Red-necked Wallaby (Macropus rufogriseus) Fact Sheet: Physical Characteristics

Body measurements

M. r. banksianus = Australian mainland
M. r. rufogriseus = Tasmania

Note: Subspecies differ in size and weight.

Data source: Jarman & Calaby (2008)

General

• A small member of the kangaroo family
• Long tapering tail
• Prominent ears
• Forelimbs appear small compared to the well-developed hind limbs

Pelage (Jarman & Calaby 2008)

• Muzzle, paws, and largest toe black
• Upper lip has white stripe
• M. r. banksianus: male medium grey to reddish on back, with reddish-brown neck; white or pale gray on belly
• M. r. rufogriseus: males and females darker gray, neck browner; fur longer for more southern latitudes

•  Pronounced sexual dimorphism; the sexes have many differences (Jarman 1989):
  • Males grow faster than females
  • Adult males are are up to twice as large as females
  • Males' shoulders and arms proportionally larger than females'
  • Coat color of female Bennett's subspecies is lighter than males' coats
• In macropod species weighing less than 5 kg (11 lb) there is no sexual dimorphism (Tyndale-Biscoe & Renfree 1987)

• Features shared with all other members of the taxonomic order Diprotodontia (Nowak 1999) (Agar 2008):
  • A large outward projecting incisor on each lower jaw
  • Second and third digits of hind foot are fused (syndactyly), joined by a skin covering with a single claw
• Features shared with all macropods (Nowak 1999):
  • Long narrow feet
  • Hind limbs longer and stronger than forelimbs
  • Forelimbs have 5 digits
  • Pouch opens forward, has 4 teats
  • Very small or non-existent vocal cords (Symington 1898)
• Hind limbs in large and medium-sized members of kangaroo family have unusual properties compared to other animals (McGowan et al. 2008) (Bennett & Taylor 1995):
  • Tendons that extend the ankle generate larger than normal stresses and store more elastic strain energy
  • Higher elastic strain energy results in a reduced tendon safety factor
  • The need to minimize tendon and bone stresses limits the largest body size possible for hopping kangaroos and wallabies
• Large ears can move independently through 180° (Tyndale-Biscoe 2005)
• Visual capacity of large kangaroos and wallabies similar to that of rabbits and ungulates (Tyndale-Biscoe 2005)
  • Eyes high on skull
  • Field of vision wide - a tammar wallaby can see 324° for detecting movement in almost any direction
  • Overlap of vision from both eyes is about 25°
    • A rabbit has about 24° of binocular vision
    • A cat has 98° of binocular vision
    • Predators typically have more binocular vision for pinpointing a prey's position
• Teeth move forward slowly and eventually fall out of jaw, making room for molars erupting behind (Nowak 1999)
  • Four sets of molars thus erupt in a lifetime
  • Animals with similar tooth development: elephants, manatees
  • Very old kangaroos may have only one or two teeth left in each jaw (Marshall & Corruccini 1978)
• Hands used only occasionally (Weisbecker & Sanchez-Villagra 2006):
  • Pulling down branches
  • Fighting
  • Grooming
  • Holding open the pouch for cleaning
• Respiration and hopping were linked in a study of tammar wallaby (Tyndale Biscoe 2005):
  • Upon leaving ground - breathe in
  • When landing - breathe out as guts press against diaphragm
  • Researchers suggest that since the force of internal organs striking the diaphragm aids in expelling air, the diaphragm itself isn't very muscular
• Sense of smell acute observed in Red Kangaroo (Hunt et al. 1999)

Wallabies have small forepaws and prominent ears.

Image credit: © San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance. All rights reserved.

Agar (2008)
Hunt et al. (1999)
Jarman (1989)
Jarman & Calaby (2008)
Marshall & Corruccini (1978)
McGowan et al. (2008)
Newsome (1995)
Nowak (1999)
Symington (1898)
Tyndale-Biscoe & Renfree (1987)
Weisbecker & Sanchez-Villagra (2006)