A wallaby () is a small or middle-sized macropod native to

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

and

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torres ...

, with introduced populations in

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...

, the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and ...

and other countries. They belong to the same taxonomic family as

kangaroo Kangaroos are four marsupials from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, the red kangaroo, as well as the antilopine kangaroo, eastern ...

s and sometimes the same

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

, but kangaroos are specifically categorised into the four largest species of the family. The term "wallaby" is an informal designation generally used for any macropod that is smaller than a kangaroo or a wallaroo that has not been designated otherwise. There are nine species (eight extant and one

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

) of the brush wallaby (genus ''Notamacropus''). Their head and body length is and the tail is long. The 19 known species of rock-wallabies (genus ''Petrogale'') live among rocks, usually near water; two species in this genus are endangered. The two living species of hare-wallabies (genus ''

Lagorchestes ''Lagorchestes'' is a genus of small, rabbit-like mammals commonly known as hare-wallabies. It includes four species native to Australia and New Guinea, two of which are extinct. Hare-wallabies belong to the macropod family (Macropodidae) which i ...

''; two other species in this genus are extinct) are small animals that have the movements and some of the habits of

hare Hares and jackrabbits are mammals belonging to the genus ''Lepus''. They are herbivores, and live solitarily or in pairs. They nest in slight depressions called forms, and their young are able to fend for themselves shortly after birth. The g ...

s. The three species (two extant and one extinct) of nail-tail wallabies (genus ''Onychogalea'') have one notable feature: a horny spur at the tip of the tail; its function is unknown. The seven species of pademelons or scrub wallabies (genus ''Thylogale'') of New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, and Tasmania are small and stocky, with short hind limbs and pointed noses. The swamp wallaby (genus ''Wallabia'') is the only species in its genus. Another wallaby that is monotypic is the quokka or short-tailed scrub wallaby (genus ''Setonix''); this species is now restricted to two offshore islands of Western Australia which are free of introduced predators. The seven species of dorcopsises or forest wallabies (genera '' Dorcopsis'' (four species, with a fifth as yet undescribed) and '' Dorcopsulus'' (two species)) are all native to the island of New Guinea. One of the brush wallaby species, the

dwarf wallaby ''Dorcopsulus'' is a genus of small marsupials in the family Macropodidae, known as forest wallabies. They are native to dry forests of New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the List of islan ...

(''Notamacropus dorcopsulus''), also native to New Guinea, is the smallest known wallaby species and one of the smallest known macropods. Its length is about from the nose to the end of the tail, and it weighs about . Wallabies are hunted for meat and fur.

Etymology and terminology

The name ''wallaby'' comes from

Dharug The Dharug or Darug people, formerly known as the Broken Bay tribe, are an Aboriginal Australian people, who share strong ties of kinship and, in pre-colonial times, lived as skilled hunters in family groups or clans, scattered throughout much ...

''walabi'' or ''waliba''. Another early name for the wallaby, in use from at least 1802, was the ''brush-kangaroo''. Young wallabies are referred to as "

joey Joey may refer to: People *Joey (name) Animals * Joey (marsupial), an infant marsupial * Joey, a Blue-fronted Amazon parrot who was one of the Blue Peter pets Film and television * ''Joey'' (1977 film), an American film directed by Horace ...

s", like many other

marsupial Marsupials are any members of the mammalian infraclass Marsupialia. All extant marsupials are endemic to Australasia, Wallacea and the Americas. A distinctive characteristic common to most of these species is that the young are carried in ...

s. Adult male wallabies are referred to as "bucks", "boomers", or "jacks". Adult female wallabies are referred to as "does", "flyers", or "jills". A group of wallabies is called a "mob", "court", or "troupe". Scrub-dwelling and forest-dwelling wallabies are known as " pademelons" (genus ''Thylogale'') and "dorcopsises" (genera '' Dorcopsis'' and '' Dorcopsulus''), respectively.

General description

Although members of most wallaby species are small, some can grow up to approximately two metres in length (from the head to the end of the tail). Their powerful hind legs are not only used for bounding at high speeds and jumping great heights, but also to administer vigorous kicks to fend off potential predators. The tammar wallaby (''Notamacropus eugenii'') has elastic storage in the ankle extensor tendons, without which the animal's metabolic rate might be 30–50% greater. It has also been found that the design of spring-like tendon energy savings and economical muscle force generation is key for the two distal muscle–tendon units of the tammar wallaby (''Macropus-Eugenii''). Wallabies also have a powerful tail that is used mostly for balance and support.

