Interesting facts about Wallabies
- Wallabies (Family Macropodidae) are medium-size, shy kangaroos. Like all kangaroos, they have large, strong hing legs, a thick long tail, and carry their young in a pouch.
- The name wallaby comes from the Eora Aboriginal tribe who were the original inhabitants of the Sydney area.
- Wallabies are native to Australia.
- Wallabies also can be found at the island of New Guinea.
- Young wallabies are known as "joeys", like many other marsupials.
- Most wallabies feed at night on grass and leaves. Their speed and dodging ability make them very hard to see or to catch. Thus they are protected from their enemies—the dingo, rock python, eagle, and man.
- New Guinea, which was until fairly recent geological times part of mainland Australia, has at least five species of wallaby.
- The hare wallaby is the size of a large rabbit, while the colorful red-necked wallaby may be almost four feet long.
- Rock wallabies, not much bigger than house cats, leap fearlessly among the crevices and chasms of rocky cliffs.
- The small, graceful nail-tail, or spur wallaby, has a thorny growth on the end of its tail and lives in desert land.
