Information below is from Lynda Stakers book " Don't step backwards" ( with permission )
The Whiptail wallaby was named after it’s ‘whip’ of fur, which grows from the
end of it’s very long tail. Not many persons get to see this whip, as it does
not develop until a male is about 6-7 years old. (I’m not sure whether the whip
actually develops on the female’s tail)
The Whippy is commonly called the Pretty Face wallaby, because it’s white cheek
stripes are very prominent against the almost black face, and makes it
look very pretty. But names can be deceiving, as although it is pretty, it is
not the most endearing wallaby to anyone other than who raised it. These
animals are strictly one person animals, who bond well to one carer, but cuss,
hiss, and bite any ‘intruder’, into it’s very private world.
Whiptails are very social creatures, grazing in mobs of up to fifty, although
they tend to group in numbers of ten to fifteen. For this reason they should
be integrated with others prior to release.
Five weeks after the birth of a joey, the female mates again. Their oestrous
cycle is 41-44 days, and they mate on only one day of this cycle. The joey
vacates the pouch between 9 and 10 months, and is weaned between 15-17 months.
Like most wallabies, Whiptails tend to ‘do their housework’ (grooming).
by sitting on the base of their tails (see photo).In northern N.S.W. there is
actually an abattoir, purely for the processing of culled Whiptail wallabies.
(Perhaps their ‘pretty’ skins are popular overseas).
Whiptails tend to be “pouch huggers”, if allowed. They would rather lounge
around in their pouches, than lie on the ground. They are the second longest
maturing macropod, and when released, around the 17 month stage, they tend to
release really well.
Males can grow very large, and even be mistaken for a kangaroo from a distance.
They are notorious for sucking parts of their body when young, and should always
be persuaded into taking a dummy, as the damage they can inflict upon
themselves can render them unreleasable. Like the kangaroos, they are grazers
Information below is from Lynda Stakers book " Don't step backwards" ( with permission )
