RANGE

Found primarily in eastern Australia and Tasmania but have been introduced to countries including England, Germany, New Zealand and France.

HABITAT

Prefers the temperate scrublands and sclerophyll forests

SIZE

Weight: 30 – 41 lbs.
Length: 35 in. from head to tail
Males are generally bigger than females.
Tasmanian (and other island wallabys) are smaller than mainland wallabies.

REPRODUCTION

Female estrous lasts around 30-35 days with the female wallbies picking a male partner by licking their neck. Some wallabies may fight during courtship and do not stay together after mating is complete. Wallabies, like kangaroos, are marsupials and carry one offspring in their pouch until they are able to eat on their own (around 280 days). The offspring are born hairless and underdeveloped. Female offspring may remain within the home range of their mothers for their life while males often form their own territories. Wallabies can live around 5 – 10 years.

DIET

Grasses, roots, leaves and weeds

BEHAVIOR

Wallabies are primarily solitary but will gather in groups if there is safe area that provides an abundance of food. In this situation, they will form a social hierarchy between members of the group and the group can change frequently. In these situations, wallabies have also shown alloparental care which means they will care for the offspring of other wallabys if necessary. Wallabies have good senses to keep them alert for predators; their ears can swivel up to 180 degrees!

POINTS OF INTEREST

• Bennett’s wallabies are also known as red-necked wallabies.
• They have a black nose and paws with reddish-brown coloring on the rest of their body. Being mainly nocturnal, wallabys spend most of their day resting.
• Similar to a kangaroo, wallabies get around by hopping but can also swim and crawl. After they complete a hop, energy is saved in their tendons to prepare them for the next leap. They can reach up to 10 miles per hour while hopping.
• This is one of few species that have the ability to engage in embryonic diapause which is the process of postponing implantation if there is already another joey in the mother’s pouch.

STATUS

Least Concern, LC (IUCN)
Wallabies have a stable population in their native habitat although they are often killed for fur, meat or pest control by humans in the area. Despite the controled hunting, they still have strong numbers and are a protected species.