IUCN Conservation Status –
Least Concern
Extinct In The Wild
Class: Mammals
Order: Diprotodontia
Family: Macropods
You can spot our group of wallabies opposite our meerkat enclosure near the top of Newquay Zoo.
Parma wallabies live only in New South Wales, Australia. They occupy wet, sclerophyll forests that have grassy openings and thick undergrowth.
As a herbivore, their diet consists of plants and grasses.
Interesting facts!
- Parma wallabies are the smallest species of the Macropus family, which includes all kangaroos and wallabies.
- They communicate in various ways by foot stomping, tail wagging, quivering and by scent.
- Female wallabies can have 3 babies at the same time; a joey living outside the pouch while still drinking milk, a younger one in the pouch and an embryo awaiting development and birth.
Conservation
The population of Parma wallabies is thought to be between 1,000 to 10,000 individuals, which classifies them as Near Threatened. Their main threat is predation by introduced natural predators, including feral cats, foxes and dingoes. They also suffer from habitat loss, as livestock grazing and bushfires also reduce the amount of suitable vegetation where wallabies can seek shelter.