Animals & ExhibitsNew at the Zoo: Red-necked Wallaby Posted 07.16.10 A one-year-old red-necked wallaby named Haley has joined the rest of the Zoo's Australian animals on exhibit at the Australian Walkabout. Haley arrived at the Alexandria Zoo on June 8 from Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines, Iowa. A relative of the kangaroo, the red-necked wallaby is found in coastal woodlands and eucalyptus forests in eastern and southeastern Australia. Both wallabies and kangaroos are marsupials, but wallabies are smaller than kangaroos. They also cannot move as fast or jump as high as kangaroos. Wallabies have excellent hearing, and their sense of smell and sight keep them very alert.
Emus on Exhibit Emus are endemic to the grassy plains and open forests of Australia. Emus lay a clutch of six to 11 eggs which are dark green in color. Male emus incubate the eggs and care for the young. Chicks are born cream in color with brown stripes and dark dots on their head. Males guard the chicks for up to 18 months. Emus are members of a group of flightless running birds called ratites. This group also includes the ostrich and the cassowary. Although emus cannot fly, they have very long, powerful legs, which help them sprint up to 30 miles per hour. As adults emus can reach between five to six feet in height and usually weigh between 100 and 120 pounds. >> View More Pictures |
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Beastly Beat Alexandria Zoo's Beastly Beat is a behind-the-scenes look at our animals. A new animal is featured each month, giving you the opportunity to get to know the animals a little better! >> Continue |
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