Kangaroo or wallaby?
How to tell them apart
Wallabies are the smaller members of the same family. Kangaroos are the largest, with wallaroos in between.
“Kangaroo” means the four largest species of the family; smaller ones are usually called wallabies.
Quick answers
They differ on 2 of the 8 quick answers: dangerous, do people eat it.
| Question | Kangaroo | Wallaby |
|---|---|---|
| What is it? | Mammal | Mammal |
| Carnivore? | No, herbivore | No, herbivore |
| Dangerous? differs | Can be | No |
| Domesticated? | No | No |
| Awake when? | Night | Night |
| Hibernates? | No | No |
| Kept as a pet? | No | No |
| Do people eat it? differs | Yes | In places |
At a glance
| Question | Kangaroo | Wallaby |
|---|---|---|
| Found in | Australia, New Guinea | Australia, New Guinea |
| Habitat differs | Grassland, Scrub | Forest, Grassland, Scrub, Mountains |
| Size differs | Large | Medium |
| Length differs | 1.3–1.6 m plus a 1.2 m tail (male red kangaroo) | 45–105 cm, plus a 33–75 cm tail (brush wallabies) |
| Weight differs | Female red kangaroos 18–40 kg; males about twice that | – |
| Legs | 2 | 2 |
| Covered in | Fur | Fur |
| Lives differs | In mobs | In groups |
| Lives for differs | 8–12 years | 10–15 years |
| Can fly | No | No |
| Swims | Yes | Yes |
| Lays eggs | No | No |
About each
Kangaroo
The largest marsupials, and the only large mammals that get around mainly by hopping on two legs. The name covers four big species: the red, antilopine, eastern grey and western grey kangaroo.
Everything on the kangaroo page
Wallaby
Small and medium-sized relatives of the kangaroo. “Wallaby” is an informal name for any macropod smaller than a kangaroo or wallaroo. Introduced populations live in New Zealand, Hawaii and the UK.
Everything on the wallaby page
Sources
Last reviewed . The answers and notes come from each animal's own page, where every source is listed.
How each answer is decided: How we answer. More look-alikes: Side by side.