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Land Animals Australia
Wallaby
Wallabies are part of a group called 'macropods', which means 'great-footed animals'. All macropods have strong back legs with long feet. They hop on their back legs when travelling fast, using the tail as a balance. Their front legs are small. They are marsupials.
There are many types of wallabies. Wallabies are smaller than kangaroos. They often eat the leaves of bushes as well as eating grass. Wallabies are active at night and rest during the day. There are many different kinds of wallaby.
A wallaby baby is called a joey. It is very tiny when it is born, and it climbs into its mother's pouch. Inside the pouch it suckles milk from a teat, not letting go until it is big enough to leave the pouch.
When it is big enough, the joey starts to leave the pouch to hop around, but returns to the pouch to feed.
There are three kinds of wallaby called nailtail wallabies. They have a nail-like tip to their tails, but the reason for it is not known. Nailtails are found in grassy woodlands in the northern parts of Australia. They are shy and live alone. As they hop, they move their front legs as though they are pedalling, and are nicknamed 'organ grinder wallabies'. Some wallabies live in rocky parts of Australia. They are called rock wallabies. Their hind feet are furry to give them a better grip as they hop on rocks. Their tails are slender for better balance. One of these is the yellow-footed rock wallaby, which is grey, with yellow and orange legs, feet and arms. It has a stripy tail and a white cheek stripe. It lives in large groups.
Related weblinks -
• More about wallabies - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wallaby