Common Name: Dama Wallaby
Scientific Name: Macropus eugenii

Kingdom: Animal
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Marsupialia
Order: Diprotodontia
Family: Macropodidae
Genus: Macropus
Species: Eugenii

Wallabies are native to Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, and New Guinea. Dama (or Tammar) Wallabies can be found along the southern and southwestern coastal areas of Australia and nearby offshore islands.

Dama Wallabies require dense vegetation to provide coverage, and open forest or savannas for feeding.

Dama Wallabies are smaller cousins of the Kangaroo, attaining lengths of around 2-feet long. When sitting, they are approximately 18 inches tall. The short and sleek coat is a mottled dark gray-brown in color with reddish patches on the shoulders, particularly in adult males. They have a lighter gray belly. Their large hind legs are very powerful. The hind feet are missing the first digit, and the next two are fused together. The fourth digit is much longer. Each of the small front legs has five toes with sharp claws. The tail is exceptionally strong. It is used as balance when leaping and a prop when sitting.

In the wild, Dama wallabies tend to be solitary, but are occasionally found in pairs or small groups of a female and her young. Wallabies are predominantly nocturnal in the wild, but can be found foraging and sunbathing during the day. While foraging, they create and travel along well-developed paths in the vegetation. When resting, they “sit” with their tail forward between their legs. If alarmed, they give a loud warning thump with their hind legs.

Dama wallabies eat grasses and occasionally leaves and branches.

Sexual maturity is reached at 2 years for males, 9 months for females. The breeding season is from January to August. One infant is produced after 28 days of gestation, at which time the newborn joey climbs into the mother’s pouch. The baby peaks its head out after about 150 days. Life expectancy is approximately 14 years.

No information at this time.

Dama wallabies are popular as pets due to their small size, hardiness, and life span.

Dama wallabies are listed with the American Zoo and Aquarium as a Population Management Plan (PMP) animal. Threats include habitat alteration (farming), predation by feral dogs and foxes, and competition with introduced farm animals.

A subspecies, M .e. eugenii, is believed to be extinct in the wild. This is an excellent example of the impact of humans on wildlife. The Buffalo Zoo is among the first zoos to maintain a group of Dama wallabies.

The Buffalo Zoo

As the third oldest zoo in the United States, the Buffalo Zoo houses some of the world's most exotic and endangered wildlife. In collaboration with the Center for Applied Technologies in Education, the Buffalo Zoo has provided these animal profiles to offer a glimpse into the diversity of the Zoo’s collection.