Dama, Bennett’s, Parma, Brushtailed Rock and Swamp Wallabies

Wallaby FAQs

• What do they and other wallabies look like?

  Dama wallaby

  • The dama wallaby stands up to half a metre tall and weighs 5kg to 7kg.
  • Its body colour is grey-brown with red shoulders that are more pronounced in males.
  • The ears are long and pointed and the long, tapering tail is uniformly grey.
  • NOTE: Dama wallaby has limited distribution in the Waikato region, with populations centered in the east near the boundary with the Bay of Plenty region.

  

  Photo by Brian Gratwicke

  Parma wallaby

  • Parma wallaby stands between 48cm to 53cm tall, females weigh up to 4.8kg and males to 5.9kg.
  • White throat and chest, and a white stripe on its cheeks.
  • Grey-brown back and shoulders, with a dark dorsal stripe extending to mid-back.
  • NOTE: Parma wallaby is currently only present on Kawau Island in the Hauraki Gulf.

  Bennett’s wallaby

  • Bennett’s wallaby stands up to 60cm tall, females weigh up to 14kg, and males over 20kg.
  • Its upper body greyish brown in colour, with reddish-brown on the shoulders.
  • Their hind feet and tail are black tipped.
  • NOTE: Bennet’s wallaby is currently only present in the South Island.

  Brush-tailed wallaby

  • Brush-tailed wallaby have a maximum body length of 60cm, females weigh up to 6kg and males around 8kg.
  • Long bushy, dark reddish-brown tail, that is bushier towards its tip.
  • Long, thick brown body fur, greyer on the shoulders and redder on the rump.
  • Fur on its chest and belly are paler, some have a white blaze on their chest.
  • Characteristics white cheek stripe, and black strip from its forehead to the back of its head.
  • NOTE: Brush-tailed wallaby is currently only present on Kawau Island in the Hauraki Gulf.

  Swamp wallaby

  • One of the larger species of wallaby, with an average length of 70cm in females and 76cm in males (excluding the tail).
  • The tail of both sexes is about equal to the length of the body.
  • Average weight for females is 13kg, with males heavier at about 17kg.
  • Coat on the back is dark brown, dark grey to black, light yellow to reddish orange on the belly.
  • Usually has yellow stripes on the cheeks, tail tip is often white.
  • Gait differs from other wallabies, as it carries its tail low and its head straight out.
  • NOTE: Swamp wallaby is currently only present on Kawau Island in the Hauraki Gulf
• Why are they a pest?

  Dama wallabies were first liberated in the Rotorua area in 1912, with a further liberation in 1940. Since 1912, their range has steadily extended, mainly north and east, by an average rate of about 19km per year. By 2000 they occupied 1,697km.

  A genetic study of the North Island wallaby population published by Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research in 2024 confirmed the presence of parma wallaby in the North Island. The exact timing of their introduction there is not known.

  Dama and parma wallaby are the only wallaby species present in the Waikato region. However, there are other wallaby species present in New Zealand, which could spread if deliberately released into the Waikato.

  Dama and parma wallaby browse on native and exotic vegetation. When present in high densities, they can change the pattern of forest succession, or at least alter the local abundance of different species. In this regard, wallabies can have a similar effect to possums.

  Dama wallaby prefer the margins of forest and scrub habitats where they can shelter during the day and feed on grasses and pasture species at night. They inhabit predominantly podocarp/broadleaved forest with adjoining areas of manuka scrub, bracken and pasture.

  Parma wallaby is thought to be largely solitary, and may spend more time in closed forest, with more cover.