AGILE WALLABY

Where They Live

The Allied Rock-wallaby is found mainly in north-eastern Queensland, especially:

• Along the Great Dividing Range in the north-east
• In rocky outcrops, escarpments, and boulder hills
• Around steep gullies and rugged hillsides

They are rock specialists. You will not find them hopping across wide grassy paddocks like Eastern Grey Kangaroos. Instead, they live where:

• There are large boulders, rock piles, and cliffs
• They can shelter in rock crevices and caves
• A mix of shrubs, grasses and small trees grows between the rocks

These rocky landscapes protect them from predators and harsh weather, and also give them many places to hide.

What They Look Like

Allied Rock-wallabies are small to medium-sized wallabies.

Size and Build

• Body length: about 50–65 cm
• Tail length: about 50–70 cm (often as long as, or longer than, the body)
• Weight: usually 3–7 kg

They have:

• Strong hind legs for jumping across rocks
• Long, thick tail used for balance, especially on steep, uneven ground
• Soft, padded feet that grip rock surfaces

Colours and Markings

Their fur is designed for camouflage:

• Overall colour: grey-brown to sandy-brown
• Lighter underparts: cream or pale grey on the belly
• Often a paler stripe on the side of the face or along the flank
• Tail may be darker towards the tip

Seen from a distance, they blend smoothly into the rocks and shadows, which helps them avoid being spotted by predators—and by people.

Masters of Rocky Acrobatics

If you watched an Allied Rock-wallaby in its natural habitat, you would see an expert climber and jumper.

They can:

• Leap from rock to rock with surprising precision
• Use their tail as a counterweight when turning or landing
• Race up steep slopes that would be hard for a human to walk

Their hind feet have textured pads that provide grip, almost like built-in climbing shoes. This allows them to move quickly across surfaces that would be slippery or dangerous for many other animals.

What They Eat

Allied Rock-wallabies are mainly herbivores, feeding on:

• Grasses
• Leaves
• Shrubs and herbs
• Sometimes fruits and seeds when available

Because they live in often dry, rocky environments, food and water can be limited. They cope by:

• Feeding mostly in the cooler hours of dusk, night, and dawn
• Getting much of their water from the plants they eat
• Being very efficient with moisture, so they do not need to drink often if food is good

They usually stay hidden among rocks during the hottest part of the day.

Behaviour and Social Life

Activity Patterns

Allied Rock-wallabies are mostly:

• Nocturnal and crepuscular (active at night and around sunrise and sunset)
• Resting in caves, deep cracks, or under overhangs during the day

Social Structure

They are usually found in small groups, sometimes called colonies, that share:

• The same rocky area
• Common shelter sites
• Overlapping feeding spots

Within these colonies:

• There may be a dominant male and several females
• Younger animals often move between nearby rock piles as they grow

They are generally quiet animals, relying more on body language and scent than loud calls, but they may make soft sounds, especially between mothers and young or when alarmed.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

Like other macropods (kangaroos and wallabies), Allied Rock-wallabies have a pouch and give birth to tiny, underdeveloped young called joeys.

Breeding

• Females can breed once a year, sometimes more often under good conditions
• A joey is born very small, furless, and blind, and crawls to the pouch after birth

Pouch Life

• The joey stays in the pouch for about 6–7 months
• It will then start to:
  • Poke its head out
  • Take short trips out of the pouch
  • Return to the pouch for safety and feeding

Even after leaving the pouch completely, the young may continue to suckle from the mother for a while and stay close to her as it learns to navigate the rocky environment.