Banded Hare-wallaby

© Brad Leue/AWC

Quick Facts

  • OFFICIAL NAME: Lagostrophus fasciatus
  • FAMILY: Macropodidae (kangaroos and wallabies)
  • NATIONAL CONSERVATION STATUS: Vulnerable
  • STATE CONSERVATION STATUS: Threatened in WA
  • SURVIVING POPULATION: Approximately 10,000 individuals
What Is Awc Doing Brad Leue Banded Hare Wallaby © Brad Leue/AWC

What is AWC doing?

Since 2004, AWC has established two new populations of Banded Hare-wallabies. A series of translocations from 2004 to 2012 established a population on AWC’s Faure Island Wildlife Sanctuary in Shark Bay, Western Australia, which has no feral predators.

In late 2017, AWC reached a milestone: returning Banded Hare-wallabies to mainland Australia for the first time in more than one hundred years. The initial translocation involved the transfer of 60 Banded Hare-wallabies from Shark Bay to Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary in WA. AWC’s 7,800-hectare fenced area at Mt Gibson is the largest feral predator-free haven in mainland WA. Over time, the growth of the Mt Gibson population is expected to substantially increase the total population of the species.

Threats To Wildlife Richard Ali Banded Hare Wallaby © Richard Ali/Invasive Animals CRC

Threats to Wildlife

Banded Hare-wallabies are highly susceptible to predation by foxes and cats, and have not survived anywhere that these feral predators are present. Attempts to reintroduce the species to Dirk Hartog Island and Peron Peninsula in Western Australia failed due to predation by feral cats, combined with drought. The south-west of Western Australia has experienced a decline in rainfall in recent decades; further declines are likely to put pressure on populations of the species. In the past, extensive areas of Banded Hare-wallaby habitat were cleared for agriculture.

Vulnerable

Description

Banded Hare-wallabies are small and stoutly built, weighing 1-2 kg, with a head-body length of 40-45 cm. They have a series of transverse dark bars that run from the middle of their back to the base of their tail. They have long, thick fur that is predominantly grey but also grizzled with pale yellow and silver; and a rufous tinge on their flanks. 

Ecology

Banded Hare-wallabies are mostly active at night, and shelter during the day under dense Acacia thickets. They feed primarily on shrubs and, to a lesser extent, grasses.  

Breeding can occur at any time throughout the year, but peaks in late summer. Embryonic diapause has been recorded in this species. This means that, soon after giving birth, the female mates again, and the resultant embroyo stays dormant while the pouch is occupied. In the wild, lifespan is approximately six years. 

Range and abundance

Banded Hare-wallabies once occurred across southern Australia from western Victoria to south-west Western Australia. The last record from mainland Australia was in 1906, and today the only naturally occurring populations are on Bernier and Dorre Islands, Shark Bay, Western Australia. 

Sanctuaries Where You Can Find the Branded Hare-wallaby

© Brad Leue/AWC
Western Australia

Mt Gibson

Mt Gibson Wildlife Sanctuary protects a large area of diverse habitat in the south of Western Australia. As the site...

© Chantelle Jackson/AWC
Western Australia

Faure Island

Faure Island is part of the Shark Bay World Heritage Area, tucked between the Peron Peninsula and mainland Western Australia....

Other Wildlife You May Be Interested In

© Wayne Lawler/AWC
Mammals

Greater Bilby

The Bilby is an iconic Australian marsupial, instantly recognisable by its long pointed snout, long ears, soft grey fur and...

© Wayne Lawler/AWC
Mammals

Numbat

The Numbat is unique among Australian mammals. It is a highly specialised, termite eating marsupial. AWC protects Numbat populations within...

© Kim Wormald
Mammals

Bridled Nailtail Wallaby

The Bridled Nailtail Wallaby was believed to be extinct for much of the 20th century, until the chance discovery of a surviving population in 1973. AWC reintroduced a...

Subscribe to receive our latest news from the field

"*" indicates required fields

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Latest news from the field

Wayne Lawler/AWC
News from the Field Press Release 19 Mar. 2024

Bilby bonanza brings on burrowing blitz

J Schofield/AWC