What is the difference between a kangaroo and a wallaby?
Kangaroos and wallabies are both macropods, marsupials with large hind feet, but kangaroos are generally much larger. Wallabies are smaller and stockier, with more compact legs suited to dense or rocky habitats.
The terms kangaroo and wallaby are not strict scientific categories. They are common names for species in the same family, Macropodidae, which also includes wallaroos, pademelons and tree kangaroos.
Large kangaroos, such as the red kangaroo and grey kangaroos, can stand taller than an adult person and weigh up to about 90 kilograms. Wallabies usually weigh less than 25 kilograms.
Habitats and features
Kangaroos often live in open grasslands and woodlands, where their long legs help them travel quickly over long distances. Wallabies are often found in forests, scrub and rocky areas.
Wallabies tend to have brighter or more varied coloring. Rock-wallabies, for example, have patterned fur and grippy feet for climbing.
Some species, called wallaroos, fall in between, with stocky bodies and shaggy fur. All macropods carry their young in a pouch.
In everyday speech, Australians often call smaller macropods wallabies and larger ones kangaroos, without worrying about exact species.