Aspects of the demography of the western grey kangaroo, Macropus fuliginosis melanops, in semiarid north-west Victoria

• Published in: Australian wildlife research Vol. 15; no. 3
• Main Authors: Norbury, G.L. (Agriculture Protection Board of Western Australia, Carnarvon), Coulson, G.M. (Monash Univ., Clayton (Australia). Dept. of Zoology), Walters, B.L. (Victorian Dept. of Conservation Forests and Lands, Melbourne (Australia). National Parks and Wildlife Div.)
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 1988
• Subjects: CANGURO; DEMOGRAFIA; DEMOGRAPHIE; KANGOUROU; VICTORIA
• ISSN: 0310-7833

A sample of animals which died as a result of the drought and a shot sample were examined to determine patterns of breeding, mortality and age structure. Births were concentrated in spring and summer, with a peak in November. Only 46 percent of mature females bred during the drought, whereas 100 percent bred two seasons later. The sex ration of pouch young was not significantly different from parity, but showed a slight male-bias; however the sex ratio of the adult population was markedly female-biased (1:3). Projected population growth was not realised in the years following the drought because of high mortality. There was no evidence of male-biased mortality which was apparently accentuated during the drought. This biased mortality appeared similar in all adult age classes, and may have been a consequence of the disparate energy costs imposed by sex differences in body size and in mobility.