Physical Characteristics
The parma wallaby measures eighteen to twenty one inches long. It weighs between seven and three quarters and thirteen pounds. Its tail may grow to be sixteen to twenty one and half inches long. The fur of this animal is mostly red or gray-brown. From its neck to mid back it has a black stripe. On the side of its muzzle and cheek it has a white stripe.
Behavioral Characteristics
The parma wallaby is a solitary creature and does not have much contact with others of its species throughout its lifetime. Normally, solitary creatures only interact with others of its kind to mate or for mothers to raise their young. It is also shy and therefore rarely seen. The parma wallaby is nocturnal. During the day it shelters and sleeps. During the night it wakes up to eat and during mating season, find a mate to breed with.
Life Cycle
The breeding season of the parma wallaby occurs from March to July. Females will normally have two litters during this time. This species does not tend to be very competitive when it comes to mates. The parma wallaby is promiscuous, meaning they may have several partners. They are not loyal to their mates. Courtship among this species involves the male pawing at the female’s buttocks. The male will then mount the female. Before copulation the male usually places the females head on his chest with his forepaws. The male may make vocalizations during courtship and copulation that arouse the female. The female may make a hissing noise as a warning to the male. After a thirty-five day gestation a single young is born. It stays in the pouch for thirty weeks and will continue to nurse ten to fourteen weeks following. The parma wallaby usually leaves its mother as soon as it is weaned. Females are sexually mature by sixteen months. Males are not sexually mature until twenty to twenty four months. The expected lifespan in the wild for parma wallabies is eleven to fifteen years.
Diet
The parma wallaby is an herbivore that grasses at night. Its diet consists of a very wide variety of plant life.
Habitat
The parma wallaby is found in a small range along the southern portion of east mainland Australia, near the coast. Its habitat ranges from wet, sclerophyll forests with thick undergrowth and grassy openings to dry, eucalypt forests.
Conservation
The parma wallaby is classified as least concern on the IUCN (International Union of Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) red list of threatened species. This classification is the lowest and means the species has a large widespread, population and no current threats that would likely decrease its population in the foreseeable future.
The parma wallaby was thought to be extinct in Australia until being rediscovered in 1967. The solitary and shy habits of the species is likely what led to it never being seen and therefore its assumed extinction.
References:
Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide to the World’s Wildlife by, David Burnie and Don E. Wilson
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Macropus_parma.html
