Species Macropus giganteus Shaw, 1790
Eastern Grey Kangaroo
- Macropus giganteus Shaw, G. 1790. The Naturalist's Miscellany: or coloured figures of natural objects, drawn and described immediately from nature. London : G. Kearsley Vol. 1. [text to pl. 33] [Opinion 760 of the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature 1966 validated the taxonomy presented here].
Type data:
Neotype QM J10749 ♂ skin & skull, Kings Plains, Cooktown, QLD. - Macropus major Shaw, G. 1800. General Zoology or systematic natural history. Quadrupeds. London : G. Kearsley Vol. 1Pt 2 i-viii pp. 249-552. [505 pl. 115].
Type data:
Status unknown, whereabouts unknown, Sydney, NSW. - Dipus tridactylus Perry, G. 1810. Arcana; or The Museum of Natural History. London : British Museum 1 pp. [pages are unnumbered in original work; plates have been numbered by Mathews, G.M. & Iredale, T. 1912. 'Perry's Arcana' — an overlooked work. Victorian Naturalist 24: 7–16] [pl. 63].
Type data:
Status unknown, whereabouts unknown (lost, formerly in Mr Polito's Museum), NSW. - Kangurus labiatus Desmarest, A.G. 1817. Nouveau Dictionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle: appliquée aux arts, à l'agriculture, à l'économie rurale et domestique, à la médecine etc. Par une société de naturalistes et d'agriculteurs. Nouv. Édn presqu' entièrement refondue et considérablement augmentée. Paris : Deterville Vol. 17. [33] [ex Geoffroy ms].
Type data:
Status unknown, whereabouts unknown (not in MNHP), vicinity of Botany Bay and Port Jackson, NSW. - Halmaturus griseofuscus Goldfuss, G.A. 1819. Über die verschiedenen Arten der Känguruh. Oken, Isis 1818: col. 266-270 [col. 267] [name for Geoffroy's 'Kangaroo gris-roux'].
Type data:
Holotype whereabouts unknown ♀ (lost, from Péron's collection), NSW. - Macropus giganteus tasmaniensis Le Souef, A.S. 1923. The grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), and its allies. The Australian Zoologist 3: 145-147 [145].
Type data:
Status unknown, whereabouts unknown (measurements for a specimen in London and two in Hobart are given without identification), TAS.
Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy
- Kirsch, J.A.W. & Poole, W.E. 1972. Taxonomy and distribution of the grey kangaroos, Macropus giganteus Shaw and Macropus fuliginosus (Desmarest), and their subspecies (Marsupialia: Macropodidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 20: 315-339 [335]
Distribution
States
Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria
IBRA
ACT, NSW, Qld, SA, Tas, Vic: Australian Alps (AA), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Ben Lomond (BEL), Broken Hill Complex (BHC), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cobar Peneplain (CP), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Desert Uplands (DEU), Darling Riverine Plains (DRP), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Flinders (FLI), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Mitchell Grass Downs (MGD), Mulga Lands (ML), Nandewar (NAN), New England Tablelands (NET), NSW North Coast (NNC), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Riverina (RIV), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Tasmanian Northern Midlands (TNM), Tasmanian South East (TSE), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP), Wet Tropics (WT)
Ecological Descriptors
Folivore, gregarious, low open woodland, low woodland, nocturnal, open forest, open scrub, subtropical, tall open forest, terrestrial, woodland.
