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Swamp wallabies are herbivorous, primarily feeding on grasses, shrubs, leaves and, in some cases, bark from trees. [4] This timing makes it possible for swamp wallaby females to overlap two pregnancies, gestating both an embryo and a fetus at the same time. [4], The swamp wallaby is found from the northernmost areas of Cape York Peninsula in Queensland, down the entire east coast and around to southwestern Victoria.

Pause Tooth structure reflects this preference for browsing, with the shape of the molars differing from other wallabies. In this section, there's a wealth of information about our collections of scientific specimens and cultural objects. The Australian Museum will reopen to the public on Saturday 28 November after a 15 month $57.5m building transformation, and general admission will be FREE to celebrate the reopening of this iconic cultural institution. Gestation is from 33 to 38 days, leading to a single young. It appears to be able to tolerate a variety of plants poisonous to many other animals, including brackens, hemlock and lantana.

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0:50. Breeding occurs throughout the year in Swamp Wallabies.

Dodt et al, 2017) demonstrates that Wallabia is embedded within the large genus Macropus, necessitating reclassification of this species in the future. This unique Australian macropod has a dark black-grey coat with a distinctive light-coloured cheek stripe. [3] This wallaby is also commonly known as the black wallaby, with other names including black-tailed wallaby, fern wallaby, black pademelon, stinker (in Queensland), and black stinker (in New South Wales) on account of its characteristic swampy odour. Average weight for males is 17 kg (37 lb), females averaging 13 kg (29 lb). The swamp wallaby exhibits an unusual form of embryonic diapause, differing from other marsupials in having its gestation period longer than its oestrous cycle.

The pouch life of each joey is eight to nine months, although they may continue to suckle until 15 months of age. The Swamp Wallaby is not as common in Sydney as it once was, but can still be found in a few places in its preferred habitat of thick forest undergrowth or sandstone heath.

This wallaby is also commonly known as the black wallaby, with other names including black-tailed wallaby, fern wallaby, black pademelon, stinker (in Queensland), and black stinker (in New South Wales) on account of its characteristic swampy odour.

[3], The gait differs from other wallabies, with the swamp wallaby carrying its head low and its tail out straight. The swamp wallaby, also known as the black wallaby or black pademelon, lives in the dense understorey of rainforests, woodlands and dry sclerophyll forest along eastern Australia. The Swamp Wallaby feeds on a variety of plants including introduced and native shrubs, grasses and ferns. They are macropods which, among other traits, are characterised by their long narrow feet. Due to their ability to breed all year round, the swamp wallaby is listed as a … [4], The swamp wallaby has seven carpal bones in the wrist (humans have eight).[5]. Join or give to Australia's first museum today and help ensure its future! [4], The average length is 76 cm (30 in) for males, and 70 cm (28 in) for females (excluding the tail). Swamp wallaby. [citation needed] Commercial shooters also find it undesirable due to its small size and coarse fur.[4]. The pouch life of each joey is eight to nine months, although they may continue to suckle until 15 months of age. Brigalow scrub in Queensland is a particularly favoured habitat. Breeding behaviours A light coloured cheek stripe is usually present, and extremities of the body generally show a darker colouring, except for the tip of the tail, which is often white.

Interestingly, they are able to eat plants such as bracken and hemlock which are poisonous to other Australian animals. Queensland Museum South Bank, QMSB, Queensland Museum, QM We acknowledge the First Peoples – the Traditional Owners of the lands where we live and work, and we recognise their continuing connection to land, water and community. Introduced in New Zealand. The Swamp Wallaby lives in eastern Australia, in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and south-eastern South Australia. The swamp wallaby is so different to other wallabies that they have their very own genus.

[8][3] However, genetic evidence (e.g. Like many marsupials, female Swamp Wallabies can suckle two joeys of different ages. Although commonly seen by tourists around Alice Springs, the Rock-wallabies of Central Australia have lacked an appropriate scientific name … until now. The swamp wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) is a small macropod marsupial of eastern Australia. This animal has occasionally been taken for a panther due to the dark coloration of its fur and a long black tail, which strike the eye unlike the hindquarters of this animal, which are often difficult to see in the dense cover of the Australian bush. The swamp wallaby is the only living member of the genus Wallabia. [7], According to the Aboriginal people of the Bundjalung Nation, the swamp wallaby was considered inedible, due to its smell and taste after cooking. The swamp wallaby ovulates, mates, conceives and forms a new embryo one to two days before the birth of their full-term fetus. The tail in both sexes is approximately equal in length to the rest of the body. The swamp wallaby is the only living member of the genus Wallabia.

