Activity budgets of the agile wallaby, Macropus agilis

Abstract

The activity budgets of agile wallabies were investigated in the wet season and dry season in the wet–dry tropics. In the dry season and in clear weather in the wet season the wallabies were essentially nocturnal, foraging throughout the night in open areas and resting during the day in monsoon rainforest patches. The day was clearly partitioned into active and inactive periods, with activity coordination (behaviour synchrony) being high during the night and day and low in the transition between these foraging and resting periods. In overcast weather activity coordination was lower throughout the day. The day was not partitioned into active and inactive periods and the wallabies were observed foraging in the open at all times of day. However, they foraged for no longer over 24 hours than in clear weather when foraging was mainly a nocturnal activity. The wallabies spent more time foraging, moved greater distances while foraging, were less vigilant, and rested and groomed less in the dry season when forage quality was poor.