Tammar Wallaby
Macropus eugenii
Like most marsupials, tammar wallabies give birth to very small young that crawl into the pouch to continue developing over several months.
Physical Description
Tammar wallabies measure less than 18 inches from the head to the base of the tail, and their tails are about 12 inches long. Males weigh up to 20 pounds; females weigh up to 15 pounds. They are mostly grayish brown but their throat, chest, and stomach is lighter. They have a small head, large ears, and a tapered tail. Their hindquarters are much larger and more muscled than their forelimbs. A wallaby's tail serves as a balance and rudder when leaping, and can function as a third leg when the wallaby is sitting. Females have a pouch with four mammae.
Geographic Distribution
Southern and southwestern coastal Australia and some nearby islands
Habitat
Tammar wallabies spend much of their time in dense vegetation but move into open forest or savanna to feed after dark.
Natural Diet
Like all of their kangaroo and wallaby relatives, tammar wallabies are herbivorous, mainly grazing on grass and leaves. Some tammar wallabies live in areas with almost no fresh water; they get enough moisture from salty sea plant juices and can even drink sea water.
Reproduction
After a gestation of about 28 days, a single joey will be born, typically between mid-January and mid-February. The joey will climb into the pouch and attach its mouth to a teat to continue developing over several months. If the mother becomes pregnant while a joey is in the pouch, the embro's development will pause until the joey leaves the pouch, a phenomenon called
embryonic diapause.
Life Span
Tammar wallabies may live about nine years.
Fun Fact
The tammar wallaby is one of more than 50 species in the family Macropodidae (kangaroos and wallabies), all of which live in Australia, New Guinea, and on nearby islands. Macropodidae means "big feet."
