Kangaroos

There are several species of kangaroos that vary in size and color. Like deer, males are called
bucks and females are called does. Babies are called joeys. The kangaroo has been around for a
long time and millions of them exist today. Below is interesting information and fun facts on
kangaroos to help you better understand these fascinating animals.

Description

Kangaroos have coarse, thick, wooly hair that can be red, grey, or brown in color. The red
kangaroo is the largest of the species that can reach a height of 6 feet and weigh up to 200
pounds. Most kangaroos weigh between 50-120 pounds and the females are generally smaller
than the males.

Kangaroos are marsupials, meaning the females carry their newborn babies in a pouch (other
marsupials include the opossum, sugar glider, and koala). They have powerful hind legs with
large feet and strong toes, short fore limbs with no thumbs, and long tails that balance their
bodies.

Habitat
Kangaroos live in Australia, Tasmania, and surrounding islands. They live in varied habitats,
including forests, grassy plains, woodland areas, and savannas.

Behavior
Kangaroos are social animals. They live and travel in "mobs" (groups of about 10) which are
dominated by the largest male. They are nocturnal, meaning they are most active at night
(particularly during the twilight and early morning hours).

Movements

Kangaroos are the only large animals that get around by hopping. They can not move backwards
and they can not move their hind limbs independently (one at a time) on land. However, they can
kick one foot at a time when swimming. Because of their powerful hind legs, kangaroos are able
to travel at speeds of about 30 miles per hour, jump as high as 10 feet in the air, and leap about
30 feet in length.

Male kangaroos not only box to fight off predators, they also box to play and to compete over
females. Using their fore limbs to box is pretty harmless but using their hind legs (with long,
sharp claws) to box can be quite dangerous. They have been known to disembowel opponents.

Diet
Kangaroos are herbivores, meaning they eat only plant material. Mostly, their diet consists of
grasses. Like camels, kangaroos need very little water to survive.

Reproduction

Normally, female kangaroos have one joey at a time. The gestation period lasts 31-36 days. At
birth, the tiny, pink, hairless joeys (weighing about 0.03 ounces) crawl into their mother's pouch
to nurse and grow. Usually they will leave the pouch for good in 8-12 months.
Females can have three babies at one time: an embryo awaiting birth, a young one in the pouch
at all times, and an older joey outside of the pouch who still nurses. Because of this, the mother
is able to produce two different kinds of milk to meet their needs. One teat has milk high in fat
for the younger joey and the other teat has milk high in carbohydrates for the older joey.

More Information
The following are more kangaroo fun facts:

• They have very good eyesight but can only respond to moving objects.

• Kangaroos have excellent hearing. They have large ears which they can swivel in every
direction to pick up sounds.

• On average, kangaroos in the wild can live 6-8 years. In captivity, they can live up to 20 years.