Rock wallaby

Meet the Rock wallaby!

Its full name is golden-footed rock wallaby, although it is commonly called rock wallaby.

It is a marsupial recognizable by its ringed tail and the yellow of its characteristic paws (whose rough pads prevent it from slipping).

They are very agile and jump between rocks while keeping their tails arched over their bodies; they can even climb trees with sloping trunks.

This species, endemic to Australia, is distributed very irregularly in southern Australia, New South Wales.

What are its habits?

The rock wallaby is a crepuscular animal that during the day remains sheltered among vegetation or in caves.

It lives in communities of less than 20 individuals, but sometimes they can reach 100. They feed on grass, bark and bushes; they take advantage of dawn and dusk to look for food, since these are the coolest hours of the day.

They can reproduce throughout the year and have a gestation period of 30-32 days, giving birth to a baby the size of a gummy bear, which it alone climbs up to the mother's pouch.

Conservation

Extinct

Extinct in the wild

Critically endangered

Endangered

Vulnerable

Near threatened

Least concern

Insufficient data

Not evaluated

DID YOU KNOW ...

This species is vulnerable due to the destruction of its natural habitat, competition with other herbivores introduced into its territory (rabbits, sheep, goats) and the action of its predators (foxes and eagles). Once prized for its fur, it is now being harmed by mining and grazing.