Banded hare-wallaby  (Lagostrophus fasciatus)

Description

The banded hare-wallaby is the only survivor of a group of at least 20 ‘short faced kangaroos’ (subfamily Sthenurinae) that once existed across Australia. However, the distinctive transverse dark stripes on the lower back of this grey-furred wallaby, for which the species gets its common name, led to its original (erroneous) description in 1699 as ‘a sort of raccoon’ (4). The thick shaggy grizzled grey fur is otherwise speckled with yellow and silver, and shades to pale grey on the underbelly (4) (5). Two subspecies are recognised: Lagostrophus fasciatus albipilis, which is now considered to be extinct (2), was more reddish in colour with less pronounced stripes and a bigger hair crest on the head, than the remaining subspecies Lagostrophus fasciatus fasciatus. The snouts of both are normally hairless and short (6).

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