Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo - Animal Fact Sheet


BENNETT'S WALLABY (RED-NECKED WALLABY) (Macropus rufogriseus)
Range:	Southeastern Australia, including Tasmania and larger islands around the Tasmanian coast and in Bass Strait
Habitat:	Eucalyptus forests with moderate shrub cover and tall coastal heath communities
Diet:	Herbivorous: grass, leaves, herbs, hay, bark, twigs, fruits, vegetables
Approx. Dimensions of Adult:	Males are 4.8 to 5.7 feet high, averaging 5.3 feet, and weigh 33 to 52 pounds, typically 41 pounds; females are 4.5 to 5.1 feet high, averaging 4.9 feet, and weigh 26 to 34 pounds, typically 30 pounds. The tail is almost as long as the combined head and body (mainland animals are slightly longer but weigh less than Tasmanian animals).
Lifespan:
Status:	Forest clearing has reduced numbers in some places, but has had a beneficial effect in others as long as some patches of forest are left on hilltops or along creeks to serve as shelter; commonly bred in the U.S. along with Tammar (Dama) Wallaby and Swamp Wallaby
Reproduction:	In captivity, females begin to breed at about 14 months and males at about 19 months. Gestation is about 30 days with mainland animals giving birth in all months while Tasmanian animals have a well-defined breeding season with births mostly between late January and July. The new joey is only ½ to ¾ of an inch long, grabs on to its mother's fur and pulls its way into the pouch. As it grows, it enters the pouch by diving in headfirst and stays with its legs and tail hanging out, or may somersault itself around. At about 8 months, it is too big to stay in the pouch but remains with its mother and is called a "joey at heel."
A wallaby is a smaller marsupial in the kangaroo family, with the females having a pouch in which they carry their young. They are also macropods, which means "big foot." Their powerful tails help them zig-zag when running and provide comfortable support when sitting. When a wallaby moves, it swings the hind feet forward in a rocking motion and places them in front of the forelimbs. When going faster, it swings forward on its hind feet, stretching a tendon. On the next forward leap, the tendon contracts like a rubber band snapping back, pushing it forward. It can leap about five feet in a single bound. Essentially solitary, the Bennett's Wallaby may occur in a group of 30 or more, known as a mob. However, when disturbed, the mob doesn't behave as a unit, with individuals and pairs running off in any direction. The male is a buck and the mob leader is called the "boomer," the female is a doe or flyer; and a baby in the pouch is a "joey." It is normally a grizzled medium gray to reddish above, with a pronounced reddish-brown neck, white or pale gray below. The female is paler and both sexes have a black muzzle, paws and largest toe, with a white stripe on the upper lip. Wallabies that live in very dry climates can get along without water, getting what they need from plants, and some island species can live on salt water. Like other kangaroos, the wallaby's forelimbs have very little fur and the blood vessels are very close to the surface. They have heavy, curly fur on the rest of their body and very few sweat glands, so the moisture they get from licking their forelimbs helps cool their whole body. They need plenty of shade in hot weather and love to soak and play in a water trough.