Wallaby

Habitat
Coastal and semi-open eucalyptus forests in eastern Australia and Tasmania

Age
Up to 15 years

Weight
13.8 – 18.6 kg

Height
75-80 cm Tail length 70-75 cm

Gestation
29 days in the womb and 9 months in the pouch

Number of offspring
1 joey

Conservation status
Not threatened

Did you know…

• Kangaroo’s teeth continue to grow throughout their lives, similar to guinea pigs and rabbits. Therefore, it’s important for them to have food that helps wear down their teeth.
• When a joey is born, it is small enough to fit in a teaspoon.
• After birth, the mother licks a trail up her belly that the joey crawls along to reach the nipple inside the pouch.
• The female kangaroo has four different nipples with different types of milk. This allows her to have multiple joeys at once, each receiving the appropriate milk from their respective nipple.
• The female kangaroo also has a remarkable ability! If, for example, there is a period of drought and limited food available, she can put her fetus on “pause” and delay giving birth until there is more food.
• The kangaroo herd in Knuthenborg consists of females and their offspring.
• Keep your eyes open when walking through the kangaroo enclosure. You may be lucky enough to see some joeys sticking their heads or tails out of their mother’s pouch.

Meet the kangaroos at Dinosaurskoven.