Sandy wallaby
The Agile wallaby (Notamacropus agilis ) is a species of wallaby found in northern Australia and New Guinea. It is the most common wallaby in north Australia.
Male Agile wallabies are considerably larger than females. The tails of both genders are long and flexible. They have relatively large ears, which are edged with black, and the tip of the tail is also black. Their backs are sandy brown while their underparts are whitish. Agile wallabies have a dark stripe between the ears, a pale cheek stripe on each side of the face and another pale streak across the thighs.
Agile wallabies are found in northern Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Indonesian province of Papua. They range from northern Australia and down the eastern coast of Queensland. There are isolated populations in southeastern Queensland. Agile wallabies inhabit dry open woodland, heaths, dunes and grassland. They are often present in the vicinity of rivers and lakes and when grass is in short supply, they sometimes move onto agricultural land, including sugar cane plantations.
Agile wallabies are generally solitary animals, but they sometimes form into groups when feeding on open pastures. This behaviour may help with predator awareness. These wallabies are mainly noctural. They feed at night but may also forage by day, especially in the wet season. Agile wallabies sometimes dig holes in dry creeks and bilabongs (isolated ponds left behind after a river changes course) to search for water. This is thought to help them avoid being killed by the Saltwater crocodile that can be found beside rivers. The home range size of Agile wallabies varies with weather conditions. In the dry season their range grows larger.
Agile wallabies are herbivores. During the wet season, they eat a variety of native grasses, shrubs and bushes, leaves, and fruits. During the dry season, these wallabies feed on moisture-rich roots, stems, and discard the leaves. They will also crush and eat the hard seeds and other seeds that have passed through the guts of fruit-eating birds.
Little information is known about the mating system in Agile wallabies. Breeding takes place at any time of year with a peak between May and August. During this time males exhibit "play-fighting" behavior. They leap into the air and sinuously lashing their tails. The gestation period is about 30 days, after which a single young wallaby is born and makes its way to its mother's pouch. It remains there for 7–8 months and is weaned at about 11 months. Agile wallabies reach reproductive maturity at around 12-14 months of age.
There are no major threats to Agile wallabies at present. However, in New Guinea, they are shot for bushmeat and in Australia, they are sometimes killed by farmers as a pest.
The IUCN Red List and other sources do not provide the Agile wallaby total population size, but this animal is common and widespread throughout its known range. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List, however, its numbers today are decreasing.
