Association of Parma Wallabies ('Macropus Parma') with sedge swamps in Gibraltar Range National Park

Parma wallabies ('Macropus parma') are small, secretive macropodid marsupials that have a patchy distribution on the coast and ranges of central and northern New South Wales from Goulburn northward to the Queensland border. Once thought to be extinct, the species was rediscovered as a feral population in New Zealand in 1965, and later, as a wild population in New South Wales in 1967 (Maynes 1995). 'M. parma' is currently listed as 'Vulnerable' under state legislation (NSW NPWS 2002). Compared with larger members of the genus 'Macropus', very little is known of the species' biology and ecology, including its habitat preferences. Previous studies on their habitat requirements indicate that 'M. parma' are associated with wet sclerophyll forest or rainforest (Maynes 1977; Read and Fox 1991; Vernes et al. 2006), however, a comprehensive analysis of 'M. parma' habitat in wet sclerophyll forest by Read and Fox (1991) did not lead to a strong conclusion as to what was driving the distribution pattern. This suggests that much remains to be learned of the habitat requirements of 'M. parma'.