Island Wildlife

Tammar wallabies

Tammar wallabies are found on more than 10 off shore Australian Islands, but the Kangaroo Island Tammar Wallaby is the largest. The males weigh 7.5 - 10kg and the female weigh approximately 5.5kg. Tammar Wallabies feed on grassy areas with low dense vegetation and can be found a short walk away from the Kangaroo Island Seafront.

Koalas

Koalas are mainly active at night and are usually seen resting or feeding in the upper branches of eucalyptus trees during the day. A koala carefully selects a leaf, nips it off, and then grinds it up with its molar teeth before swallowing it. To satisfy their energy requirements, koalas need to eat about 0.5kg of eucalypt leaves a day. A eucalypt leaf offers 50% water, 18% fibre and supplies only 8% fat, 5% carbohydrates and 4% protein. The adult koala eats for around four hours each day and sleeps for just under 20 hours. The remaining one per cent is used for climbing, changing trees or finding a mate. Out of 600 species of Eucalypt, koalas will eat up to 120 varieties but there are 7 varieties they prefer (mild flavour).

Australian Sealions

Australian Sealions can be found primarily at Seal Bay, the highlight of any visit to Kangaroo Island. There are approximately 10-12,000 left in the world and Seal Bay has the third largest colony (600). Australian Sealions differ from true seals, as they have an external ear and propel themselves through the water with their front flippers. They are also more agile on land as they are capable of walking on all flippers. They are a mammal, so are warm blooded and give birth to live young on shore and suckle their pups with rich milk.

Kangaroos

There are three types of larger Kangaroos in Australia - Eastern Grey, Western Grey and Red Kangaroos. The Kangaroos found on Kangaroo Island are a subspecies of the Western Grey Kangaroos. Kangaroo Island kangaroos have darker fur, thicker circumference of their tail, shorter ears and a smaller, more square face than their mainland relatives. Kangaroos can most easily been seen during the cooler months as in the summer they are less active, conserving energy in the shade.