Parma Wallaby (Macropus parma) Fact Sheet: Summary

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Diprotodontia - koalas, wombats, possums, macropods (kangaroos, tree kangaroos, wallaroos, etc.)

Family: Macropodidae - kangaroos, wallabies

Genus: Macropus

Species: Macropus parma - Parma wallaby

Body Weight
Male: 4.1-5.9 kg (9.0-13.0 lb)
Female: 3.2-4.8 kg (7.1-10.6 lb)

Head-body Length
Male: 482-528 mm (19.0-20.8 in)
Female: 447-527 mm (17.6-20.7 in)

Tail Length
Male: 489-544 mm (19.2-21.4 in)
Female: 405-507 mm (15.9-20.0 in)

Pelage
Dark reddish-brown to gray-brown

Range
Southeastern Australia

Habitat
New South Wales, from Sydney north to Gold Coast

IUCN Status
Near Threatened (2015 assessment)

CITES Appendix
Not listed

Other Designations
U.S. Endangered Species Act: Endangered

Population in Wild
No recent estimates; 1992 estimate: 1,000-10,000 individuals.
Population decreases over past 200 years due to habitat loss and introduction of red fox.

Locomotion
Two- and four-legged hopping. Near horizontal position, close to the ground.

Activity Cycle
Primarily nocturnal, like most macropods. Active just before dawn.

Social Groups
Typically solitary; may feed in groups of 2 or 3.

Diet
Primarily grasses and herbs; some shrubs, trees, and fungi.

Predators
Red fox, Vulpes vulpes

Sexual Maturity
In the wild: females: 12-36 months; males: 20-24 months
In managed care: females: 11-16 months; males: about 22 months

Gestation
About 35 days

Litter Size
1

Interbirth Interval
Females come back into estrus 45-105 days after the young is born.

Birth Weight
About 0.5 g (0.02 oz)

Age at Weaning
Completed at 9-12 months old

Typical Life Expectancy
Wild populations: 6-8 years, on average
Managed care: median life expectancy of about 5-6 years

Feature Facts

• The name "parma" comes from the Aboriginal word for this species.
• Once thought to be extinct; a reintroduced population was discovered in New Zealand in 1965 and in Australia in 1967.
• Small size; smallest member of the genus Macropus
• Small home range size
• Males produce soft clucks when courting females; also vigorously paw at females.
• Threats to survival include loss of forest habitat (agriculture and livestock grazing), predation, and collisions with vehicles.
• Successful breeding programs in zoos