What Is the Difference Between a Wallaby and a Kangaroo?
Updated June 19, 2024
The difference between a Wallaby and a Kangaroo is not so noticeable once you look beyond the size difference.
However, with a closer look, you will find out that even though they hold a lot of similarities, a wallaby is so much more than just a small-sized kangaroo!
You are not the only person who may have been confused about the possible difference between both marsupials.
For years, people have tried to spot the difference between a wallaby and a kangaroo, and we’ll tell you all you need to know about the difference between these marsupial cousins.
Both wallabies and kangaroos are marsupials, meaning they carry their young (called Joey) around in a natural pouch.
They have so many similarities that scientists have placed them in one order: family and subfamily.
Below are a few easy ways for you to tell the difference between a wallaby and a kangaroo:
Size
As you may already know, the most apparent distinction between a wallaby and a kangaroo is their size.
Some people think that wallabies are baby kangaroos because the kangaroos are much more giant than wallabies.
However, that is not the case. A kangaroo can grow as tall as 2 meters and weigh over 90kg.
On the other hand, wallabies are lucky to weigh as much as 20kg and hardly ever grow to heights of 1m.
However, it is good to note that various wallaby species and kangaroos come in various sizes. However, this is a good rule of thumb when determining what marsupial you’re looking at.
Body Shape
Because kangaroos are bigger, they have a greater body height between their ankles and knees, making their legs look disproportionately sized for their whole body.
Their legs are naturally built to transport them across large open spaces speedily.
Wallaby, however, is created with thick legs, specifically made for agility, when they move across rocky escarpments or forest floors.
Color
Wallabies feature much more ornate fur than their kangaroo cousins. Kangaroos are more likely to feature a uniform coat of a somewhat muted color, such as grey or brown.
On the other hand, a Wallaby is more likely to have more than one color on its coat. You can even distinguish Some wallaby species based on their glossy coats.
Teeth
Nobody expects you to walk up to a marsupial and ask it to open its mouth so you can inspect its teeth.
However, teeth are a key distinguishing feature for these two hopping animals.
It has been discovered that scientists use teeth to help identify different fossils. Wallabies possess flat teeth that they use to grind up leaves found in the forest habitat.
Conversely, Kangaroos mostly live off grasses and possess curved teeth that help them slice grass stalks in their mouth.
Age
You can not tell the age of both animals by looking at them.
However, wallabies typically have a much shorter lifespan than their kangaroo brothers, who live between 11 and 14 years on average.
Kangaroo, however, has a significantly longer lifespan, averaging around 20 and 25 years.
Wild kangaroos have sometimes been found to live up to 30 years old.
Pademelon
If you have ever spotted a small critter resembling a wallaby but weren’t quite right, you may have seen a pademelon!
These are lesser-known marsupials that look a bit like a baby wallaby with a quokka-like head.
These tiny cute animals are known to live in forest areas just like the wallaby and are also close relatives to the kangaroo.
As you can see, many distinguishing features exist between the wallaby and the kangaroo. One final thing you must also consider is where you can find the animal.
Do you know if you are in a kangaroo or a wallaby habitat? Once you know where you are, it can also indicate the species you’re dealing with.
Now that you have all the information you need about the difference between Wallaby and Kangaroo, you can tell others, too.