Wallaby: The Pet From Down Under

Many of us in the United States are fascinated with things from Australia. It's a different world there including certain exotic animals. Wallabies are becoming a popular exotic animal that are marsupials from Australia and New Zealand.

What does a Wallaby resemble? It looks like a small kangaroo that may grow up to 30 inches tall and weigh up to 50 pounds. There are about 30 kinds of Wallabies, with about 12 species available as pets. They are a good pet if you have plenty of space such as a farm. Before you consider getting one for a pet, you need to check local laws. In many areas, ownership is not allowed of Wallabies. The two most common as Exotic Pets are Bennett's and Tammar.

Bennett's Wallaby is the larger one and makes the better pet. It can get up to 50 pounds and is active during the day. Also, they can handle a more diverse climate even the cold weather of the northern United States and parts of Canada. In fact, they are more susceptible to heat stress than the cold winters. One last thing is the Bennett's Wallaby shows more affection.

The Tammar Wallaby is much smaller weighing 12-18 pounds. They are more nervous and active primarily at night. Even with this smaller size, they need to be kept outside.

Wallabies can be house trained, but should be kept outside most of the time. They like to get into things, jump into beds and on top of tables. Also, since Wallabies are grazers, it might decide to eat the carpet.

Baby Wallabies are called Joeys. They live in the pouch for 6-9 months. They can be taken from the pouch after 6 months. They would need to be bottle fed with puppy esbilac formula. Bottle-fed joeys are more tamed. They will follow their owner around and decide to become a lap Wallaby.

Wallabies have delicate digestive systems. They are herbivores in the wild and eat grass, hay and fruit. There is a special food called "Hoppers" than many feed them in captivity. Adding a Vitamin E supplement is recommended for best health. Don't feed them vegetables such as cabbage and broccoli. It will give them a stomachache and gas. Wallabies also need tree branches to keep their teeth and gums in good condition. One last thing, there food must be fresh. Moldy food will kill a Wallaby.

Males get larger than female and may have to be neutered if they are too aggressive. Owners don't like to neuter males because they are profitable to breed. Wallabies can live 10-15 years and will continue to grow the first four or five years.

Wallabies do best kept outside with a fence at least 6 feet high. They won't dig, but if you leave an opening at the bottom, they will sneak out.

Wallabies can be a wonderful exotic animal if you have the space and the time to interact with them. However, they are not like cats and dogs in their interaction with you.