Macropus rufogriseus
red-necked wallaby

Red-necked wallabies inhabit the coastal forests of eastern and southeastern Australia and are especially common in Queensland, northeastern New South Wales and Tasmania. Macropus rufogriseus rufogriseus is found throughout Tasmania and the Bass Strait islands, whereas M. rufogriseus banksianus inhabits the Australian mainland

Red-necked wallabies inhabit the eucalypt forests with moderate shrub cover and open areas nearby, and also populate the tall coastal heath communities.

Head and body length= 925-1,050 mm; tail= 700-750 mm; Hind foot= 220-230 mm; ear length= 76-78 mm. Males are notably larger than females.

Red-necked wallabies are named for the reddish fur on their napes and shoulders. The rest of the body is fawny gray with a white chest and belly. The tail is gray above and white below. Hands and feet are gray, becoming black at the ends of the digits. The muzzle is dark brown, and the ears of red-necked wallabies are longer in proportion to other macropods.

As in other macropods, red-necked wallabies use their tails as a prop. They are mainly crepuscular, spending daylight hours resting in cover, although they are often seen foraging until late in the morning and beginning evening foraging late in the afternoon. They cool themselves by licking their hands and forearms during nervous excitement or hot weather. They are essentially solitary, but may forage in groups of up to 30 individuals.

Red-necked wallabies are essentially grazers, consuming largely grasses and herbs. Juicy roots during dry spells supply red-necked wallabies with water.

Red-necked wallabies were believed by ranchers to compete with cattle and sheep for grass. However, there was little evidence for this when the situation was examined more closely. Occasionally, red-necked wallabies can become crop pests, and they have been observed to hinder reforestation work in the eastern States by feeding on or trampling young seedlings. Problems are often remedied by fencing, but this is not always economically feasible.

Some skins of the Tasmanian subspecies (which has longer and denser fur) are exported by Queensland and Tasmania, but most wallabies killed are not utilized. In the past, this species was hunted for both fur and meat.

Red-necked wallabies have been trapped extensively for fur and persecuted by ranchers who claimed that they competed with cattle and sheep for grass. Forest clearing has also reduced their numbers in some places. However, population numbers have recovered in recent years and they are now common to abundant throughout most parts of their range. The species is protected by law in all States in which it occurs, but it may be killed under license as a pest of crops or pastures or during open seasons in Tasmania.

This species has sometimes been referred to as Wallabia rufogrisea. The Tasmanian race is also known as Bennett's Wallaby.