General References
Arundel, J.H., Dempster, K.J., Harrigan, K.E. & Black, R. 1990. Epidemiological observations on the helminth parasites of Macropus giganteus Shaw in Victoria. Australian Wildlife Research 17: 39-51
Baker, M.W. de C. & Croft, D.B. 1993. Vocal communication between the mother and young of the eastern grey kangaroo, Macropus giganteus, and the red kangaroo, M. rufus (Marsupialia: Macropodidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 41: 257-272
Barker, R.D. & Caughley, G. 1990. Distribution and abundance of kangaroos (Marsupialia: Macropodidae) at the time of European contact: Tasmania. Australian Mammalogy 13: 157-166
Barker, R.D. & Caughley, G. 1994. The distribution and abundance of kangaroos (Marsupialia: Macropodidae). Australian Mammalogy 17: 73-84
Caughley, G., Brown, B., Dostine, P. & Grice, D. 1984. The grey kangaroo overlap zone. Australian Wildlife Research 11: 1-10
Caughley, G. & Grigg, G.C. 1982. Numbers and distribution of kangaroos in the Queensland pastoral zone. Australian Wildlife Research 9: 365-371
Clarke, J.K., Jones, M.E. & Jarman, P.J. 1989. A day in the life of a kangaroo: activities and movements of eastern grey kangaroos Macropus giganteus at Wallaby Creek. pp. 611-618 in Grigg, G., Jarman, P. & Hume, I. (eds). Kangaroos, Wallabies and Rat-Kangaroos. Sydney : Australian Mammal Society and Surrey Beatty 835 pp.
Clarke, J.L., Jones, M.E. & Jarman, P.J. 1995. Diurnal and nocturnal grouping and foraging behaviours of free-ranging eastern grey kangaroos. Australian Journal of Zoology 43: 519-529
Colagross, A.M.L. & Cockburn, A. 1993. Vigilance and groupings in the eastern grey kangaroo, Macropus giganteus. Australian Journal of Zoology 41: 325-334
Coulson, G. 1990. Habitat separation in the grey kangaroos, Macropus giganteus Shaw and M. fuliginosus (Desmarest) (Marsupialia: Macropodidae), in Grampians National Park, Victoria. Australian Mammalogy 13: 219-221
Coulson, G. 1997. Repertoires of social behaviour in captive and free-ranging grey kangaroos, Macropus giganteus and Macropus fuliginosus (Marsupialia: Macropodidae). Journal of Zoology, London 242: 119-130
Coulson, G. & Troy, S. 1992. First record of the eastern grey kangaroo, Macropus giganteus at Hattah-Kulkyne National Park, northwestern Victoria. Victorian Naturalist 109: 49-50
Coulson, G.M. 1981. The management of forester kangaroos. pp. 189-229 in Jones, R. (ed.). Exploited and endangered wildlife. Centre for Environmental Studies, University of Tasmania Occasional Papers No. 12
Coulson, G.M. & Hutchinson, C. 1983. Extension of range of the eastern grey kangaroo, Macropus giganteus, in Victoria. Victorian Naturalist 100: 204-206
Dellow, D.W. & Hume, I.D. 1983. Studies on the nutrition of macropodine marsupials. IV. Digestion in the stomach and the intestine of Macropus giganteus, Thylogale thetis and Macropus eugenii. Australian Journal of Zoology 30: 767-777
Freudenberger, D. & Hacker, R.B. 1997. The effect of temporary closure of watering points on grazing intensity of red and grey kangaroos with related observations on feral goats. Rangeland Journal 19: 157-165
Grant, T.R. 1974. Observations on enclosed and free-ranging grey kangaroos Macropus giganteus. Zeitschrift fur Säugetierkunde 39: 65-78 (social behaviour)
Heathcote, C.F. 1987. Grouping of eastern grey kangaroos in open habitat. Australian Wildlife Research 14: 343-348
Hill, G.J.E. 1982. Seasonal movement patterns of the eastern grey kangaroo in southern Queensland. Australian Wildlife Research 9: 373-387
Hill, G.J.E., Barnes, A. & Wilson, G.R. 1985. Time of day and aerial counts of grey kangaroos. Journal of Wildlife Management 49: 843-849
Hill, G.J.E., Barnes, A. & Wilson, G.R. 1988. The use of wheat crops by grey kangaroos, Macropus giganteus, in southern Queensland. Australian Wildlife Research 15: 111-117
Hinds, L.A. & Tyndale-Biscoe, C.H. 1994. The effects of bromocriptine on lactation and subsequent reproduction in grey kangaroos, Macropus fuliginosus and Macropus giganteus. Reproduction, Fertility and Development 6: 705-711
