15.

Calaby’s Pademelon

Thylogale calabyi

French: Thylogale de Calaby / German: Bergfilander / Spanish: Pademelon de Calaby

Other common names: Alpine Pademelon, Alpine Wallaby

Taxonomy. Thylogale calabyi Flannery, 1992,

3000 m on south side of Neon Basin, Mount Albert Edward, Central Province, Papua New Guinea.

Recent molecular studies do not support the distinction of T. calabyi from T. brown: or T. brunii, instead suggesting that the high-elevation populatins have each been interdependently derived from local lowelevatin populations of both species. Further studies required. Monotypic.

Distribution. Patchily distributed along Central Range of E New Guinea (Mt Giluwe, Mt Wilhelm, Mt Albert Edward).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 47-55 cm (males) and 33.4-41.6 cm (females), tail 34:5—46 cm (males) and 24.6-38 cm (females). Small, long-furred pademelon with wellfurred ears, limbs, and tail. Dark reddish brown to light brown dorsally, paler and yellowish ventrally, underfur gray. Head may be darker than body. Pale hip stripe and ear margins; also pale elbow stripe on some. Tail same color as body, but paler ventrally.

Habitat. Subalpine grasslands and forest—grassland ecotone above 2800 m elevation.

Food and Feeding. Little is known about diet ofthis species, but likely to include grass and browse.

Breeding. Poorly known. Females reported to produce a single young and are likely to breed continuously.

Activity patterns. Likely to be nocturnal or crepuscular, but specific activity patterns of this species are virtually unknown.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. There is no information available for this species.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. Calaby’s Pademelon has declined throughoutits restricted and disjunct distribution, with several local populations now extinct. Although it may still be numerous locally on Mount Albert Edward, it continues to be threatened generally by subsistence hunting with dogs, to which it appears particularly susceptible, and by habitat degradation caused by feral pigs. Additional research on taxonomy, abundance, general ecology, and impact of threats is required.

Bibliography. Flannery (1992, 1995a), Helgen (2007b), Leary, Seri, Flannery, Wright, Hamilton, Helgen, Singadan, Menzies, Allison, James, Aplin et al. (2008d), Macqueen et al. (2011).