WILD ABOUT NOOSA HINTERLAND
Swamp Wallaby
MANY people whose property abuts bushland will sporadically catch sight of a Swamp Wallaby. They are most often seen bounding across roads with their very distinctive gait: head held low and tail out straight. Swamp Wallabies appear to be holding their own in the survival stakes. The reason may be that they have a couple of secret weapons. Firstly, they smell. This swampy stench meant that they were not persecuted for food by early European settlers. First Nations people also reportedly found Swamp Wallabies unpalatable. The Swamp Wallaby's other trick is that it can overlap two pregnancies. Macropods (kangaroos and their cousins) often exhibit what's called "embryonic diapause", which allows them to slow down the development of an embryo if conditions aren't suitable. Swamp Wallabies, however, are unique in having their gestation period longer than their oestrous cycle. This means
with Tony Wellington
they can carry a fertilised embryo and a young foetus at the same time. What's more, while a young wallaby is suckling milk, the development of the next foetus remains dormant, waiting until the joey is weaned. As a result, female Swamp Wallabies are continually pregnant! The good news is that these animals may actually be increasing in number. A 2019 study found that they have extended their distribution over the last 40 years and are adapting to increasingly dry habitats. These are shy, solitary animals, designed to live in forests. Swamp Wallabies enjoy a very broad diet including shrubs and herbage. They appear to tolerate plants that other animals find toxic such as lantana, bracken, and even introduced hemlock. They are a tricky animal to photograph in the wild because they are furtive and don't like to be watched. I get a thrill every time I come across one of these beautiful, smelly animals.
March 2022 Your Local Lifestyle | Page 11
