Crescent Nail-tail Wallaby

"The woodlands and scrubs of the west and centre of Australia were once home to the silky-furred crescent nailtail wallaby . . . The crescent nailtail was the smallest member of the genus, resembling a hare in size. One of its more peculiar characteristics was its propensity to seek refuge in a hollow tree when chased, entering at the bottom, and clambering up until it appeared at an opening high above . . . The crescent nailtail wallaby remained common, even in agricultural districts in the south-west of Western Australia, until around 1900. By 1908, however, it had begun a steep decline and the last record from the region dates to that year. It survived in the more arid parts of its distribution until the 1950s. Just what caused its disappearance is still debated, but the spread of the fox seems to be correlated with its loss and may have been the principal factor."