Diet

Wallabies are herbivores whose diet consists of a wide range of grasses, vegetables, leaves and other foliage. Due to recent urbanization, many wallabies now feed in rural and urban areas. Wallabies cover vast distances for food and water, which is often scarce in their environment. Mobs of wallabies often congregate around the same water hole during the dry season.

Threats

Wallabies face several threats. Dingoes, domestic and feral dogs, feral cats, and

red fox The red fox (''Vulpes vulpes'') is the largest of the true foxes and one of the most widely distributed members of the Order (biology), order Carnivora, being present across the entire Northern Hemisphere including most of North America, Europe ...

es are among their predators. Humans also pose a significant threat to wallabies due to increased interaction (wallabies can defend themselves with hard kicks and biting). Many wallabies have been involved in vehicular accidents, as they often feed near roads and urban areas.

Classification

Wallabies are not a distinct genetic group. Nevertheless, they fall into several broad categories. Brush wallabies of the genus '' Notamacropus'', like the agile wallaby (''Notamacropus agilis'') and the red-necked wallaby (''Notamacropus rufogriseus''), are most closely related to the kangaroos and wallaroos and, aside from their size, look very similar. These are the ones most frequently seen, particularly in the southern states. Rock-wallabies (genus ''Petrogale''), rather like the

goat The goat or domestic goat (''Capra hircus'') is a domesticated species of goat-antelope typically kept as livestock. It was domesticated from the wild goat (''C. aegagrus'') of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. The goat is a member of the a ...

s of the Northern Hemisphere, specialise in rugged terrain and have modified feet adapted to grip rock with skin friction rather than dig into soil with large claws. There are at least 19 species and the relationship between several of them is still poorly understood. Several species are endangered. Captive rock-wallaby breeding programs, like the one at Healesville Sanctuary, have had some success and a small number have recently been released into the wild. The

banded hare-wallaby The banded hare-wallaby, mernine, or munning (''Lagostrophus fasciatus'') is a marsupial currently found on the Islands of Bernier and Dorre off western Australia. Reintroduced populations have recently been established on islands and fenced ...

(''Lagostrophus fasciatus'') is thought to be the last remaining member of the once numerous subfamily Sthenurinae, and although once common across southern Australia, it is now restricted to two islands off the Western Australian coast which are free of introduced predators. It is not as closely related to the other hare-wallabies (genus ''Lagorchestes'') as the hare-wallabies are to the other wallabies.

, which was, until fairly recent geological times, part of mainland Australia, has at least five species of wallabies.

Natural range and habitat

Wallabies are widely distributed across

, particularly in more remote, heavily timbered, or rugged areas, less so on the great semi-arid plains that are better suited to the larger, leaner, and more fleet-footed

s. They also can be found on the island of

Introduced populations

Wallabies of several species have been introduced to other parts of the world, and there are a number of successfully breeding introduced populations, including: * Kawau Island in

is home to large numbers of tammar,

Parma Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second m ...

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

and brush-tailed rock-wallabies from introductions made around 1870. They are considered pests on the island,"Where to hunt wallabies"
Department of Conservation, New Zealand but a programme to re-introduce them to

has met with only limited success. * The

Lake Tarawera Lake Tarawera is the largest of a series of lakes which surround the volcano Mount Tarawera in the North Island of New Zealand. Like the mountain, it lies within the Okataina caldera. It is located to the east of Rotorua, and beneath the peak ...

area of

has a large

tammar wallaby The tammar wallaby (''Notamacropus eugenii''), also known as the dama wallaby or darma wallaby, is a small macropod native to South and Western Australia. Though its geographical range has been severely reduced since European colonisation, the ...

population. * The South Canterbury district of New Zealand has a large population of Bennett's wallabies. * On the

Isle of Man ) , anthem = " O Land of Our Birth" , image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg , image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg , mapsize = , map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe , map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green) in Europ ...

in the Ballaugh Curraghs area, there is a population of over 100 red-necked wallabies, descended from a pair that escaped from the nearby Curraghs Wildlife Park in 1970. *

has a small non-native population of wallabies in the upper regions of Kalihi Valley on the island of

