Common Wallaroo

Facts

IUCN LEAST CONCERN (LC)

Facts about this animal

The Eastern Wallaroo is a large stocky kangaroo with a broad chest. The muscular body is held more vertically and they also hop more upright than other kangaroos and wallabies.

The forelimbs are large and well-developed, the paws are usually turned down, so the wrist and knuckles face forward. The walaroo has a large black triangular, hairless nose pad.

During the day, the wallaroos rest hiding in the shadows afforded by gorges and gaps between rocks. In the evening they venture out onto the slopes for grazing and browsing.

Wallaroos reach sexual maturity at around 20 months of age. There are some marked differences in the reproduction physiology between subspecies: the Eastern Grey Wallaroo (Macropus r. robustus) has an oestrus cycle of 33 days, a gestation period of 32 days and a pouch life of some 260 days, and the Euro (Macropus r. erubescens) has an oestrus cycle of 45 days, a gestation period of 34 days and a pouch life of 238 days.

Did you know?
that wallaroos, like other kangaroos and wallabies, are perfectly good swimmers? Strangely enough the roo propels itself in the water by moving the rear legs independently, something it cannot do on land.

Factsheet
Class	MAMMALIA
Order	MARSUPIALIA
Suborder	DIPROTODONTIA
Family	MACROPODIDAE
Name (Scientific)	Macropus robustus
Name (English)	Common Wallaroo
Name (French)	Wallaroo commun
Name (German)	Bergkänguru
Name (Spanish)	Ualaru común
Local names	Macropus r. erubescens: Euro
CITES Status	Not listed
CMS Status	Not listed

Photo Copyright by
Michael Barrit & Karen May

Distribution

Distribution
Range	Australia: widely distributed on the continent (3 subspecies), and on Barrow Island (M. r. isabellinus)
Habitat	Mostly rocky and montaneous areas
Wild population	2,416,285 (2010) (Department of Sustainability , Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Australian Government)
Zoo population	113 reported to ISIS (2008)

In the Zoo

How this animal should be transported

For air transport, Container Note 83 of the IATA Live Animals Regulations should be followed.

Find this animal on ZooLex

Photo Copyright by
Peter Firminger

Why do zoos keep this animal

The wallaroo, like other large kangaroos is a very popular species and therefore serves as ambassador of the Australian fauna.

Wallaroos carrying joeys in their pouches are a typical model for the marsupial type of reproduction, i.e. keeping them has also an educational function.

The wallaroo is also a species which can be displayed in "Walk-thru" exhibits, allowing for close encounters between animals and people.

Australian zoos also may come into the situation to keep wallaroos for animal welfare reasons as they may accept and care for sick, injured or orphaned animals.

How this animal should be kept

Wallaroos are social animals and should be kept in groups. For up to 5 adults, an outdoor enclosure of at least 300, better 500 m² should be provided. The enclosure should either have natural, grass-covered soil, with some sandy patches for resting, or should be covered with a suitable substrate, such as sand or marly limestone. In temperate and cold climatic zones, an indoor enclosure of at least 25 m² must be provided where a temperature of at least 15ºC is maintained. The space available in the indoor facility must under no circumstances be less than 4 m² per adult animal, otherwise the appearance of lumpy jaw disease is almost certain. Where the climate is similar to that of the natural range of the species, a shelter shed with an open front is sufficient.

A dominant male may be kept together with other males and any number of females if the enclosure is large enough.

Wallaroos are to be fed on a herbivorous diet consisting of hay, lucerne, grass, vegetables, and browse.