KANGAROO中文(简体)翻译：剑桥词典
KANGAROO中文(简体)翻译：剑桥词典
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kangaroo 在英语-中文（简体）词典中的翻译
kangaroonoun [ C ] uk
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/ˌkæŋ.ɡərˈuː/ us
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/ˌkæŋ.ɡəˈruː/ plural kangaroos or kangaroo
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B1 a large Australian mammal with a long stiff tail, short front legs and long powerful back legs on which it moves by jumping
袋鼠
(kangaroo在剑桥英语-中文（简体）词典的翻译 © Cambridge University Press)
kangaroo的例句
kangaroo
The exact timing of reactivation during oogenesis in kangaroos is still not known.
来自 Cambridge English Corpus
The 'usual' situation for parasitic helminths of grey kangaroos is that pairs of parasite species occur in the two host species.
来自 Cambridge English Corpus
Grey kangaroos represent an ideal host species-pair in which to investigate whether speciation in the host always results in the formation of species-pairs of parasites.
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There certainly are indications that kangaroo courts against accused ' traitors ' continued.
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All seeds placed at trees had the flesh removed, so that seed removal could be attributed to rats rather than the frugivorous musky rat kangaroo.
来自 Cambridge English Corpus
Anomalies like the platypus and the kangaroo challenged natural science's ability to (as it were) carve nature at the joints.
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Vectors for kangaroo trypanosomes are likely to be tabanid flies, although this has yet to be definitively established.
来自 Cambridge English Corpus
This was due to the fragility of the milk carton traps; they were trampled by sheep and kangaroos, and could be eaten completely in less than four weeks.
来自 Cambridge English Corpus
示例中的观点不代表剑桥词典编辑、剑桥大学出版社和其许可证颁发者的观点。
B1
kangaroo的翻译
中文（繁体）
袋鼠…
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西班牙语
canguro, canguro [masculine]…
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canguru, canguru [masculine]…
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लांब कडक शेपटी, लहान पुढचे पाय आणि लांब शक्तिशाली मागचे पाय असलेले एक मोठे ऑस्ट्रेलियन सस्तन प्राणी ज्यावर तो उडी मारून चालतो, कांगारू…
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カンガルー…
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kanguru…
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kangourou [masculine], kangourou…
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cangur…
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kangoeroe…
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நீண்ட கடினமான வால், குறுகிய முன் கால்கள் மற்றும் நீண்ட சக்திவாய்ந்த பின்புற கால்கள் மூலம் குதித்து நகரும் ஒரு பெரிய ஆஸ்திரேலிய பாலூட்டி…
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कंगारू…
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કાંગારું…
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kænguru…
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känguru…
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kanggaru…
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das Känguru…
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kenguru [masculine], kenguru…
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کنگارو (ایک آسٹریلیائی جانور)…
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кенгуру…
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кенгуру…
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కాంగరూ/ ఒక పెద్ద ఆస్ట్రేలియన్ క్షీరదం పొడవాటి గట్టి తోక, పొట్టి ముందు కాళ్ళు, పొడవాటి శక్తివంతమైన వెనుక కాళ్ళతో దూకడం ద్వారా కదులుతుంది…
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كَنْغَر…
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ক্যাঙ্গারু…
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klokan…
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kanguru…
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จิงโจ้…
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chuột túi…
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kangur…
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캥거루…
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canguro…
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Kangaroo | Characteristics, Habitat, Diet, & Facts | Britannica
Kangaroo | Characteristics, Habitat, Diet, & Facts | Britannica
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kangaroo
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IntroductionForm and functionCommon featuresReproduction and developmentDentitionBehaviourDescriptions of selected species
References & Edit History
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kangaroo summary
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Animals Down Under
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kangaroo - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
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Also known as: Macropodidae
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Table of Contents
kangaroo
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Category:
Animals & Nature
Related Topics:
rat kangaroo
wallaby
Macropus
boomer
nail-tailed wallaby
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Observe a kangaroo (a marsupial) carrying its joey and feeding and moving about in its natural habitatLearn about kangaroo behaviour by watching a female kangaroo feed and move about while carrying her joey in her pouch.(more)See all videos for this articlekangaroo, any of six large species of Australian marsupials noted for hopping and bouncing on their hind legs. The term kangaroo, most specifically used, refers to the eastern gray kangaroo, the western gray kangaroo, and the red kangaroo, as well as to the antilopine kangaroo and two species of wallaroo (see below). Less specifically, kangaroo refers to all 14 species in the genus Macropus, some of which are called wallabies. In its broadest usage, kangaroo refers to any member of the family Macropodidae, which comprises about 65 species, including tree kangaroos and the quokka; rat kangaroos are classified into “sister” familes, Potoroidae and Hypsiprymnodontidae. The Macropodidae are found in Australia (including Tasmania and other offshore islands, such as Kangaroo Island), New Guinea, and the islands east to the Bismarck Archipelago. Several species have been introduced into New Zealand.
