Class: Mammalia

Order: Marsupialia

Scientific Name: Macropus rufogriseus

Range: Southern Australia and Tasmania

Habitat: Grasslands, brush and scrubland

Diet: Wild: Grass and leaves
Zoo: Grain, apples, bananas, sweet potatoes, carrots, guinea pig pellets, vitamin supplements

Gestation: about 40 days

Litter: 1

Description: The Bennett's wallaby is one of the largest of the 17 species of wallabies. It has a pronounced reddish tone to the fur on its shoulders and rump. They have large muscular hind legs with very long falanges that enable the hopping motion they use to get around. By contrast their fore legs are small and are just held loosely while the animal is moving. They are about 2.5-3 ft. long with a 3-ft. tail and weigh 20-30 lbs. These animals live in smaller groups than kangaroos. They prefer to eat grasses in fairly open areas where they can see predators coming and have room to escape. Like the kangaroo, the wallaby pants in hot weather and cools itself by licking the arms and chest.The young (usually one) is born in a very immature state after a very short gestation. The baby then crawls into the mothers pouch where it may stay another 5-11 months. The rate of growth is determined by how well the mother eats, and therefore how much milk she makes. Male and female babies grow at about the same rate until they leave the pouch at which time the males begins growing at a much faster rate so that adult males end up rather larger then adult females.

Where in the Zoo? I can be found in the Wallaby Walkabout at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.