Red-necked wallaby
Common Name: Red-necked wallaby
Scientific Name: Macropus rufogriseus
The tail of a wallaby is strong enough to support the weight of the entire animal.
There has been one recorded case of the red-necked wallaby having triplets.
One of these wallabies has been known to live up to 18 years of age in the wild!
Fast Facts
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Status
Least Concern
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Size
Head to body: 70-90 cm, tail length: 65-75 cm
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Weight
Males: 20 kg, females: 12 kg
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Gestation
30 days
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Young
1
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Life span
15 years
In the wild
All wallabies are herbivores and 90% of what they eat is grass. The red-necked wallaby is mainly nocturnal, grazing at night and resting during the day. During very dry spells, juicy roots supply red-necked wallabies with water.
Red-necked wallabies are found in Australia, mainly in coastal areas from eastern Queensland to south-eastern South Australia, Tasmania and the islands in Bass Strait.
Red-necked wallabies can be found in south-eastern Australia and also on the island of Tasmania, which is 150 miles south of mainland Australia.
These wallabies are quite solitary and it is only the females that tend to associate with their young for up to a month after they have left the pouch. Mated pairs stay together for only 24 hours. The females are polyesterous, which means that they breed more than once a year and are in heat for an average of 33 days.
This species can inhabit a broad range of habitats, has a large population (particularly on Tasmania) and lacks major threats. Therefore, the red-necked wallaby is on the lowest level of concern. These wallabies main threat are humans as they can be considered a pest because of the damage they cause to crops and pastures. They are sometimes shot in large numbers although this is regulated to ensure that the overall population numbers are not affected.
