Tag: Swamp Wallaby

This little guy clambered up onto the causeway to Griffiths Island, Port Fairy. It’s a Swamp Wallaby. They are quite common on the island and sometimes come and go via the causeway. This is the first time that I have seen one choose to swim the Moyne River to get there. Kangaroos and Wallabies swim well as you can see in this Youtube clip …

You can see in the photo that the early morning sun is casting a long shadow. A few minutes later I was able to take advantage of that to get a back lit photo …

A walk around Griffiths Island, especially early or late in the day will almost always turn up a few Swamp Wallabies. As long as you don’t go too close they tend to just stand and look at you. Occasionally you might also see an Eastern Grey Kangaroo, they are not so tame. When they’re bounding along Swampies tend to keep their heads low and travel in a horizontal posture. Eastern Greys are more upright.

Despite their name Swamp Wallabies are not regularly found in swamps. An alternative popular name is Black Wallaby but they’re not black. Their scientific name is also a dud Wallabia bicolor since they are rufous, black and cream.