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Wallaroo
The Wallaroo, Macropus robustus
is the widest spread species of the Kangaroo family. There are several sub species,
including the Euro, Macropus
robustuserubescens.
Eastern Wallaroo
The Eastern
Wallaroo, Macropus robustus
robustus is found right up the
Eastern section of the Australian continent. The Wallaroos are well
adapted to hilly areas, and they are common in many parts of Australia’s
Great Dividing Range, and its foot hills.
The Lake Quarry Conservation
Park in Queensland has both
the Eastern Wallaroos and their close cousins the Euro. This park also has the tracks of
stampeding dinosaurs, but no actual dinosaurs have been seen there
recently.
Low
Nitrogen Diet
Wallaroos, as
well as Euros recycle some of their waste Nitrogen, so they can live on
low protein food like the Spinifex grass that is common in this park.
Size
The Eastern
Wallaroo males can be as heavy as 50 Kg(110 pounds), but the females are
only about half this weight.
Mobs
Wallaroos do not
tend to form such large mobs as the Red and Grey Kangaroos, and it is
not unusual to see either a single Wallaroo,or just two.
Colour
The Eastern
Wallaroo ranges from light grey to black, but do not have as much red in
their coat as the Euros.
Range
The Wallaroos
tend to be much less nomadic than the Red and Grey Kangaroos, staying in
one area, sheltering from the hot sun in caves, overhanging rocks or
the shade of rocks, conserving their water.
They are much less dependent on free water than the larger Kangaroos,
getting most of their moisture from the vegetation they eat.
Digging for Water
The Wallaroo is
one of the animals which will dig for water.
The Red and Grey Kangaroos have expanded their numbers through the
provision of water for grazing sheep and cattle, but the Wallaroos were
less affected by this.
Food
The main food
the Wallaroos eat is grass.
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