Recognized by reddish fur on the neck and shoulders, it rests under cover and grazes in nearby open areas.
The nape and shoulders are reddish, the rest of the body is grey-brown, and the chest and belly are whitish.
Red-necked wallabies change how they feed in response to nearby faecal odours. They respond differently to droppings from their own species and from kangaroos sharing their feeding grounds, sniffing before choosing where to eat.
Research published in 2015 tested wild wallabies in Grampians National Park, Australia, during autumn and winter in 2012 and 2013. In 46 paired-feeder trials involving 19 wallabies, maize mixed with wallaby droppings was offered beside maize mixed with grey-kangaroo droppings. Animals that sniffed both feeders ate about five times as much from the kangaroo treatment on average.
A separate experiment involved 21 wallabies in 97 trials. With faeces from dogs fed wallaby or kangaroo meat surrounding a feeder, wallabies approached more slowly, showed more vigilance bouts and ate less than with faeces from dogs fed sheep, rabbits or other tested non-macropod prey. Their response varied with the dogs’ previous food.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.
Tasmania’s management guidance, updated in 2025, describes Bennett’s wallabies as abundant and identifies crop and pasture damage as a source of conflict with landowners. Drought can push them into agricultural areas as natural food becomes scarce. The department advises planning planting locations in advance and considering fencing where lasting crop protection is needed.