The foraging behaviour of eastern grey kangaroos and red-necked wallabies

Abstract

This study compared the foraging behaviour of two species of macropod; the eastern grey kangaroo 'Macropus giganteus' and the red-necked wallaby 'Macropus rufogriseus banksianus'. The species differ in their body size (kangaroos are 2-3 times heavier than wallabies) and their grouping behaviour, and both species are highly sexually dimorphic. By looking at the interaction between body size, feeding style and social organization I hoped to find some evidence for evolutionary trends in the development of social organization in macropods. I also aimed to examine the foraging tactics of the species and sexes, under a range of environmental conditions, to see if they revealed the underlying goals behind the animals' foraging strategies.