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Swamp Wallaby  -  Wallabia bicolor

The Swamp Wallaby has coarse fur coloured dark brown to charcoal above, tinged yellow to red-orange below. Face is dark with pale yellow or light brown cheek stripes. Dark paws and tail, sometimes with white tail tip. The overall dark colour distinguishes this species from other wallabies. Male bodies are 72 to 84 cm long with tails extending a further 69 to 86 cm. Females are 66 to 75 cm long in the body with tails 64 to 73 cm long. Males weigh 12 to 21 kg, females weigh 10 to 15 kg. Range extends along the eastern part of Queensland and New South Wales into the southern part of Victoria - from tropical to cool-temperate climates. Preferred habitats have dense understory and include forest, woodland, brigalow scrub and coastal heath. They tend to live a solitary life and are more diurnal than most wallabies and kangaroos, resting and foraging in the undergrowth during the day and moving out onto more open feeding ground at night. Browses on native shrubs but will eat pastures, crops and pine seedlings. Hopping gait is different to other wallabies; the Swamp Wallaby holds the head lower with the tail extending straight behind the body. Mature at 15 to 18 months. Breeding takes place all year; joey moves out of the mother's pouch at 8 to 9 months and is weaned at 15 months. Lifespan is up to 15 years. This is the only species in the genus Wallabia. There are four poorly defined sub-species.

Information. ¶  Field Guide to Australian Mammals by Cath Jones and Steve Parrish, Steve Parrish publishing, undated. pg131. Photographs taken at Batemans Bay zoo.

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