Swamp wallaby

Wallabia bicolor

Swampy wallaby looking at camera

IMAGE: Sian Addison 2018

Status

NE DD LC NT VU EN CR EW EX

For more info on classifications visit www.iucnredlist.org

We are home to seven swamp wallabies at Wallaby Walkthrough – Allibo, Kindal, Marcello, Kermit, Kaitlyn and Luca.

They resemble kangaroos (who can also be spotted in Wallaby Walkthrough), but are smaller and have longer fur.

Population

increasing_population_icon

Increasing

IUCN August 2018

Diet

herbivore_diet_icon

Herbivore

Habitat

forest_habitat_icon

Forest

Fact file

  • Swamp wallabies have a mixed diet feeding on bushes, ferns, flowers, grasses, herbs, plants, shrubs and tree saplings. They can be found grazing in pasture, agricultural crops, and exotic tree plantations

  • Their molars are specially shaped to help cut through the coarse, thick vegetation of their diet

  • After mating, a tiny embryo (which is the size of a jelly bean!) crawls into the pouch of the female wallaby and attaches to a teat where it stays for a few months to develop. When the baby (called a joey) is ready to emerge, they poke out their mother's pouch before fully emerging

Swamp wallaby and joey IMAGE: Hannah Gordon (2024)

How we're helping

Like all the animals in our care, our swamp wallabies are amazing ambassadors for their relatives in the wild and help hundreds of thousands of people connect with nature every year. They encourage visitors to learn about the threats facing wildlife and the action they can take to help create a world where nature is protected, valued, and loved.

As a wildlife conservation charity, we care for the animals here at the zoo and work to protect species at risk around the world. From providing expertise in genetics and veterinary health to protecting wild places with local conservation partners, and even restoring threatened species to the wild, we are active where we are needed most.

Find out more about RZSS conservation