Red-necked Wallaby

Macropus rufogriseus

The red-necked wallaby or Bennett's wallaby is a medium-sized macropod marsupial, common in the more temperate and fertile parts of eastern Australia, including Tasmania. Red-necked wallabies have been introduced to several other countries, including New Zealand, England, Scotland, Ireland, France and the Isle of Man.
Red-necked wallaby- WALLABY DE BENNETT - MACROPUS RUFOGRISEUS © Harsha Photography. All rights reserved. Please share if you like . France,Macropus rufogriseus,Red-necked wallaby orBennetts wallaby,animal,australia,australian,baby,background,brown,cute,forest,fur,furry,grass,habitat,hair,joey,kangaroo,male,mammal

Appearance

Red-necked wallabies are distinguished by their black nose and paws, white stripe on the upper lip, and grizzled medium grey coat with a reddish wash across the shoulders.

They can weigh 13.8 to 18.6 kilograms and attain a head-body length of 90 centimetres, although males are generally bigger than females.

Red-necked wallabies are very similar in appearance to the Black-striped wallaby, the only difference being that Red-necked wallabies are larger, lack a black stripe down the back, and have softer fur. Red-necked wallabies may live up to 9 years.
Red-necked wallaby napping, Zie-Zoo, Netherlands Zoo shot of a Red-necked wallaby, also called Bennett Wallaby, napping on an unusually hot day. Trivia, directly from the sign: this is one of two animals on the Australian coat of arms: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_Australia#/media/File:Australian_Coat_of_Arms.png The other being the Emu. Both animals cannot walk backwards, which is the symbolism of a nation that seeks progress. I bet you did not know that. Europe,Macropus rufogriseus,Netherlands,Red-necked wallaby,Volkel,World,Zie-Zoo,Zoo

Naming

There are three subspecies.
⤷  "M. r. banksianus" – Red-necked wallaby
⤷  "M. r. rufogriseus" – Bennett's wallaby
⤷  "M. r. fruticus"

The Tasmanian form, "Macropus rufogriseus rufogriseus", usually known as Bennett's wallaby is smaller, has longer, darker, shaggier fur, and breeds in the late summer, mostly between February and April. They have adapted to living in proximity to humans and can be found grazing on lawns in the fringes of Hobart and other urban areas.

The mainland form, "Macropus rufogriseus banksianus", breeds all year round. Captive animals maintain their breeding schedules; Tasmanian females that become pregnant out of their normal season delay birth until summer, which can be anything up to eight months later.
Red-necked Wallaby mob Macropus rufogriseus,Red-necked wallaby andBennetts wallaby

Distribution

Red-necked wallabies are found in coastal scrub and sclerophyll forest throughout coastal and highland eastern Australia, from Bundaberg, Queensland to the South Australian border; in Tasmania and on many of the Bass Strait islands. It is unclear which of the Tasmanian islands have native populations as opposed to introduced ones.

In Tasmania and coastal Queensland, their numbers have expanded over the past 30 years because of a reduction in hunting pressure and the partial clearing of forest to result in a mosaic of pastures where wallabies can feed at night, alongside bushland where they can shelter by day. For reasons not altogether clear, they are less common in Victoria.
Baby Wallaby Taken at Yorkshire wildlife park. Geotagged,Macropus rufogriseus,Red-necked wallaby,Spring,United Kingdom

Behavior

Red-necked wallabies are mainly solitary but will gather together when there is an abundance of resources such as food, water or shelter. When they do gather in groups, they have a social hierarchy similar to other wallaby species. A recent study has demonstrated that wallabies, as other social or gregarious mammals, are able to manage conflict via reconciliation, involving the post-conflict reunion, after a fight, of former opponents, which engage in affinitive contacts. Red-necked wallabies are mainly nocturnal. They spend most of the daytime resting.

A female's estrus lasts 33 days. During courting, the female first licks the male's neck. The male will then rub his cheek against the female's. Then the male and female will fight briefly, standing upright like two males. After that they finally mate.

A couple will stay together for one day before separating. A female bears one offspring at a time; young stay in the pouch for about 280 days, after which females and their offspring stay together for only a month. However, females may stay in the home range of their mothers for life while males leave at the age of two.

Also, red-necked wallabies engage in alloparental care, in which one individual may adopt the child of another. This is a common behavior seen in many other animal species like wolves, elephants, and fathead minnows.
Bennetts wallaby baby drinking Not the best quality but I didn't want to disturb them. Geotagged,Macropus rufogriseus,Red-necked wallaby andBennetts wallaby,The Netherlands,Zooparc Overloon

Habitat

Red-necked wallabies are found in coastal scrub and sclerophyll forest throughout coastal and highland eastern Australia, from Bundaberg, Queensland to the South Australian border; in Tasmania and on many of the Bass Strait islands. It is unclear which of the Tasmanian islands have native populations as opposed to introduced ones.

In Tasmania and coastal Queensland, their numbers have expanded over the past 30 years because of a reduction in hunting pressure and the partial clearing of forest to result in a mosaic of pastures where wallabies can feed at night, alongside bushland where they can shelter by day. For reasons not altogether clear, they are less common in Victoria.
Bennets wallaby baby Not the best quality but I didn't want to disturb them. Geotagged,Macropus rufogriseus,Red-necked wallaby andBennetts wallaby,The Netherlands,Zooparc Overloon

Food

Red-necked wallabies diets consists of grasses, roots, tree leaves, and weeds.

References:

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