It may be cold and snowy outside but inside Wildwood Wildlife Park, even the return of winter can’t dampen the excitement surrounding our newest addition to the nursery: Reeka, a Bennett’s Wallaby also known as the Red-necked Wallaby.
Wallaby’s and kangaroos are part of the marsupial family. Young wallabies are known as “joeys”, like many other marsupials. Adult male wallabies are referred to as “bucks” while adult female wallabies are knowns as “does.”
The Red-necked Wallaby can be distinguished from other wallabies by its white cheek markings, the red coloring on the neck and by their black nose and paws. . The rest of the Red-necked Wallaby’s body fur is colored grey to red with a white or pale grey abdomen. Their muzzle, paws and toes are black in color.
Wallabies are herbivores whose diet consists of grasses, roots, vegetables and tree leaves. Red-necked wallabies are mainly solitary but will gather together when there is an abundance of resources such as food, water or shelter. Red-necked Wallabies are mainly nocturnal; they spend most of the daytime resting.
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Red-necked Wallabies are found in coastal forests throughout the coastal and highland are of eastern Australia.
Wallabies, like all marsupials, are pouched mammals. A female bears one offspring at a time; the baby stays in the pouch for about 280 days. The pouch acts as a warm, safe place where the joey grows.
Map of Australia and Joey-Face-In-Pouch Photo Source: Wikipedia
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