About the Bennett's Wallaby
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Housing and Fencing
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Care and Feeding
About the
Bennett's Wallaby
At maturity the
Bennett's Wallaby reaches a height of about 24 to 30
inches and weighs between 30 and 50 pounds. The
males usually take on the larger size
characteristics after several years. They are
normally a brownish gray in color with light
stomachs. Some albino varieties do exist, but are
rare.
With shelter, the Bennett's Wallaby can survive in cold weather
up to 20 degrees below zero.
Bennett's Wallabies are a social animal
and live in groups called mobs. They have an
alertness about them when someone or something
approaches them. They otherwise tend to graze and
stay relaxed. They are constantly grooming their fur
coat. They like to lay
out and take in the sun and fresh air. They even
enjoy the rain, so don't waste time trying to get
them in their shelter. Bennett's Wallabies seem to
be more of a silent communicator using motions and
moves to get their points across.
The females do not display an aggressive type of behavior, but the males
do tend to be more aggressive to one another and it
is not unusual to see them sparing it out grabbing
and boxing with front legs and kicking with their
back legs at one another. After a period of
time, one usually hops away.
They are really gentle animals by nature and when
approached cautiously, they will become very friendly in a short
period of time. This is especially true of the young
offspring, as they quickly become trusting to human
kindness. They are playful and tend to hop about in
a graceful way.
The Bennett's Wallaby, like the kangaroo, are among the most recognized
of the marsupials found in the Australian region in
the wild. They are found in open areas, brush areas,
rocky outcroppings and forests. The wild wallabies
feed on grasses and brush. Many
varieties of the wallaby exist in the world. The Bennett's
Wallaby is one of the most common found in the
world today.
When viewed, the Bennett's Wallaby has a striking beauty about it due to
their graceful antics and posture. The Bennett's
Wallaby, like the other members of the
marsupial family, rear their young in pouches.
Housing and Fencing
A pair of Bennett's Wallabies should be kept in at
least a 40' x 50' grassy area. The more space the less problems
you will have health wise. Trees and bushes are
needed for shelter from heat and cold, and this also
provides a hiding place for the wallaby.
Fencing should be a least 5 feet tall with very
small mesh openings. A smaller opening will keep
them from catching their noses and breaking their
neck should something panic them.
Housing can be based on your area. It can range from nothing
more than a small three sided shelter, to a large
doghouse, to an elaborate building. They tend to
stay outside and block the wind with tree trunks or
bushes.
Care and Feeding
The Bennett's Wallaby
is easy to care for and if you faithfully
follow a regular routine, you will have few
problems. The wallabies are foragers and like to eat
grasses and hay along with a regular feed ration.
They also love carrots, sweet potatoes, apples, and
other vegetables. They love
treats such as bread and
they eat right out of your hand. A little wheat germ oil
on the bread treat will keep their fur coats healthy
and shining. The bread also provides a medium to
allow you to administer wormers and drugs
without stress to the animal. The wallabies should
be put on a routine worming program and
watched for any different behavior as a sign of a
problem. They should also have a salt/trace
mineral supplement available to them along with
fresh water at all times. We recommend the happy
hopper kangaroo food from
Pet-Pro.
