When is a kangaroo not a kangaroo?
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (325385)
Rockingham, Australia
January 16, 2020 6:39pm CST
The answer is: when it’s a wallaby.
Kangaroos are distinguished from wallabies by size. The former are designed for life on more open terrain whereas the wallaby has shorter legs more suited to forested areas. Where we live we see both although wallabies are very shy and only occasionally seen if walking through the bush or as roadkill.
Wallabies weigh, depending on the species, a maximum of around 53 pounds and are 24 inches tall compared to the kangaroos' upper limits of 200 pounds and around 6 feet tall. The legs of the wallaby, between the knee and ankle, are shorter.
Again depending on the species, wallabies have a 'brighter' coat with several different colours. They may have facial, shoulder or hip stripes. The kangaroo's coat is usually a muted, uniform brown or grey. However, the red kangaroo has a reddish coat.
The diet of the wallaby consists mainly of leaves. The 'roo is a grass eater.
Rock-wallabies are at home in rocky, even mountainous, areas and tree-kangaroos are at home in the trees. The latter are also very shy. The eight species of tree-kangaroo are found in the extreme north of Queensland, Australia and in New Guinea.
The wallaby in the photo was in Tasmania.
25 people like this
24 responses
@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
17 Jan 20
Thank you very much for the added knowledge. This is the first time that I have read about Wallaby although I think I have heard that before. So the wallaby is like the midget people.
6 people like this
@Alexandoy (65308)
• Cainta, Philippines
17 Jan 20
@JudyEv I guess the wallaroo is a hybrid of the wallaby and kangaroo. I am really amused by the animals there because they are unique. By the way, we had plans of taking a vacation in Australia some years back but we had an issue with the specific place. No one could give us a good recommendation where in Australia to go.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325385)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Jan 20
@Alexandoy Oh, what a shame. There are so many places to choose from. It probably wouldn't matter much where you went as you'd find things to see and do wherever you went.
@BloggerDi (3113)
• United States
17 Jan 20
@JudyEv Wow, it's pretty! I had never heard of this creature before. Thank you.
2 people like this
@hereandthere (45651)
• Philippines
17 Jan 20
ouch! maybe you were teasing it! hahaha!
2 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
17 Jan 20
Can a wallaby be a pet?
4 people like this
@JudyEv (325385)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Jan 20
Yes. There were signs near where I took the photo asking tourists not to feed the wallabies but they'd hang around hoping for a handout. My uncle had two pet tammars which are a type of wallaby I guess. Wallaby, kangaroo are used here as generic terms.
3 people like this
@arunima25 (85265)
• Bangalore, India
17 Jan 20
At first sight, I would have mistaken it to be a Kangaroo... I read about the two and the differences they have. In Singapore zoo, there is a special part called Australia. I read about Wallaby there but couldn't spot one. There were Kangaroos there or I might have mistaken one to be kangaroo.
3 people like this
@arunima25 (85265)
• Bangalore, India
17 Jan 20
@JudyEv I never heard of that. That's an interesting information.
1 person likes this
@arunima25 (85265)
• Bangalore, India
17 Jan 20
@Thrilliana I don't remember seeing crocodiles in that Australia part. But yes they had kangaroos, wallabies, emus and ostrich. It has been five years and I need to scratch my memory
.SG zoo is really worth visit. 
.SG zoo is really worth visit. 1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (73241)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
17 Jan 20
That is just the cutest wallaby. Thanks for the explanation. I like them both wallabies and kangaroos.
3 people like this
@Bensen32 (27509)
• United States
17 Jan 20
Thanks for the information. I was just reading about this yesterday due to a story about the animals that are dying in the fires there.
Some article I read said kangaroos could get up to 8 ft tall and I though oh my god, I would have a heart attack if I seen a 8 ft kangaroo jumping towards me.
2 people like this
@simplfred (20608)
• Philippines
17 Jan 20
That's a cute kangaroo (I mean wallaby) do they have pocket also?
3 people like this
@simplfred (20608)
• Philippines
17 Jan 20
@michaelgab I agree, especially the upper body.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (325385)
• Rockingham, Australia
17 Jan 20
@michaelgab @simplfred Yes, they have pouches. In reality, they are just a bit smaller than kangaroos but basically the same otherwise.
2 people like this
@simplfred (20608)
• Philippines
17 Jan 20
@JudyEv I see... So, the midget one... Thanks for the info...
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (169643)
• United States
17 Jan 20
I think they are cute. A few years ago I was at a zoo, and the wallabies were in a children's section just hopping around. They weren't really secured in any way from the main part of the zoo only by a gate that was easy open and shut..just a swinging door really. I said to the zoo keeper" what if they leave? "They said, "They won't." I guess they must hang around pretty close to their food sources.
2 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (48890)
• United States
18 Jan 20
Thanks for explaining the difference. As a child I sang a song about wallaby's.
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (48890)
• United States
19 Jan 20
@JudyEv willaby wallaby woo woo we, a monkey sat on me me me , willaby wallaby woo woo woo, watch out or he'll sit on you you you. We sang it over and over again and inserted our names and other animals sat on us.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
18 Jan 20
so stinkin' cute :) i don't reckon i knew there 'twas so many diff'rent types 'f wallabies? now i'm gonna need to go hunt me down more info'n those 'n roos, too. happy? lol
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39515)
• United States
21 Jan 20
@JudyEv :) glad ya do! i plead utter laziness 's i've yet to do such. been runnin' 'round'n circles 'n not makin' much progress doin' such, lol.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325385)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Jan 20
@crazyhorseladycx Sometimes running in circles doesn't get you very far ahead.
1 person likes this
@BloggerDi (3113)
• United States
17 Jan 20
I enjoyed your informative post and photos. The only think I knew is that Wallabies are smaller than Kangaroos.
2 people like this