Oahu Oahu () ( Hawaiian: ''Oʻahu'' ()), also known as "The Gathering Place", is the third-largest of the Hawaiian Islands. It is home to roughly one million people—over two-thirds of the population of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The island of O ...

arising from an escape of zoo specimens of the brush-tailed rock-wallaby (''Petrogale penicillata'') in 1916. * In the

Peak District The Peak District is an Highland, upland area in England at the southern end of the Pennines. Mostly in Derbyshire, it extends into Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire. It includes the Dark Peak, whe ...

of England, a population was established around 1940 by five escapees from a local zoo, and as of September 2017, sightings were still being made in the area. At its peak in 1975, the population numbered around 60 individuals. * The island of

Inchconnachan Inchconnachan (''Innis Chonachain'' in Gaelic, meaning 'The Colquhoun's Island') is an island in Loch Lomond in Scotland, in the Trossachs National Park. It is accessible by boat from the village of Luss on the south side of the Loch. The isl ...

Loch Lomond Loch Lomond (; gd, Loch Laomainn - 'Lake of the Elms'Richens, R. J. (1984) ''Elm'', Cambridge University Press.) is a freshwater Scottish loch which crosses the Highland Boundary Fault, often considered the boundary between the lowlands of ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to ...

, has a population of around 28

red-necked wallabies The red-necked wallaby or Bennett's wallaby (''Notamacropus rufogriseus'') is a medium-sized macropod marsupial (wallaby), common in the more temperate and fertile parts of eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Red-necked wallabies have bee ...

introduced by Lady Colquhoun in the 1920s. Eradication to protect the native

capercaillie ''Tetrao'' is a genus of birds in the grouse subfamily known as capercaillies. They are some of the largest living grouse. Taxonomy The genus ''Tetrao'' was introduced in 1758 by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the tenth edition of hi ...

has been proposed. * There is also a small population on

Lambay Island Lambay Island ( ga, Reachrainn), often simply Lambay, is an island in the Irish Sea off the coast of north County Dublin, Ireland. The largest island off the east coast of Ireland, it is offshore from the headland at Portrane, and is the east ...

off the eastern coast of

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George's Channel. Ireland is the s ...

. Initially introduced in the 1950s and 1960s, more were introduced in the 1980s after a sudden population explosion at the

Dublin Zoo Dublin Zoo ( ga, Zú Bhaile Átha Cliath), in Phoenix Park, Dublin, is a zoo in Ireland, and one of Dublin's most popular attractions. Established and designed in 1830 by Decimus Burton, it opened the following year. Today it focuses on conserv ...

. * Populations in the United Kingdom that, for some periods, bred successfully included one near Teignmouth,

Devon Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devo ...

, another in the

Ashdown Forest Ashdown Forest is an ancient area of open heathland occupying the highest sandy ridge-top of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is situated some south of London in the county of East Sussex, England. Rising to an elevation ...

East Sussex East Sussex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England on the English Channel coast. It is bordered by Kent to the north and east, West Sussex to the west, and Surrey to the north-west. The largest settlement in East ...

Cornwall Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a Historic counties of England, historic county and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people ...

and one on the islands of Bute and Lundy. It has recently been reported by walkers in the Lickey Hills Country Park area of Birmingham that a pair of wallabies have been released or are loose there (East Tunnock Rambling Club Meeting, December 2010). * In

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, in the southern part of the

Forest of Rambouillet The forest of Rambouillet (french: Forêt de Rambouillet), also known as the forest of Yveline () is a large forest covering some 200 km² (77 square miles), located to the west of Paris, in the Île-de-France region of France. The town of R ...

, about west of

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

, there is a wild group of around 30 Bennett's wallabies. This population has been present since the 1970s, when some individuals escaped from the zoological park of

Émancé Émancé () is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is around 50 km south west of Paris. There is a population of feral wallabies nearby in the Forest of Rambouillet. This population has bee ...

after a storm.Enquête sur le Wallaby de Bennett en Forêt d'Yvelines
cerf78.fr

Species

The term "wallaby" is not well defined and can mean any macropod of moderate or small size. Therefore, the listing below is arbitrary and taken from the complete list of

macropods Macropod may refer to: * Macropodidae, a marsupial family which includes kangaroos, wallabies, tree-kangaroos, pademelons, and several others * Macropodiformes, a marsupial suborder which includes kangaroos, wallabies and allies, bettongs, potoro ...

