Red-Necked Wallaby

(Macropus rufogriseus banksianus)

Live: Coastal woodlands, open forests of south easternAustralia, Tasmania and her islands.

Habitat: Farming regions, eucalypt forests, coastal woodlands.

Diet: In the wild these browsers eat grasses, roots and leaves.

Gestation: 30 days, with 1 offspring
In the pouch for 280 days

Longevity: 10 - 12 years

Status: Common

General: Red-necked wallabies have medium grey to reddish thick fur on their upper body; paler grey to white on the lower. Females are a little paler than males. The muzzle, paws and big toe are black. There is a white stripe along the upper lip. Wallabies are terrestrial and mainly move by hopping, which is very efficient. They can also crawl slowly, using all four legs and the tail.
They may use their forepaws to scratch for roots.
They can swim.
Excellent hearing, sense of smell and sight make wallabies very alert. It is best to talk quietly as you approach so as not to startle them. Individuals identify each other by smell.
These wallabies are largely solitary, although larger mobs will form in good grazing areas.
They may be nocturnal or crepuscular, spending most of the daytime resting, then foraging in the cool of the darkness. They are herbivores and swallow their food without chewing it thoroughly, as they may regurgitate and rechew ('chewing the cud') later. (More common with fibrous foods.)
They can hold chunky food in their paws.

Dangers to the future of the Red-necked Wallaby are humans, foxes, feral dogsand dingos.  Also habitat loss, and competition with introduced livestock.

Male = buck
Female = doe
Young = joey
Group = mob

Body length: 70-90cm cm; tail: 70-90cm
Weight: males 15 - 23kg, females 12-15kg

Related to other wallabies, pademelons, walleroos and kangaroos. Most closely related to the (Tasmanian) Bennett's wallaby, which is a subspecies of the Red-necked wallaby.