
%0 Journal Article
%A Sharp, A. 
%T Insights into The Dispersal Patterns of Yellow-Footed Rock-wallabies, Petrogale xanthopus.
%J Australian Mammalogy
%D 1997/01/01
%V 19
%N 2
%P 229-238
%K 
%R https://doi.org/10.1071/AM97229
%U https://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/AM97229 
%X Inter-colony and within-colony dispersal was monitored in a large colony of P. xanthopus (central-western Queensland) for a period of 34 months, utilising radio-telemetry and regular surveys for tagged individuals. Trap shyness limited the collection of information on juvenile wallabies (n=15). Of the 120 wallabies monitored, only one juvenile male was found to undertake inter-colony dispersal (0.8%). Movement of wallabies between groups within the colony was relatively high (29%), with the majority of movement undertaken by males (21%). Evidence was found that suggests a relationship between the timing of inter-group dispersal and the availability of positions within the social hierarchies of adjacent groups. No relationships were found between the timing of inter-group dispersal and population size or levels of resource availability. In a meta-population context, the low levels of inter-colony dispersal detected in this study suggest that colonies in decline will receive little input of individuals from outside sources and that the establishment of new colonies may occur at a low rate. 
