A wallaby is a marsupial that looks like a small kangaroo, standing about two to three feet tall. Wallabies live mainly in Australia and nearby islands, hopping through forests, grasslands, and rocky areas on their powerful hind legs. Like kangaroos, female wallabies carry their babies (called joeys) in pouches on their bellies.

The easiest way to tell wallabies apart from kangaroos is their size: wallabies are much smaller and have shorter legs. While a large kangaroo might stand six feet tall, even the biggest wallaby barely reaches your chest. Wallabies also tend to live in forests and scrubland rather than the open plains where kangaroos roam.

There are about thirty different species of wallabies, including the rock wallaby, which can leap between boulders with incredible agility, and the swamp wallaby, which prefers wet, forested areas. These animals are herbivores, spending their time grazing on grasses, leaves, and roots. Wallabies are mostly active at dawn and dusk, resting in the shade during the hottest parts of the day. Their combination of powerful legs, long tails for balance, and compact bodies makes them well adapted for navigating Australia's diverse landscapes.