Swamp wallabies forage widely, eating a variety of ferns, heath and shrubs. Visiting the Australian Museum safely during COVID-19, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Collection, Australian Museum Research Institute (AMRI), Natural Sciences research and collections, Australian Museum Lizard Island Research Station, 2020 Australian Museum Eureka Prizes finalists, Become a volunteer at the Australian Museum. [6], The swamp wallaby is typically a solitary animal, but often aggregates into groups when feeding. Play. Join us, volunteer and be a part of our journey of discovery! Doug Beckers has uploaded 10385 photos to Flickr. To keep visitors safe ALL camping in NSW national parks now requires a booking. On a seemingly unremarkable hill in north Queensland something remarkable appears to be happening to wallaby's tails. Several physical and behavioral characteristics make the swamp wallaby different enough from other wallabies that it is placed apart in its own genus, Wallabia. For day visitors, please avoid busy parks between 11am and 2pm during the school holidays to avoid congestion.

Receive the latest news on events, exhibitions, science research and special offers. The Australian Museum respects and acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the First Peoples and Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which the Museum stands.

Help finance the exceptional work of our inspiring scientists, explorers and educators as they help to protect Australia’s and the Pacific’s vital natural and cultural heritage for generations to come. We acknowledge Elders past, present and emerging. It has a dark coat with a yellow to red underside and usually a lighter-coloured cheek stripe.

[4], The ideal diet appears to involve browsing on shrubs and bushes, rather than grazing on grasses. The swamp wallaby, also known as the black wallaby or black pademelon, lives in the dense understorey of rainforests, woodlands and dry sclerophyll forest along eastern Australia. The preferred habitat of the Swamp Wallaby is thick forest undergrowth or sandstone heath. This small, stocky wallaby has dark brown fur, often with lighter rusty patches on the belly, chest and base of the ears. There is also one reported case of the consumption of carrion.

[4], The species name bicolor comes from the distinct colouring variation, with the typical grey coat of the macropods varied with a dark brown to black region on the back, and light yellow to rufous orange on the chest. Baby Swamp Wallaby. Generally active from dusk until dawn, swamp wallabies are mostly solitary animals, but may gather to feed during the evening.

The Agile Wallaby is one of only a few living marsupial species with a fossil record stretching back four million years. Consequently, females are continuously pregnant throughout their reproductive life. This website may contain names, images and voices of deceased Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Plants and animals you might see in our parks, Foundation for National Parks and Wildlife, Department of Planning, Industry & Environment, Become a Parks Eco Pass licensed tour operator.

National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife, https://kmccready.wordpress.com/2014/07/03/carpals-of-swamp-wallaby-wallabia-bicolor/, "Swamp wallabies conceive new embryo before birth -- a unique reproductive strategy", https://drive.google.com/?tab=mo&authuser=0#folders/0B0SZrEEV2Y42REFfSWdXcUtndVU, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Swamp_wallaby&oldid=986999615, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2008, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 4 November 2020, at 06:47. The Australian Museum respects and acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation as the First Peoples and Traditional Custodians of the land and waterways on which the Museum stands. Despite being one of the most intensively studied marsupials, recent genetic studies of the Tammar Wallaby has revealed some surprises. View full screen Unfortunately, swamp wallabies fall victim to domestic dog attacks and car strikes all too often.

Like many marsupials, female Swamp Wallabies can suckle two joeys of different ages. A description of the Swamp Wallaby, Wallabia bicolor, with details of its distribution, habitat, habits and breeding. [4], It inhabits thick undergrowth in forests and woodlands, or shelters during the day in thick grass or ferns, emerging at night to feed. This is unusual in wallabies and other macropods, which typically prefer grazing. — Swamp Wallaby (Wallabia bicolor) / Sumpfwallaby [2] Report.

This unique Australian macropod has a dark black-grey coat with a distinctive light-coloured cheek stripe. The Swamp Wallaby feeds on a variety of plants including introduced and native shrubs, grasses and ferns. Explore Doug Beckers' photos on Flickr. Thank you for reading. [3] It will eat a wide range of food plants, depending on availability, including shrubs, pasture, agricultural crops, and native and exotic vegetation. The swamp wallaby becomes reproductively fertile between 15 and 18 months of age, and can breed throughout the year. You have reached the end of the main content. In this section, explore all the different ways you can be a part of the Museum's groundbreaking research, as well as come face-to-face with our dedicated staff. Come and explore what our researchers, curators and education programs have to offer! The fourth premolar is retained through life, and is shaped for cutting through coarse plant material. Read more about

[4], There is evidence that the swamp wallaby is an opportunist taking advantage of food sources when they become available, such as fungi, bark and algae.