. Genus ''Notamacropus'' * Agile wallaby (''Notamacropus agilis'') *

Black-striped wallaby The black-striped wallaby (''Notamacropus dorsalis''), also known as the scrub wallaby or eastern brush wallaby, is a medium-sized wallaby found in Australia, from Townsville in Queensland to Narrabri in New South Wales. In New South Wales, it i ...

(''Notamacropus dorsalis'') *

Parma wallaby The parma wallaby (''Notamacropus parma'') is a small, hopping, kangaroo-like mammal native to forests of southeastern Australia. About the size of a stout cat, it lives in dense shrub and is only active at night to feed on grasses and small plan ...

(''Notamacropus parma'') (rediscovered, thought to have been extinct for 100 years) * Red-necked wallaby (''Notamacropus rufogriseus'') *

Tammar wallaby The tammar wallaby (''Notamacropus eugenii''), also known as the dama wallaby or darma wallaby, is a small macropod native to South and Western Australia. Though its geographical range has been severely reduced since European colonisation, the ...

(''Notamacropus eugenii'') * Toolache wallaby (''Notamacropus greyi'') †(extinct) * Western brush wallaby (''Notamacropus irma'') * Whiptail wallaby (''Notamacropus parryi'') Genus ''Wallabia'' * Swamp wallaby or black wallaby (''Wallabia bicolor'') Genus ''Petrogale'' *

Allied rock-wallaby The allied rock-wallaby or Weasel rock-wallaby (''Petrogale assimilis'') is a species of rock-wallaby found in northeastern Queensland, Australia. It forms part of the ''P. lateralis/penicillata'' species complex and is very similar to six other ...

(''Petrogale assimilis'') * Black-flanked rock-wallaby (''Petrogale lateralis'') * Brush-tailed rock-wallaby (''Petrogale penicillata'') * Cape York rock-wallaby (''Petrogale coenensis'') *

Eastern short-eared rock-wallaby The eastern short-eared rock-wallaby or Wilkins' rock-wallaby (''Petrogale wilkinsi'') is a species of rock-wallaby found in the northernmost parts of the Northern Territory of Australia, and is common in the Kakadu and Litchfield National Park ...

(''Petrogale wilkinsi'') * Godman's rock-wallaby (''Petrogale godmani'') *

Herbert's rock-wallaby Herbert's rock-wallaby (''Petrogale herberti'') is a member of a group of seven very closely related rock-wallabies found in northeastern Queensland, Australia. Herbert's is the most southerly and most widespread of the group. Herbert's rock-wa ...

(''Petrogale herberti'') *

Mareeba rock-wallaby The Mareeba rock-wallaby (''Petrogale mareeba'') is a rare species of rock-wallaby found around Mareeba in northeastern Queensland, Australia. Taxonomy The Mareeba rock-wallaby is a member of a group of seven very closely related species with ...

(''Petrogale mareeba'') *

Monjon The monjon (''Petrogale burbidgei'') is the smallest species of rock-wallabies (''Petrogale'') and is found in north-west Australia. They are restricted to a small area of the Kimberley region and on nearby islands in the Bonaparte Archipelago. ...

(''Petrogale burbidgei'') *

Mount Claro rock-wallaby The Mount Claro rock-wallaby (''Petrogale sharmani''), also known as Sharman's rock-wallaby, is a species of rock-wallaby found in northeastern Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_captio ...

(''Petrogale sharmani'') *

Nabarlek Nabarleks (''Petrogale concinna''), are a tiny species of macropod found in northern Australia. They are a shy and nocturnal animal that resides in rocky hollows and forages in the surrounding area. Their diet is grasses, sedges, and ferns fou ...

(''Petrogale concinna'') *

Proserpine rock-wallaby The Proserpine rock-wallaby (''Petrogale persephone'') is a species of rock-wallaby restricted to a small area in Conway National Park, Dryander National Park, Gloucester Island National Park, and around the town of Airlie Beach, all in Whitsund ...

(''Petrogale persephone'') * Purple-necked rock-wallaby (''Petrogale purpureicollis'') *

Rothschild's rock-wallaby Rothschild's rock-wallaby (''Petrogale rothschildi'') – sometimes known as the Roebourne rock-wallaby, is a species of macropod found in Western Australia, in the Pilbara district and the Dampier Archipelago. It is not currently considered to ...

