Name

Yellow-Footed Rock Wallaby

Description
Ethogram of playful behavior of wallabies.
Species - Scientific Name
Petrogale Xanthopus
Species - Common Name
Yellow-Footed Rock Wallaby
Created
Oct 8, 2015

Metadata
Observation Date
Oct 7, 2015
Observation Time
One hour - 12:45 pm-1:45 pm
Observation Type
Zoo observation with use of binoculars.

Location of Observation
State/Province
Los Angeles, California
Country
United States
There were a total of four Wallabies in the exhibit, Wallaby A,B,C, and D; ranked on size.
Observation of behaviors were based on Wallaby A, the smallest and most active Wallaby.

Behaviors
SOCIAL BEHAVIORS- INTRASPECIFIC

Locomotion
Approach
Any movement, usually a hopping movement, bringing A to within 1 m of its partner, B.
Leave
A hopping 1 m from its partner, B, usually initiated by the threatening of B.

Startup
Attack
A sudden, single hop toward the reactor that resulted in physical contact. It was sometimes
preceded by a quick hop backwards if wallabies were already in contact.

Make contact with or receive contact

Grasp
Grab
The actor quickly wrapped or attempted to wrap its forelimbs around the reactor.

Groom
Allogroom
Nibbing, licking or scratching the reactor.
Autogroom
The actor nibbled, licked or scratched itself. A common form of Autogroom was when the actor
groomed its side and chest while standing directly in front of its partner. Often, this was
performed in the High-stance Posture and with apparent exaggerated amplitude, repetition or
duration of movements compared to when seen outside the context of play.

Hit
Push/hit
This category includes two acts having a similar action - the thrusting out of the forepaws. A Push
occurred when the actor had one or both forepaws in contact with the reactor and, by rapidly
extending one or both forelimbs, it thrust the reactor backwards or downwards ("Pushdown"
CROFT, 1981a, b) with physical contact maintained throughout. A Hit occurred when one or both
forepaws were thrust quickly at the reactor making only brief contact.

Hold
Hold
Standing with the forelimbs wrapped around the reactor's body.

Touch
Touch
Resting one or both forepaws on the reactor's body.

Other whole body movement

Defensive
Actions by which the actor broke or avoided contact with the reactor. Contact was broken by a
single step backwards or to the side away from the reactor, sometimes with twisting and lowering
of the upper torso. The actor also stood flat-footed facing the reactor with its forelimbs raised
and extended toward but not in contact with the reactor as if keeping it at arms' length.

Rotate
Orient Toward
The actor turned its head or body so that it faced the reactor, stood facing the reactor, or moved
to a position in front of the reactor.
Orient Away
The actor turned its head or body so that it faced away from the reactor, stood facing away from
the reactor, or moved to the side or rear of the reactor.

Shake
Shake
Rapid, side-to-side, rotational movements of the head or body often while standing directly in
front of and facing the reactor. Shaking often occurred in highly repetitive sequences and so
appeared exaggerated.

Reproductive/Sexual Acts
Mount: A macropodid sexual act in which the actor grasped the reactor around the lower
abdomen and tucked its forepaws inside the reactor's thighs.

NONSOCIAL BEHAVIORS

Body part movement

Nod head
Head Arch
The actor stood in front of its partner and slowly raised and lowered its head one or more times.
There was no pronounced flick of the head as in antilopine wallaroos M. antilopinus (CROFT,
1982). Head Arching was rare.

Move limb/appendage
Paw
Slow, repetitive, vertical movements of the forelimbs that were directed at but did not
necessarily make contact with the reactor. Pawing was usually directed at either the reactor's
head or chest.

Move mouth parts

Feed
Investigation and ingestion of food items.