Hopwood, P.R. & Butterfield, R.M. 1976. The musculature of the proximal pelvic limbs of the eastern grey kangaroo Macropus major (Shaw) Macropus giganteus (Zimm.). Journal of Anatomy 121: 259-277
Hopwood, P.R. & Butterfield, R.M. 1990. The locomotor apparatus of the crus and pes of the eastern grey kangaroo, Macropus giganteus. Australian Journal of Zoology 38: 397-413
Hopwood, P.R. & Griffiths, D.A. 1984. Carcass muscle-weight distributions and yield: a comparison between male and female grey kangaroos, Macropus giganteus. Australian Wildlife Research 11: 299-302
Jaremovic, R.V. & Croft, D.B. 1987. Comparison of techniques to determine eastern grey kangaroo home range. Journal of Wildlife Management 51: 921-930
Jaremovic, R.V. & Croft, D.B. 1991. Social organisation of eastern grey kangaroos in southeastern New South Wales. II. Associations within mixed groups. Mammalia 55: 543-554
Jaremovic, R.V. & Croft, D.B. 1991. Social organization of the eastern grey kangaroo (Macropodidae: Marsupialia) in southeastern New South Wales. I. Groups and group home ranges. Mammalia 55: 169-185
Jarman, P.J. 1987. Group size and activity in eastern grey kangaroos. Animal Behaviour 35: 1044-1050
Jarman, P.J. 1994. The eating of seedheads by species of Macropodidae. Australian Mammalogy 17: 51-63
Jarman, P.J. & Taylor, R.J. 1983. Ranging of eastern grey kangaroos and wallaroos on a New England pastoral property. Australian Wildlife Research 10: 33-38
Johnson, C.N., Jarman, P.J. & Southwell, C.J. 1987. Macropod studies at Wallaby Creek V. Patterns of defaecation by eastern grey kangaroos and red-necked wallabies. Australian Wildlife Research 14: 133-138
Kirsch, J.A.W. & Poole, W.E. 1972. Taxonomy and distribution of the grey kangaroos, Macropus giganteus Shaw and Macropus fuliginosus (Desmarest), and their subspecies (Marsupialia: Macropodidae). Australian Journal of Zoology 20: 315-339
Lodder, M.A.N. 1991. Functional morphology of the hindleg in two kangaroos Macropus giganteus and Aepyprymnus rufescens. European Journal of Morphology 29: 5-30
McArthur, C. & Sanson, G.D. 1988. Tooth wear in eastern grey kangaroos (Macropus giganteus) and western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus), and its potential influence on diet selection, digestion and population parameters. Journal of Zoology, London 215: 491-504
Nagy, K.A., Sanson, G.D. & Jacobsen, N.K. 1990. Comparative field energetics of two macropod marsupials and a ruminant. Australian Wildlife Research 17: 591-599
Neave, H.M. & Tanton, M.T. 1989. The effects of grazing by kangaroos and rabbits on the vegetation and the habitat of other fauna in the Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve, Australian Capital Territory. Australian Wildlife Research 16: 337-351
Osawa, R. & Woodall, P.F. 1992. A comparative study of macroscopic and microscopic dimensions of the intestine in five macropods (Marsupialia: Macropodidae). I. Allometric relationships. Australian Journal of Zoology 40: 91-98
Osawa, R. & Woodall, P.F. 1992. A comparative study of macroscopic and microscopic dimensions of the intestine in five macropods (Marsupialia: Macropodidae). II. Relationship with feeding habits and fibre content on the diet. Australian Journal of Zoology 40: 99-113
Pass, M.A. & Brown, A.S. 1991. Liver function in normal koalas and macropods. Australian Veterinary Journal 67: 151-152
Pearse, R.J. 1981. Notes on breeding, growth and longevity of the forester or eastern grey kangaroo, Macropus giganteus Shaw, in Tasmania. Australian Wildlife Research 8: 229-235
Perry, R.J. & Braysher, M.L. 1986. A technique for estimating the numbers of eastern grey kangaroos, Macropus giganteus, grazing a given area of pasture. Australian Wildlife Research 13: 335-338
Poole, W.E. 1975. Reproduction in two species of grey kangaroos, Macropus giganteus Shaw and M. fuliginosus (Desmarest). II. Gestation, parturition and pouch life. Australian Journal of Zoology 22: 277-302
Poole, W.E. 1982. Macropus giganteus. Mammalian Species No. 187: 1–8.
