Bennett's (red-necked) wallaby Macropus rufogriseus rufogriseus

Footprints and Tracks

Paws and feet

Bennett’s wallabies have a typical kangaroo-like foot and a long tail that is nearly as long as the rest of the body. The tail is sometimes used as a ‘fifth support limb’. The hind foot has a long middle toe and a small toe either side. The heel of the foot may be visible in a footprint particularly on a soft surface and sometimes you may see the tail print also. The forefeet are more hand-shaped. 

When moving fast, Bennett’s wallabies hop using the two rear feet but use all four feet when moving more slowly, especially when feeding. Bennett’s wallabies are also good swimmers, using a ‘dog paddle’ motion.

Can be confused with

As Bennett’s wallaby is the only wallaby species in the South Island, its footprints are unlikely to be confused with other species.

Trails and Runs

Bennett’s wallabies create well defined trails from shrubland and scrub areas to open pasture grassland. They move along these trails during the late afternoon or dusk and back again at dawn. Trails are often formed from dens repeatedly used in daytime.

Can be confused with:

In the area where Bennett’s wallabies occur, similar trails from forest into grassland are made by possums and hares, and tracks up and down spurs are made by ungulate species such as deer and goat.  Check for distinguishing footprints.

Dens and nests

Bennett’s wallabies make dens in secluded thickets of scrub and flax or under logs. The dens are often lined with leaves and moss. Dens are more commonly used by female wallabies as daytime refuges from which they emerge at night to graze and, in season, mate. Dens are not shared or defended. More open daytime resting sites are sometimes found in grassy clearings in the forest or amongst tussocks and flax at higher altitudes. These more open nest sites are more commonly used by males than females.

Can be confused with:

Other species make dens or nests including possums, feral cats and deer species. Look for other clues such as droppings, fur, footprints, smell or animal sighting to help identify the species.

Vegetation Damage

Understorey (less than 3m)

Bennett’s wallaby are primarily grazers of open grassland, eating grasses and herbs, including indigenous species, such as the large daisy Celmisia spectabilis, that sheep do not eat. In forests, they can severely deplete the understorey and prevent regeneration of palatable species by browsing foliage and digging with their forepaws to feed on the roots of forest and shrub species.

Can be confused with

Bennett's wallaby grazing on farmland pasture cannot easily be differentiated from that of sheep. They can leave a distinctive ‘browse line’ in scrub and forest; however, this can be confused with species, like sheep, goats, and hares that also feed at a similar height to wallabies. Wallabies' scratching and digging sign can be confused with species like rabbits, hares and possums.

Plant leaves

Bennett's wallaby browsing on foliage is indistiguishable from that of most otehr mammalian herbivores that occur in the same area, although signs of feeding on the large daisy, Celmisia spectabilis, can indicate Bennett’s wallabies rather than sheep, which tend not to eat it. 

Can be confused with:

Deer, sheep or goats, all of which occur in the Bennett's wallaby habitat in South Canterbury. Deer and goats may also eat the large daisy, Celmisia spectabilis.

Kill Sign

Kill sign is not applicable because Bennett's wallabies are herbivores (eat plants only).

Other Clues

Distribution

In New Zealand, Bennett’s wallaby is found widely in South Canterbury, north of the Waitaki River, south of the Rangitata River and east of the Tekapo River. It is most numerous in the Hunter Hills but is found widely to the west and north of there in the Grampian Mountains, Dalgety Range, Two Thumb Range, Kirkliston Range, north to Fairlie, Kakahu Forest, Pareora gorge, Opihi gorge and Cave area.

Small populations have been found outside this area in North Otago, where animals have crossed over the Aviemore Dam, and in Ashley Forest north of Christchurch after being transported there illegally. Individuals have also been confirmed in Banks Peninsula, the Rakaia River and near Lake Hawea, indicating that this species is extending its distribution naturally and through illegal liberations. Any sightings outside of their core distribution should be reported to your regional council or the Ministry for Primary Industries Pests and Diseases Hotline 0800 80 99 66

Only two species of wallaby occur on mainland New Zealand; Bennett’s wallaby as described above and dama wallaby around Rotorua on the North Island.

Can be confused with:

Smell

Bennett’s wallabies have a good sense of smell and use scent marking to communicate with other wallabies. The male wallaby has scent glands on its chest. However, no information could be found on what they smell like.

Sound

Bennett’s wallaby make few oral sounds but may thump their hind feet as an alarm if disturbed. Otherwise they mainly communicate by scent marking or using their ears – which are pricked as part of an aggressive display or quivering if an individual is submitting. If a male approaches a female when she is not in season she will often hiss or cough at him.

Can be confused with:

Deer and feral sheep sometimes stomp their forefoot. Some deer species and occasionally goats will cough or bark when disturbed. (Other wallaby species are also foot thumpers but do not occur where Bennett's wallaby do in South Canterbury.)

Body covering

Bennett’s wallabies have shaggy grey-brown fur that is rufous (red)-coloured over the shoulders, and paler on its chest and belly.

Eye shine

When you point a light at a Bennett’s wallaby, the eyes have a pinkish shine, similar to other wallaby species. 

Can be confused with:

Possums also have pinkish-red eye shine.