How Did Wallaby Get Its Name?
How Did Wallaby Get Its Name? Wallaby is a kangaroo-like marsupial which got its name from the Eora Aboriginal tribe who were the original inhabitants of the Sydney area. It now refers to about 30 species of macropod found in Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Wallabies feature in Aboriginal creation stories – the Wallaby Dreaming story of central Australia, for instance. They also provide fur and are an important source of protein.
Wallabies are members of the kangaroo clan and many species are grouped roughly by habitat they occupy: shrub wallabies, brush wallabies, and rock wallabies. Hare wallabies are named for their size and their hare-like behavior.
Young wallabies are known as “joeys”, like many other marsupials. It usually rests alone by day, sheltering from the sun by lying under a tree or large rock. It becomes active at night. Rock wallabies are extremely agile, leaping around on rocky crags with ease. Other wallabies live in swamps, scrubland or woodland.