Nail-tail Wallaby

Facts about Nailtail Wallaby. "Scientific name for Nailtail Wallaby is Onychogalea fraenata". Nailtail wallabies are a species of macropod found in Australia. The species are usually of three types which include bridled Nailtail wallaby, crescent nailtail wallaby and northern nailtail wallaby. They are set apart by a horny spur at the tip of their tails’. Of the three species, only one is secure (the northern wallaby), one is extinct (crescent wallaby) and the other is endangered (bridled wallaby).

The name Nailtail literary means what it sounds. The animals have a hard tail tip that resembles a fingernail, thus their name. The tip is less than a (1 cm) long and has a black keratinized structure. The featured is unique to the creature and its function is yet to be determined. Suggestions however point out that the Nailtail Wallaby could be used by the animal to change course or stability when moving fast, presumably by being pressed into the ground and utilized as a springboard. The nailtail wallabies have also been seen with the tails in their mouth which draws the conclusion that the hard tip could be for massaging their gums or picking their teeth.

Their upper incisors are also narrow and drawn out and reduce evenly in pairs from the key two incisors headed for the back of the mouth. The nailtail wallabies have a distinguishing hopping pace where their forearms bounce roughly in circular movements. They are generally introverted, night-time and elusive creatures. They use their sharp claws to morsel out shallow scrapes under vegetation as they rest during the day. The Nailtail Wallaby are believed to feed on dicotyledonous herbs, soft grasses, succulents and even fruits. Their gestation period is around 17-24 days. The Nailtail Wallaby become fertile at around 4 months for the females and 9 months for the males.

Most studies made on the nailtail wallabies use the two existing species. Very little is known about the crescent nailtail wallaby, which is no longer in existence.