Wallabies - Facts for Kids

Some wallaby species have developed resistance to certain toxic plants that other animals can’t eat!

Wallabies can swim across rivers and streams to escape predators or find better feeding grounds!

Some wallabies live in areas that get snow during winter!

Rock wallabies can jump up vertical cliff faces that are 2 meters (6.5 feet) high!

Some wallabies live in mountain areas up to 1,800 meters (5,900 feet) above sea level!

Different wallaby species have evolved different foot shapes depending on their habitat!

Wallabies living in hot areas often rest in the shade during the middle of the day!

Some wallaby species have special glands that help them stay cool in hot weather!

Wallabies living in alpine areas grow thicker fur during winter!

Life Cycle

A baby wallaby is only about 2 centimeters (0.8 inches) long when it’s born — about the size of a lima bean!

Newborn joeys climb from the birth canal to their mother’s pouch without any help!

Baby wallabies stay in their mother’s pouch for about 8–9 months before they start exploring outside!

Young wallabies continue to return to their mother’s pouch for safety and feeding until they’re about 12 months old!

Female wallabies can pause the development of an embryo until environmental conditions are good for raising a joey!

A mother wallaby produces different types of milk for joeys of different ages in her pouch!

Wallabies typically give birth to one joey at a time, but can care for two joeys of different ages — one in the pouch and one outside!

Young male wallabies leave their mother’s mob when they’re about 18 to 24 months old!

Female wallabies can become mothers when they’re about 13–15 months old!

A wallaby joey starts eating solid food when it’s about 6 months old but continues drinking milk for several more months!

A wallaby joey starts growing fur at about 4 months old!

Young wallabies learn to hop at about 7 to 8 months old!

A newborn wallaby joey weighs less than 1 gram — lighter than a paperclip!

Male wallabies continue growing for several years after leaving their mother!

Wallaby joeys start to poke their heads out of the pouch at about 6 months old!

Female wallabies can have up to three joeys in different stages of development at once!

Wallabies become adults around 2 years old, but they don’t reach their full size until about 4–5 years!

A mother wallaby’s pouch stretches as her joey grows, giving it more room and keeping it snug and safe!

Diet & Feeding

Wallabies are herbivores and eat mostly grasses, leaves, and other plants!

Wallabies have special stomach compartments that help them break down tough plants like grass and leaves!

Some wallabies, like swamp wallabies, can eat plants that are poisonous to other animals — like lantana, hemlock, and bracken!

An adult wallaby can eat up to 2.5 kilograms (5.5 pounds) of vegetation per day!

Wallabies have helpful bacteria in their special fore-stomachs (forestomachs) that break down tough plants and turn them into nutrients!

Some wallaby species eat fungi that grow underground and help spread fungal spores through their droppings!

Wallabies use their strong sense of smell to sniff out the tastiest and most nutritious parts of plants!

Some wallaby species have evolved to eat specific types of plants that grow in their habitat!

Wallabies usually hop out to eat at night or during dawn and dusk — when it’s cooler and there are fewer predators around!

Wallabies’ teeth continue to grow throughout their life to replace worn surfaces!

Wallabies sometimes stand up on their hind legs and use their strong tail as a third leg so they can reach leaves higher up!

Wallabies extract more nutrients from plants than cows because their tummy bugs produce far less methane gas, so they lose less of the food’s energy!

Wallabies change what they eat based on the season — eating mainly grasses and herbs when plants are lush, then switching to leaves, flowers, bark, fruits, roots and fallen plant material when grasses become scarce.

Conservation & Population

Only a tiny number of wallaby species have populations under ~1,000 in the wild.

The Toolache wallaby went extinct by 1939 because of hunting, habitat loss, and predators like foxes!

Conservation programs have helped save several wallaby species (types) from extinction!

Climate change and bushfires pose serious threats to wallaby populations!

Feral cats and foxes introduced to Australia are major threats to young wallabies!

The bridled nail‑tail wallaby was thought extinct for nearly 36 years until someone spotted one in 1973!

Some farmers now protect wallabies because they help reduce fire risk by eating dry grass!

Scientists use special tracking devices to study wallaby movements and protect their populations!

Some farmers now use guardian dogs to protect wallabies from predators instead of considering them pests!