Swamp Wallaby

Wallabia bicolor

The Swamp Wallaby is a small kangaroo that loves to hop around in the wetlands. They have dark fur and a cute, fluffy tail. These wallabies are great at jumping and can move quickly when they need to!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Swamp Wallaby is characterized by its dark, coarse fur, typically dark brown to black on its back with a contrasting reddish-orange or yellowish underside. It has a long, thick, and almost black tail, which helps distinguish it from lighter-colored wallaby species.

KingdomAnimaliaPhylumChordataClassMammaliaOrderDiprotodontiaFamilyMacropodidaeGenusWallabia

Swamp Wallaby

Interesting facts

Swamp wallabies often move with a peculiar, hunched-over gait.

They can sometimes be found resting in dense sugarcane fields!

They're sometimes called "Black Wallaby" due to their very dark fur!

Unlike most kangaroos, they can reproduce all year round!

Special abilities

Swamp Wallaby can carry two babies at different stages because of unique reproduction that helps them always have a joey ready!

Swamp Wallaby can digest tough, fibrous plants, and even some toxic ones because of specialized gut bacteria that helps them eat what others can't.

Swamp Wallaby has powerful hind legs and a strong tail that helps them crash through thick vegetation with ease.

Measurements & details

Length: 66-85 cm
Weight: 13-23 kg
Lifespan: 8-15 years
Top Speed: 35 km/h
Litter Size: 1
Gestation: 33-38 days

Diet & Feeding

This wallaby munches on a variety of plants, including grasses, leaves, and tough shrubs!

Age differences: Young joeys drink milk from their mother before gradually switching to plants.

Primary Foods

grasses
ferns
shrubs
eucalypt leaves
fungi

Foraging Method

Foraging

Ecological connections

eaten by

Dingo

Canis dingo

A primary predator, especially for young or weaker wallabies.

eaten by

Wedge-tailed Eagle

Aquila audax

Large birds of prey can hunt young wallabies.

eats

Bracken Fern

Pteridium esculentum

A common food source, despite its toxicity to some animals.

eaten by

Feral Cat

Felis catus

Introduced predators are a threat, especially to joeys.

Traits

Furry

Furry describes animals possessing a dense covering of soft hair or fur.

Solitary

Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care.

Herbivorous

This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.

Wetland

This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.