Range

The yellow-footed rock wallaby are found mainly in the Flinders Ranges, also in the Gawler and Barrier ranges in South Australia. Small populations of them are also found in New South Wales and Queensland.

Habitat

They inhabit dry, semi-arid regions and rocky outcrops. They don’t usually live near humans as they prefer a harsh, rocky environment.

Reproduction

The yellow-footed rock wallaby can breed at any time of the year when conditions are good (plenty of food and rainfall). They have a gestation period of about 30-32 days and usually only produce one offspring each year.

The new joey is about 12-19 mms (1/2 to 3/4 of an inch) long. It will then pull itself along its mothers fur into the pouch. At between 6-7 months the joey will leave the pouch and the mother will leave it on a rocky outcrop while she goes to feed and will then come back to suckle the joey.

They are the only mammals that transfer water from their mouths to their joeys.

Behavior

Colony sizes are much smaller now than they used to be and this is mainly due to their isolation and habitat destruction.

They have to compete with introduced animals such as goats, sheep and rabbits which survive on the same diet as them. They also have many predators such as foxes, dingoes and wedge tail eagles.

The colonies generally consist of one or two males, several adult females and also their offspring. The yellow-footed rock wallaby has some physical features and behaviour traits that allow them to survive in the harsh environment that they live in. To survive on the rocky areas that they live in they have strong back legs and a long tail to balance on the steep slopes. The soles of their feet also help them to get extra grip on the rocks.

The rocky areas they inhabit provide shady areas, cool caves and ledges that they can shelter in or on when it is hot, they also feed at night especially in summer to stay out of the heat and also conserve water.

The yellow-footed rock wallaby is able to put their gestation “on hold” during a drought to give the joey the best chance to survive. This means that they really “store” the baby until the conditions are better. The female can then have a joey at foot (already out of the pouch but still suckling), one in the pouch and one in the womb. She can produce two different types of milk to care for the different joeys.

Quick facts

They are also known as the ring tailed wallaby.

Yellow footed rock wallabys used to be hunted for their skins which were exported overseas.

When the young leave the pouch they don’t get in and out like other kangaroos do, but are left by their mothers while she goes to get food.