Mini-Kängurus

Description

Bennett's wallabies are smaller than their Australian relatives, with a body length between 60 and 80 cm and a weight of up to 20 kg. Their coat is brown or grey, and the animals can be found both alone and in groups. Their diet consists of grasses, herbs, buds, and bark. One of the more unusual traits of this species is its reproductive biology. The gestation period lasts only around 35 days, after which the female gives birth to a single joey that immediately crawls into her pouch. Because the gestation is so short, the female can mate again almost immediately after birth. However, the embryo does not begin to develop until the older joey has left the pouch. This phenomenon, known in biology as embryonic diapause, is found in only a small number of animal species. At Bayern-Park, the wallabies tend to spend their time resting in the sand close to the fence, giving visitors a relaxed and close-up view of the animals.