateralis
- Binomial name: Petrogale lateralis
OPBG FaunaBirds at Olive Pink Botanic Garden Grey-crowned Babbler Sacred Kingfisher Western Bowerbird Black-footed Rock Wallaby Insects at Olive Pink Botanic Garden Australiphthiria (Bee Fly) Ground Shield Bug (Choerocoris paganus) Laced Day-Moth (Ipanica cornigera) Yellow Hairy Flower Wasp (Radumeris tasmaniensis) Spiders Australian Golden Orb Weaver Spider (Trichonephila edulis) Orange Spider Wasp (Cryptocheilus bicolor) Striped Orb Weaver (Neoscona sp)