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Agile Wallaby

Also known as the sandy wallaby, Kimberley wallaby, jungle wallaby, grass wallaby and river wallaby.. A medium-sized, light yellowish-brown with a prominent white face stripe leading back from upper lid to under eye and a white thigh stripe.

Droppings are pear-shaped and slightly pointed at broader end (25 mm long by 15 mm at broadest end).

Size

Body length 80 cm; tail length 77 cm; weight 15 kg.

Behaviour

Movement

Agile wallabies are social and live in groups of up to 10. They can be seen in larger groups when there is plenty of food.

Breeding

They have a short pregnancy period of around 30 days, after which the joey is kept in the pouch for seven or eight months.

Joeys leave the pouch at around 10 to 12 months old. Female wallabies generally mate again soon after giving birth but the embryo does not develop until the pouch is available.

Field Guide

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  • Species Category: Mammals
  • Species origin: Native
  • Conservation status: Common
  • Did You Know?
    • The most common wallaby in Northern Australia and very common in the Northern Territory
    • Numbers in the NT are decreasing; however they're still classified as secure due to the widespread availability of suitable habitat and they can increase in numbers quickly when conditions are good

  • What to Observe

    • Presence

    • Courting/Mating

    • Young in mother’s pouch

    Climate Adaptations

    Climate change is predicted to bring more seasonal and less predictable rainfall in most areas which may influence the availability of resources that influence wallaby numbers. They are an important species for City of Darwin to monitor.

  • When and Where

    When To Look

    Year round for presence of adults and young.

    Where To Look

    • Northern Australia and down the north-eastern coast of Queensland
    • Also found on Stradbroke Island and Woogoompah Island in the Southern Moreton Bay Islands
    • Dry open woodland, heaths, dunes and grassland
    • In the vicinity of rivers and billabongs
    • Sometimes browses on shrubs or moves onto agricultural land when grass is in short supply

  • What Else?

    Similar Species

    Similar to the Red-necked Wallaby and Black-Striped Wallaby, but the range of the latter does not extend to the Bay islands in Queensland. No other wallabies will have the prominent white face stripe and a white thigh stripe.
  • Trails: Darwin East Point Reserve NT, James Cook University Cairns QLD, James Cook University Townsville QLD
  • Species Region: Australia