Bennett's Wallabies are normally
grey-brown with a white stomach however, albinos are found in all species
of marsupial. In captivity, albino births are quite common, as albino parents
will produce and albino Joey. In the wild albino births are as few as one
in 10,000.
Small colonies of Bennett's Wallabies live wild in the North of England having
escaped from collections in the 1930's.
SIZE
Males (boomers) can weigh more than 20kg and stand up to 1.5m in height.
Females (flyers) are smaller.
Wallabies and kangaroos are macropods which means, "large footed"
and are characterised by their hind legs and long tail. The 2nd and 3rd toes
of the back foot are combined to form a single digit with two claws.
REPRODUCTION
The Wallaby is a marsupial and like all marsupials the females have a pouch
in which to carry their young called a Joey.
Wallabies have a remarkable reproduction cycle. Females give birth after a
short gestation period of 28 - 34 days, to a single young that is hardly past
the embryo stage. The newborn makes its way into the pouch and attaches itself
onto a teat where it stays for many months and continues to develop and grow
nourished by the mother's milk. Females mate again whilst pregnant and the
new embryo remains dormant until the previous young leaves the pouch.
As this cycle continues it is possible for a female to have a suckling in
the pouch, a larger Joey outside the pouch and be carrying an undeveloped
embryo. This is due to the remarkable ability of being able to produce two
different types of milk at once! From the nipple milk for growing young in
the pouch and from another will come the milk for the older Joey outside the
pouch. Maybe you will be lucky enough to see a Joey popping its head out of
a mother's pouch!
Bennett's Wallaby
Scientific name
(Macropus rufogriseus)
Mainland Australia, Tasmania
ORDER
Marsupialia
FAMILY
Macropodidae
HABITAT
Forest, brush & open areas
DIET
Herbivores, eating leaves, grass, twigs, some fruits & vegetables.
A group of wallabies is called
a mob
