Wallabies, like their close kangaroo relatives, have long tails for
balance and large feet and strong legs for jumping great distances.
Wallabies are members of the kangaroo clan found primarily in
Australia and on nearby islands. There are many wallaby species, grouped
roughly by habitat: shrub wallabies, brush wallabies, and rock
wallabies. Hare wallabies are named for their size and their hare-like
behavior.
All wallabies are marsupials or pouched mammals. Wallaby
young are born tiny, helpless, and undeveloped. They immediately crawl
into their mothers' pouches where they continue to develop after
birth—usually for a couple of months. Young wallabies, like their larger
kangaroo cousins, are called joeys. Even after a joey leaves the pouch,
it often returns to jump in when danger approaches.
Wallabies are
typically small to medium-sized mammals, but the largest can reach 6
feet (1.8 meters) from head to tail. They have powerful hind legs they
use to bound along at high speeds and jump great distances. When
wallabies are threatened by predators, or when males battle each other,
they may also use these legs to deliver powerful kicks.
These
marsupials also have large and powerful tails. Wallaby tails are not
prehensile (gripping), but are useful nonetheless. The animals use them
for balance when moving and to prop themselves up in a sitting posture.
Nail-tailed wallabies even sport a sharp growth at the end of their
tails.
Wallabies are herbivores, and the bulk of their diet is
grasses and plants. Their elongated faces leave plenty of jaw room for
the large, flat teeth necessary to chew their vegetarian meals.
Fast Facts
- Type:
- Mammal
- Diet:
- Herbivore
- Average life span in the wild:
- 9 years
- Size:
- 12 to 41 in (30 to 104 cm); tail, 10 to 29 in (25 to 74 cm)
- Weight:
- 4 to 53 lbs (2 to 24 kg)
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