A wallaby is the informal designation given to a macropod that is smaller than your common kangaroo. The term is sometimes called wallaroo which I also find cute. Generally, these creatures have a body length that can go up to just under 4 feet. They can be found in both Australia and New Guinea. They are herbivores as well.
Apparently, these guys tend to do be fairly social and "bunch up" in different places such as watering holes. But they also tend to do this in the middle of civilization like they own the place. Imagine waking up having a bunch of little wallabies lounging around your front lawn and eating your plants bare. Animal control do their best to keep them in the bush where they belong, but you can't stop it from happening all the time.
Unfortunately, their small size makes them prey to smaller predators such as dogs and foxes. They can still fight it out, but it works better when they are in groups. Another problem they have are cars. They tend to hop across roads suddenly in big groups, and drivers may not see the stampede coming in time. On the plus-side, they are certainly in no position to go extinct with what great numbers they possess.
Okay, straight to fiction. Wallabies make for great children's literature. The name is fun to say, and their smaller size is excellent to help the child relate to it. There seems to be a very strong fallowing among writers to write wallaby fiction for just this reason.
The only wallaby I knew from Television was Rocko from the 1993 cartoon "Rocko's Modern Life." This was a very, VERY weird show that still carries weight with all the grown-up kids of today. The reason for this was there was a lot of adult humor tossed into the show. Almost all the characters in the show was remarkably strange... EXCEPT Rocko. He was the most mild-mannered character of all living in an insane world. He really did try to accept and even figure out this world too which was part of his charm.
When I saw this show growing up, I really related to him. Sometimes, the world does seem like it makes no sense, but we still have to try and figure it out. There is no point in going mad over stuff you don't get. Rocko did this, and he was the one shining light of the show. You wanted to stay by his side and try and figure it all out with him. There was something strangely comforting about the character. He definitely belongs in the marsupial hall-of-fame.
My personal feelings on wallaby fiction is that they should be social trouble-makers. This is--of course--if I was to base them off the real thing. They would form gangs and run around trying to own the place. Interesting when you consider that a group of wallabies are known as a mob.
So, that's all I got for the wallaby. It was a short spotlight, but I had to give Rocko his due respect. There are many more marsupials on the way--many of which I am sure you will find quite fascinating.
Thank you for reading my blog! If you enjoyed it, you can comment below, or you can email me at tooie@tooiekangaroo.com. Crikey!
I can see how these guys could become a nuisance. No wonder groups of them are referred to as mobs. They just need to learn to stay out of the road.
ReplyDeleteWe have the same problem with deer.
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