Mala

The IUCN lists this animal as endangered.
The EPBC lists the central Mala as endangered and the Mala/Western Hare Wallaby from Bernier and Dorre Islands in Western Australia as vulnerable.

These Mala photographed here are from the Alice Springs Desert Park and they are named Lagorchestes hirsutus

Not all kangaroos and wallaby's are large. These wallaby's are approx 310-400mm in length from the head and body. The tail is approx 245-300mm in length and they weigh approx 800-2000grams

I asked the Alice Springs Desert Park these questions.

Is the Mala concerned with nest building?

"This species utilizes any little divot or hollow under shrubs and grasses for its shelter."..."does not search and store vegetation or require an elaborate nest"

What does it eat?

In the wild it eats the green tips and seed heads of grasses, herbs and leaves of some shrubs.

This was a large termite mound that we found in the Tamani Desert.

You can see the spinifex that the Mala/Western Rufous Hare Wallaby uses to hide around and shelter under. If you have ever walked in spinifex you will know how spiky it is!

Does the Mala have any peculiar habits?
Likes to lay stretched out in the sand

When are they most active and for how many hours a night?
"Most active at dusk and dawn, around six hours a night."

How does it interact with the same sex and opposite sex?
"A dominance behaviour is displayed within both sexes, the activity level increases during reproductive cycles or introductions of new animals."

Like most desert or arid animals they determine their breeding around the rainfall.

These are the tracks of the Mala/Rufous/Western Hare Wallaby. They have long soft feet that spreads the impact over the ground when they bound.

The young do not remain long in the pouch compared to other marsupials.

Go Here to see our video of the Mala at the Alice Springs Desert Park.

I have been to the Barna Mia enclosure at Dryandra Woodlands in November and enjoyed seeing the marupials up close. A highlight for me was seeing the Western Barred Bandicoot and the Bilby. Unfortunately the only lighting is a red spot light.

Here is the Mala or Rufous Hare Wallaby. I was told it was an adult, it looked a lot smaller than the ones I had seen above at the Alice Springs Desert Park.

Go Here to see the Mala/Western Rufous Hare Wallaby in Western Australia

Go here to learn more about this and other endangered Western Australian animals

Text

"A Field Guide to the Mammals of Australia" by Peter Menkhorst and Frank Knight

The animal on the left is the Mala