[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
- Habitat: Open, grassy plains, brush country, rocky hillsides3
- Diet: Herbivorous1
- Size: 12 to 41 inches (body), 10 to 29 inches (tail)1
- Weight: 4 to 53 lbs1
- Life span: 9 years in the wild (average)1
- Endangered: Banded Hare, Bridled Nail-tailed, Crescent Nail-tailed, Parma, Western Hare, Yellow-footed Rock4
- Group name: Mobs5
- Scientific name: Marcropus agilis5
- Family: Macropodidae3
- Order: Marsupialia3
[edit] Physical Description
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
[edit] Behavior
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
[edit] Related Pages on Mahalo
Encyclopedia of Life |
Australia | Kangaroo |
Endangered Species