Wallaby: The Little Kangaroo

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Published on February 17, 2022 | Activities, Animal, Animals, Hotel, Nature, Tips, Travel

When you’re staying at our Mara River Safari Lodge, you’ll have access to our park. Do you know that our park is the home to over an hundred species of animals? One of them is the one native to Australia, Wallaby.

Wallaby is a 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.

Wallaby is belong to a kangaroo’s family name,  Macropodidae. It means “big feet,” a great description for kangaroos and their relatives.

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.

Although members of most wallaby species are small, some can grow up to approximately two meters in length (from the head to the end of the tail).

Strength

Wallaby is typically small to medium-sized mammals, but the largest can reach 6 feet 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. Wallaby also has a powerful tail that is used mostly for balance and support.

Diet

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.

Come closer to see them in our park. Feel free to catch us here!