(''Petrogale rothschildi'') *

Short-eared rock-wallaby The short-eared rock-wallaby (''Petrogale brachyotis'') is a species of rock-wallaby found in northern Australia, in the northernmost parts of the Northern Territory and Western Australia. It is much larger than its three closest relatives, th ...

(''Petrogale brachyotis'') *

Unadorned rock-wallaby The unadorned rock-wallaby (''Petrogale inornata'') is a member of a group of closely related rock-wallabies found in northeastern Queensland, Australia. It is paler than most of its relatives and even plainer, hence its common name. The unador ...

(''Petrogale inornata'') * Yellow-footed rock-wallaby (''Petrogale xanthopus'') Genus ''Lagostrophus'' *

Banded hare-wallaby The banded hare-wallaby, mernine, or munning (''Lagostrophus fasciatus'') is a marsupial currently found on the Islands of Bernier and Dorre off western Australia. Reintroduced populations have recently been established on islands and fenced ...

(''Lagostrophus fasciatus'') Genus ''Lagorchestes'' *

Eastern hare-wallaby The eastern hare-wallaby (''Lagorchestes leporides''), once also known as the common hare wallaby, is an extinct species of wallaby that was native to southeastern Australia. It was first described by John Gould in 1841. Description The easter ...

(''Lagorchestes leporides'') †(extinct) * Lake Mackay hare-wallaby (''Lagorchestes asomatus'') †(extinct) * Rufous hare-wallaby (''Lagorchestes hirsutus'') * Spectacled hare-wallaby (''Lagorchestes conspicillatus'')) Genus ''Onychogalea'' *

Bridled nail-tail wallaby The bridled nail-tail wallaby (''Onychogalea fraenata''), also known as the bridled nail-tailed wallaby, bridled nailtail wallaby, bridled wallaby, merrin, and flashjack, is a vulnerable species of macropod. It is a small wallaby found in three ...

(''Onychogalea fraenata'') * Crescent nail-tail wallaby (''Onychogalea lunata'') † (extinct) * Northern nail-tail wallaby (''Onychogalea unguifera'') Genus ''Dorcopsis'' * Black dorcopsis (''Dorcopsis atrata'') * Brown dorcopsis (''Dorcopsis muelleri'') *

Gray dorcopsis The gray dorcopsis or gray forest wallaby (''Dorcopsis luctuosa'') is a species of marsupial in the family Macropodidae. It is found in West Papua and Papua New Guinea. Description The gray dorcopsis has a long muzzle and small, rounded ears. ...

(''Dorcopsis luctuosa'') * White-striped dorcopsis (''Dorcopsis hageni'') Genus ''Dorcopsulus'' *

Macleay's dorcopsis Macleay's dorcopsis (''Dorcopsulus macleayi''), also known as the Papuan dorcopsis or the Papuan forest wallaby, is a species of marsupial in the family Macropodidae. It is endemic to Papua New Guinea, where its natural habitat is subtropical ...

(''Dorcopsulus macleayi'') *

Small dorcopsis The small dorcopsis or lesser forest wallaby (''Dorcopsulus vanheurni'') is a species of marsupial in the family Macropodidae. It is found in the mountainous interior of West Papua and Papua New Guinea. Its natural habitat is subtropical or trop ...

(''Dorcopsulus vanhuemi'') Genus ''Thylogale'' * Brown's pademelon (''Thylogale browni'') * Calaby's pademelon (''Thylogale calabyi'') * Dusky pademelon (''Thylogale brunii'') * Mountain pademelon (''Thylogale lanatus'') * Red-legged pademelon (''Thylogale stigmatica'') * Red-necked pademelon (''Thylogale thetis'') * Tasmanian pademelon (''Thylogale billardierii'') Genus ''Setonix'' * Quokka or short-tailed scrub wallaby (''Setonix brachyurus'')

References

External links

Roophilia – photographs of kangaroos and wallabies
* * View th
wallaby genome
in

Ensembl Ensembl genome database project is a scientific project at the European Bioinformatics Institute, which provides a centralized resource for geneticists, molecular biologists and other researchers studying the genomes of our own species and other v ...

{{Authority control Macropods Mammal common names Marsupials of Australia