Poole, W.E. 1983. Breeding in the grey kangaroo, Macropus giganteus, from widespread locations in eastern Australia. Australian Wildlife Research 10: 453-466
Poole, W.E. 1995. Eastern Grey Kangaroo Macropus giganteus. pp. 335-338 in Strahan, R. (ed.). The Mammals of Australia: The National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife. Sydney : Reed New Holland 756 pp.
Poole, W.E., Carpenter, S.M. & Wood, J.T. 1984. Growth of grey kangaroos and the reliability of age determination from body measurements III. Interspecific comparisons between eastern and western grey kangaroos, Macropus giganteus and M. fuliginosus. Australian Wildlife Research 11: 11-19
Poole, W.E., Sharman, G.B., Scott, K.J. & Thompson, S.Y. 1982. Composition of milk from red and grey kangaroos with particular reference to vitamins. Australian Journal of Biological Sciences 35: 607-615
Quin, D.G. 1989. Age structure, reproduction and mortality of the eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus Shaw) from Yan Yean, Victoria. pp. 787-794 in Grigg, G., Jarman, P. & Hume, I. (eds). Kangaroos, Wallabies and Rat-Kangaroos. Sydney : Australian Mammal Society and Surrey Beatty 835 pp.
Rezakhani, A., Atwell, R.B. & Webster, J.D. 1986. The electrocardiogram of the eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus). Australian Veterinary Journal 63: 310-312
Shelley, D.J. 1997. The effects of non-sex-biased shooting on some population characteristics of the eastern grey kangaroo in the Murrurundi area, New South Wales. The Australian Zoologist 30: 330-339
Shepherd, N.C. 1982. Extension of the known range of western grey kangaroo, Macropus fuliginosus, and eastern grey kangaroo, M. giganteus, in New South Wales. Australian Wildlife Research 9: 389-391
Southwell, C.J. 1984. Variability in grouping in the eastern grety kangaroo, Macropus giganteus I. Group density and group size. Australian Wildlife Research 11: 423-435
Southwell, C.J. 1984. Variable in grouping in the eastern grey kangaroo, Macropus giganteus, II. Dynamics of group formation. Australian Wildlife Research 11: 437-449
Southwell, C.J., Weaver, K.E., Cairns, S.C., et al. 1995. Abundance of macropods in north-eastern New South Wales, and the logistics of broad-scale ground surveys. Wildlife Research 22: 757-766
Taylor, R.J. 1983. The diet of the eastern grey kangaroo and wallaroo in areas of improved and native pasture in the New England tablelands. Australian Wildlife Research 10: 203-211
Taylor, R.J. 1984. Foraging in the eastern grey kangaroo and the wallaroo. Journal of Animal Ecology 53: 65-74
Taylor, R.J. 1985. Effects of pasture improvement on the nutrition of eastern grey kangaroos and wallaroos. Journal of Applied Ecology 22: 717-725
Taylor, R.J. 1985. Habitat use by the eastern grey kangaroo and wallaroo in an area of sympatry. Mammalia 49: 173-186
Williams, C.K. & Turnbull, H.L. 1983. Variations in seasonal nutrition, thermoregulation and water balance in two New Zealand populations of the common brushtail possum, Trichosurus vulpecula (Phalangeridae). Australian Journal of Zoology 31: 333-343
Woo, G.C. & Sivak, J.G. 1985. The refractive state of the eye of the kangaroos Macropus giganteus and M. rufus. Australian Journal of Zoology 33: 313-315
Wood, J.T., Poole, W.E. & Carpenter, S.M. 1983. Validation of aging keys for eastern grey kangaroos, Macropus giganteus. Australian Wildlife Research 10: 213-217
Common Name References
ABRS 2001. Census of Australian Vertebrates. Australian Biological Resources Study. (Eastern Grey Kangaroo)
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29-Nov-2016 | 05-Nov-2010 | MOVED | ||
| 29-Oct-2010 | 29-Oct-2010 | MOVED | ||
| 12-Feb-2010 | (import) |