The kangaroo is a marsupial from the family Macropodidae (macropods, meaning "large foot"). Kangaroo and wallaby both are macropods, but kangaroos are large and have large hind legs, whereas wallaby is small kangaroo with short legs. Red kangaroos, a subspecies of kangaroo, is the world’s largest marsupial. Wallabies have large pointed ears which can swivel independently of each other through 180°. There are a handful of different subspecies of both wallaby and kangaroo, but the major differences can be applied across the subspecies. Kangaroo and wallaby look very similar and often belong to same genera. The kangaroo is usually either reddish brown or gray, while the dainty wallaby has a glossier sheen and can be red, gray, fawn, brown, black or white. Rock wallabies live on almost vertical rock walls in the southern desert. They are mostly active at night. A wallaby is a marsupial that belongs to the same family, Macropodidae, as the kangaroo.Because they are marsupials, wallabies carry their young in pouches. Wallaby FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) What is a wallaby? The pet wallaby is truly an exotic pet. Kangaroos are much, much larger than wallabies. Because the he wallaby feeds mostly on leaves, and doesn't need to nip off grass like a kangaroo, the wallaby's front incisors are much smaller than those of a kangaroo. In common use the term is used to describe the largest species from this family, especially those of the genus Macropus: the red kangaroo, antilopine kangaroo, eastern grey kangaroo, and western grey kangaroo. The smallest species is the Parma Wallaby, which weighs as little as seven pounds and stands just a foot and a half tall. Kangaroos vs Wallabies. They belong to the same taxonomic family as kangaroos and sometimes the same genus, but kangaroos are specifically categorised into the four largest species of the family. PERU, Ill. (WLS) -- A wallaroo broke free from its owner and led police on a wild chase near Peru, Illinois. Tiny short-nosed rat-kangaroos or bettongs live in burrows in arid scrubland. The main difference between kangaroo and wallaby is their size; the term wallaby is just a non-scientific term often used for smaller size kangaroos. Kangaroo. Wallabies are native to Australia so they are definitely not as common a pet as the ferret, rabbit, or even other smaller marsupials like the sugar glider.There are 11 species of wallabies in the wild, and they all have extremely powerful hind legs that are used for jumping to great heights and far distances. Have to have a habitat: Red kangaroos and gray kangaroos are found in Australia’s savannas and open woodlands. Aimie Carlson. Matschie's tree kangaroo. 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