Wallaby gh

[edit] Guide Note

The wallaby is a mammal in the marsupial family which resides in Australia and other nearby islands.¹ Its name comes from the Australian word "wolaba".² Baby wallabies are referred to as "joeys". The shrub, brush and rock wallabies are grouped by habitat, while the hare wallaby is named for its size and behavior.¹

[edit] Fast Facts

1. Habitat: Open, grassy plains, brush country, rocky hillsides³
2. Diet: Herbivorous¹
3. Size: 12 to 41 inches (body), 10 to 29 inches (tail)¹
4. Weight: 4 to 53 lbs¹
5. Life span: 9 years in the wild (average)¹
6. Endangered: Banded Hare, Bridled Nail-tailed, Crescent Nail-tailed, Parma, Western Hare, Yellow-footed Rock⁴
7. Group name: Mobs⁵
8. Scientific name: Marcropus agilis⁵
9. Family: Macropodidae³
10. Order: Marsupialia³

The wallaby has gray or brown fur with a long dark tail.² It has large hind legs and feet with smaller paws on forefeet. The wallaby has a long tapering head and large long ears similar to those of a deer.³

Some species of the wallaby are social, such as the Agile wallaby, traveling in groups called mobs.⁵ Others remain solitary except for breeding purposes.³ Breeding occurs year round and sometimes a young will follow the mother while another is in the mother's pouch.⁵ A baby wallaby crawls into its mothers pouch after birth and stays there for a few months. As a method of self defense, a wallaby will kick predators with its strong hind legs.¹