Bennett's Wallaby

Bennett's wallaby is the Tasmanian form of the red-necked wallaby, a medium kangaroo. Notamacropus rufogriseus rufogriseus is native to Tasmania and the Bass Strait islands. It has a darker, shaggier grey coat than mainland red-necked wallabies, with reddish fur on the neck and shoulders, a white chest, black nose and paws, and a white stripe on the upper lip. Males weigh 15 to 27 kg and females 11 to 15.5 kg. It grazes mostly on grass, gives birth after a 30-day pregnancy, and the joey spends about 280 days in the pouch.

Escaped and released Bennett's wallabies have formed wild populations in New Zealand, where they are managed as a pest, and in Britain, where releasing one is an offence. In AZA zoos the median life expectancy is about five years, and the captive record is about 15 years. In the United States the rules depend on the state: California issues no new permits to keep marsupials as pets, Georgia classes wallabies as inherently dangerous animals that need a license and liability insurance, and a breeder who sells wallabies as pets generally needs a USDA Animal Welfare Act license. Check your state wildlife agency before buying.