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Wallaroo

life science Maturity 11-13 Next article →

A wallaroo is a special kind of animal. They are macropods, which is a group of animals.

Wallaroo 002
Wallaroo 002

Wallaroos live in Australia and Papua New Guinea. They are a medium size. They are bigger than wallabies. But they are smaller than kangaroos. Their name comes from the Dharug word walaru. This word helped shape the name we use today.

Wallaroo 002
Wallaroo 002

Many different species belong to the wallaroo group. The most famous one is the common wallaroo. This animal has four different subspecies. Two of them are very widespread. These are the eastern wallaroo and the euro. The other two live in smaller areas. One lives on Barrow Island. The other lives in the Kimberley region.

Wallaroo 002
Wallaroo 002

There is also a black wallaroo. This animal lives in Arnhem Land. It likes steep and rocky ground. It is the smallest wallaroo of all. It is also the most heavily built. Males weigh about 30 kilograms. Females weigh about 20 kilograms. This animal is very wary. It lives in remote and rugged country.

Wallaroo 002
Wallaroo 002

One more type is the antilopine wallaroo. It belongs to the genus Osphranter antilopinus. People use many names for it. They call it an antilopine kangaroo. They also call it an antilopine wallaby. This name depends on its size. It lives in grassy plains and woodlands. It is a gregarious animal. This means it likes to live in groups.

Wallaroo 002
Wallaroo 002

Most wallaroos like to be alone. They are solitary animals. The antilopine wallaroo is not like that. It prefers to be with others.

Wallaroo 002
Wallaroo 002

You can think of them as a middle ground. They bridge the gap between small and large. They sit right between the wallaby and the kangaroo. It is a very interesting group of animals to study.

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