Parma Wallaby

Parma Wallaby Natural History

Size

This is the smallest of the wallabies with a weight of only 3.2 kg to 5.8 kg and reaching a height of around 18 inches.

Habitat and Distribution

This wallaby inhabits wet sclerophyll forests or occasionally also the drier eucalypt forests around the Eastern half of Australia where it lives in small sparse populations.

Age

In the wild this species is thought to live for between 6 and 8 years while their captive lifespan is much longer at 11 to 15 years.

Diet

Their diet consists of the leaves of low vegetation and also largely grass.

Groups and Breeding

These are generally solitary animals, although they have been observed grazing in small groups of up to 3 to 4 animals. The breeding season for Parma Wallabies is between March and July where a single mating can lead to 2 joeys being born, however the female will only produce one of these at a time. The first joey is born after a gestation of 30 days, 2 days after which the second embryo is fertilised, but does not develop any further than this until the first joey is ready to leave the pouch. 30 days after the first joey leaves the pouch, a second joey is born, and the female is able to nurse both of these (although only one is able to be reared inside the pouch).

Threats

This is a very shy and illusive species of Wallaby. This species was believed to be extinct until they were rediscovered in 1965 and since then have been pushed back up the IUCN scale to a near threatened species.

Interesting Facts

Wallaby mothers can produce two different types of milk when they have a newborn joey in the pouch and an older one at the heel to meet both of their nutritional needs.

The Parma Wallaby During Your Day Out in Kent

Our Parma Wallabies share an enclose. They are fed fruit and vegetables here at the park, their favourites are bananas (they even eat the skin) and greens. They are a successful breeding group so keep an eye out for joeys in the pouch.

The more you know…

Want to know more about this animal? Check out our keeper blogs about them here.

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