At the end of a long hot Australian summer day, everyone needs a drink.
Even wallabies.
Swamp Wallabies – Wallabia bicolor – live in the You Yangs and at Serendip, near Melbourne, but hide out in the shade during hot days. By late afternoon they are becoming active, and the first stop is the billabong for a refreshing drink.
Wildlife Guide Michael and guests enjoyed watching this wild Swamp Wallaby drinking water on the Sunset Koalas & Kangaroos tour.
Wallabies and kangaroos (collectively called macropods) have thick pink tongues adept at lapping water. Many species don’t need to drink if their food is very wet, but in hot dry times they will drink in the morning and evening. It is important that they have access to water, especially with climate change drying out our landscape.
Recently I watched an adult male Swamp Wallaby in the You Yangs drinking continuously (there was one short pause) for 10 minutes. He was lapping very fast. He was drinking from a water dish I had just filled, and after he left I checked the water level. He had only drunk about 1 litre of water, as the 2 litre container was still half-full.
Late afternoon, near sunset, is a great time to see them. So instead of retiring to the pub for a drink yourself, head out into the bush with us and enjoy watching wallabies drinking.
Read why sunset is the best time to watch wallabies, kangaroos and koalas.
