Common Wallaroo
Osphranter robustus
A shaggy, rock-loving member of the kangaroo family found across most of Australia.
Checking teacher reviews…
About the Common Wallaroo
Common wallaroos are medium to large members of the kangaroo family with coarse, shaggy fur from light brown to blue-black. Males can be 4.5 feet long and 90 pounds, more than twice the size of most females. They live across Australia except Tasmania, among rocky hills, overhangs, caves and shrublands. They graze on soft grasses and shrubs and can go two weeks without drinking.[1]
Quick facts
- Scientific name
- Osphranter robustus[1]
- Size
- Males up to 4.5 feet long.[1]
- Weight
- Males up to 90 pounds; females less than half that.[1]
- Lifespan
- 18 to 24 years.[1]
- Diet
- Herbivore. Soft grasses and shrubs.[1]
- Habitat
- Rocky hills, overhangs, caves and shrublands.[1]
- Where it lives
- Most of Australia, except Tasmania.[1]
- Group life
- Mostly solitary. Active at dawn and dusk.[1]
- Babies
- One joey at a time.[1]
- Conservation status
- Least Concern (IUCN Red List, assessed 2015).[2]
Fun facts
Vocabulary
- marsupial
- A mammal whose babies finish growing in the mother's pouch.
- joey
- A baby kangaroo, wallaroo or other marsupial.
- bipedal
- Moving on two legs.
- seed dispersal
- How seeds get carried to new places, like when an animal eats fruit and drops the seeds.
- least concern
- A conservation label meaning a species is widespread and not at risk of dying out soon.
See it in person
- Oakland ZooOakland, California · Wild AustraliaSee this animal on the zoo's website ↗
These zoos had this animal when we gathered our information, but animals sometimes move. Check the zoo's website or contact the zoo before you visit.
Sources
- [1] Oakland Zoo. “Common Wallaroo.” https://www.oaklandzoo.org/animals/common-wallaroo/ (accessed 2026-10-02)
- [2] IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. “Osphranter robustus (Common Wallaroo).” https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/40565/21953431 (accessed 2026-10-02)
Facts last checked 2026-10-02.
