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Ever heard of a wallaroo?

Tamsin WalkerJanuary 21, 2015

A wallaroo… linguistically at least. The portmanteau describes an animal which is smaller than a kangaroo and bigger than a wallaby, with many characteristics that make it unique.

https://p.dw.com/p/1ENiC
A wallaroo in the Australian outback
Neither one nor the other, a wallaroo has its own way of doing thingsImage: imago

There are three species of this uniquely Australian creature, the most populous of which is aptly named the common wallaroo, or Euro. Rather like fellow marsupials, the koala and wombat, they have shiny button noses.

They have big rounded ears, and a coarse and slightly shaggy coat. At 50 kilos, males are twice as heavy as females, but even that is just half the weight of a fully grown kangaroo. Wallaroos are also stockier than their lofty and better known relations.

They are excellent climbers and tend to live in the hills, where they forage for grass along slopes and ridges and seek shelter under rocky overhangs or in shallow caves. They have a lower water turnover than red kangaroos, and often dig for their water rather than relying on pools or creeks.

Another behavioral trait that sets them apart is their sedentary and solitary nature. While kangaroos and wallabies tend to move about in groups, known as troops, wallaroos are most likely to be found with other family members or out foraging alone.