On the age composition of a small sample of individuals from a population of the banded hare wallaby, Lagostrophus fasciatus (Peron & Lesuer).

Abstract

A method of estimating the relative and absolute ages of living hare wallabies is described and applied to a temporarily captured sample from a field population. The age composition pattern is analysed to estimate the potential rate of increase of the population and this is then compared with an independantly derived survivorship curve. The actual rate of increase of the hare wallabies is close to unity, a result suggesting numerical stabilization of the population. This result is discussed in relation to the small amount of information available on the biology of this animal.