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Physical Traits:
What do Wallabies look like?
Wallabies are small to medium-sized marsupials having large hind-legs, small forefeet, thick large tail and upright posture. Wallabies have an average height of 70 cm; sexual dimorphism is present in wallabies, male wallabies weigh around 12-20 kg whereas female wallabies are 10-15 kg in weight. Also, male wallabies have body length ranging between 72-85 cm while females are 66-75 cm long; the tail of male wallabies is about 72-85 cm while females have a tail length of about 64-72 cm. Wallabies have dark colored coarse fur.Kangaroos and wallabies (and possums ) have forward-opening pouches.
What do Kangaroos look like?
Kangaroos are the largest member of the Macropodidae family. Sexual dimorphism is present in kangaroos; male kangaroos are about 1300-1600 mm whereas females are 850-1050 mm with tail length ranging between 1,000 to 1,200 mm for males while 650-850 mm for females. Kangaroos weigh around 90 kg and can reach about 1.8 meters in height while standing. Male kangaroos are reddish-brown whereas female kangaroos are bluish-grey in colour. Kangaroos have a robust built, well-muscled tail with powerful hind-legs. The tail is so much strong that it can support the kangaroo’s weight while they fight; often called as Kangaroo’s “fifth leg”.
Behavioral Traits:
Wallaby is nocturnal and lives a solitary life. They do not have territories; however, they can be seen in large number where the availability of food is concentrated at a particular place. They move by hoping their hind-feet while keeping the head close to the ground. They also move on their forefeet when they eat food.Wallabies have natural predators such as dingoes, Tasmanian devils, eagle etc. living in open areas will make them prone to predators. Thus, to protect themselves from being a prey they have sparse dark fur to camouflage and more compact legs which assist them to run away.
Kangaroos are social animals; they live in small groups called “mobs’” having 8-10 members. Each mob has several females their offspring and one or more dominant males. Kangaroos also meet in large numbers and go for forage by making a congregation. There are 45 species of kangaroos and wallabies.Kangaroos are nocturnal; they spend most of their time grazing.
What Do Wallabies Eat?
Wallabies are herbivorous; they eat soft plants, shrubs, leaves, ferns, grasses, buds, the bark of trees etc.
What Do Kangaroos Eat?
Like wallabies, Kangaroos are also strict herbivores; they eat grass, green leaves, and fulfill their water needs by eating succulents, dicotyledons plants.
Geographical Distribution:
Where do you find wallabies?
Wallabies are found all across Australia, Tasmania and Papua New Guinea.
Where are kangaroos found?
Kangaroos are mainly found in the dry and arid region of Central Australia.
Habitat:
Where do wallaby Live?
Rock Wallabies live in plains, open grasslands, dense forests, woodlands, rocky outcrops, caves, savanna’s, riparian areas etc.
Where do kangaroo Lives?
Kangaroos live in central Australia which receives average rainfall of less than 50 cm. They forage in search of food and prefer to live in areas having less dense or scattered trees.
Amazing Fun Facts for kids:
Some interesting Kangaroo facts ?
- Kangaroos can hop about 25 feet.
- Kangaroos use their tail as the “fifth leg”.
- Kangaroos prefer open lands, they live in deserts and semi-arid regions.
- Kangaroos are the Largest Marsupials.
- Rat kangaroo closest living relatives are kangaroo mice and pocket mice, both of which are also heteromyids
- Musky rat kangaroos are smallest marsupial found only in the rain forests of northeastern Australia.
- Matschie’s tree kangaroos are an endangered species about 2500 left
- Tree Kangaroos resemble between a kangaroo and a lemur, adapted to live in rain-forests of Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the far north australia.
Some interesting Wallaby facts ?
- Wallabies are not small kangaroos; their anatomy is apt to live in forests.
- Parma Wallaby Once thought to be extinct, can be found in forests of New South Wales and Kawau Island, New Zealand.
- Wallaby species: There are currently 15 species and 8 subspecies of rock wallaby.
Kangaroo vs Wallaby Fight: Who would win?
The battle between Kangaroo vs Wallaby is the most interesting one. However, a kangaroo is strong and muscular and way bigger than a wallaby. If a one-on-one fight happens between these two animals; wallaby stands no chance against a kangaroo. Hence, Kangaroo is the winner of this animal duel.
Comparison Chart: Kangaroo and Wallaby
| Comparison Heads | Kangaroo | Wallaby |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Animalia | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia | Mammalia |
| Infraclass | Marsupialia | Marsupialia |
| Order | Diprotodontia | Diprotodontia |
| Family | Macropodidae | Macropodidae |
| Average Body Length | 1300-1600 mm | 62-85 cm |
| Average Height | About 1.8 metre | About 70 cm |
| Weight | Around 90 kg | 15-20 kg |
| Geographical Distribution | Mainland Australia | Australia, Tasmania, Papua New Guinea |
| Habitat | Plains, open grasslands, dense forests, woodlands, rocky outcrops, caves, savannahs, riparian areas | Lives in areas having less density of trees or scattered forests. |
| Lifespan | About 6 years in wild; in captivity upto 20 years | Around 9 years in the wild. |
Wallaby Vs Kangaroo Infographic
Comparison Video: Wallaby Vs Kangaroo
FAQ’s-Frequently Asked Questions
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kangaroo vs wallaby vs wallaroo size
Kangaroos > Wallaroos > Wallabies
Kangaroo 200cm, wallaroos 140cm, wallbies are 75cm Tall -
What is a female and male wallaby called?
Adult female wallabies are referred to as “jills”, “flyers”, or “does”
Young wallabies are referred to as “joeys”
Adult male wallabies are referred to as “boomers”,”bucks”, or “jacks” -
What is a female kangaroo called?
A female kangaroo is referred as a ‘flyer’ or a ‘doe’ and a male kangaroo as ‘buck’ or a ‘boomer’
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Can you own a wallaby in the US?
Being categorized as exotic pets they are not legal in all states
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What are 4 types of kangaroo species?
Red kangaroo (Macropus rufus),
western gray kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus),
eastern gray kangaroo (Macropus giganteus),
Antilopine kangaroo (Macropus antilopinus). -
What is the rarest kangaroo?
The Wondiwoi tree kangaroo is so rare and elusive that it was assumed to be extinct and disappeared for nearly a century