Freycinet National Park, Tasmania. Yes, it allowed me to get this close. This is not on zoom, or cropped.Macropus rufogriseus - known as the red-necked wallaby on mainland Australia. It is one of Tasmania's most commonly seen native animals and is abundant throughout the state. They can be distinguished by their black nose and paws, and white stripe on the upper lip.
According to Wikipedia, "there is a small colony of Red-necked Wallabies on the island of Inchconnachan in Loch Lomond in Scotland. This was founded in 1975 with two pairs taken from Whipsnade Zoo, and had risen to 26 individuals by 1993. There were at one time small colonies in England, in the Peak District and in Ashdown Forest. These are now believed to be locally extinct, though unconfirmed sightings are still reported from time to time."
What is the difference between a wallaby and a kangaroo? Size is pretty much it - it's a name goven to macropods which are smaller than kangaroos but haven't been given another name.
So enjoying these Tassie photos. Today's is great. I had no idea there used to be colonies in the Peak Distract and Ashdown Forest. Let's hope the colony in Inchconnachan survives.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting.
That little one looks too big to be in the pouch.
ReplyDeleteThe wallabies around Freycinet are terrible. For the first ten minutes you think they are cute, then you realise they have become too used to picnickers and campers.
ReplyDeleteI camped at the Southern end of Wine Glass Bay over Christmas 1985 and you had to work hard to secure your tent and keep food out of it.
Some of the wallabies were so aggressive they would try to steal food off your plate while you were eating from it.
I saw a similar thing last year with possums at the Jenolan Caves camp site. The situation wasn't helped by some families feeding them at their tables.
The moral is, "don't feed the wildlife."
Absolutely, paul - though I am at a loss as to how to stop people feeding "the cute little things" !
ReplyDelete