Form and function
Common features
With the exception of tree kangaroos (genus Dendrolagus), all members of the kangaroo family (Macropodidae) rely on long, powerful hind legs and feet for hopping and leaping, their predominant forms of locomotion. Their long tails, thickened at the base, are used for balancing. This feature is most obvious in the large kangaroos, which use the tail as a third leg when standing still. Each long, narrow hind foot has four toes, the large fourth toe bearing most of the animal’s weight. The second and third toes are united and merely vestigial, a condition known as syndactyly. The short forelimbs, having five unequal digits, are used almost like human arms, but all digits of the “hand” are sharp-clawed, and the thumb is not opposable. The head is relatively small; the ears are (in most macropodids) large and rounded; and the mouth is small, with prominent lips. The pelage is generally soft and woolly; in many species it is grizzled, and stripes may be present on the head, back, or upper limbs. All macropodids are herbivorous and have a chambered stomach that is functionally similar to those of such ruminants as cattle and sheep. Ecologically, they occupy the niche filled elsewhere by grazing and browsing animals (larger species tend to be grazers, smaller ones browsers). Several smaller species have become extinct or are gravely endangered, probably because of predation by introduced foxes. The wedge-tailed eagle (Aquila audax) is one of the macropodids’ few natural predators.
Reproduction and development
In all species, the marsupium (or pouch) is well developed, opens forward, and contains four teats. The young kangaroo (“joey”) is born at a very immature stage, when it is only about 2 cm (1 inch) long and weighs less than a gram (0.04 ounce). Immediately after birth, it uses its already clawed and well-developed forelimbs to crawl up the mother’s body and enter the pouch. The joey attaches its mouth to a teat, which then enlarges and holds the young animal in place. After continuous attachment for several weeks, the joey becomes more active and gradually spends more and more time outside the pouch, which it leaves completely at 7 to 10 months of age.
Female macropodids of many species enter into heat within a few days after giving birth, mating and conception thus occurring while the previous offspring is still in the pouch. After only one week’s development, the microscopic embryo enters a dormant state, called diapause, that lasts until the first joey begins to leave the pouch or until conditions are otherwise favourable. The development of the second embryo then resumes and proceeds to birth after a gestation period of about 30 days. Therefore, the teats are for a while feeding young of very different developmental stages, during which time different teats produce two different compositions of milk. This is thought to be an adaptation for recovering population numbers quickly after a drought, when breeding ceases and the diapause state is prolonged. In the gray kangaroos, which live in wooded country with a more predictable environment, this system does not exist; there is no diapause, and the pouch is occupied by one young at a time.
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Dentition
The larger species of kangaroos have complex, high-crowned teeth. The four permanent molars on each side of both jaws erupt in sequence from front to back and move forward in the jaw, eventually being pushed out at the front. Thus, an old kangaroo may have only the last two molars in place, the first two (and the premolar) having long since been shed. The molars possess cross-cutting ridges, so that tough grass is sheared between opposing teeth. The molars of smaller macropodids are much simpler. The large kangaroos continue growing throughout life, especially the males (most markedly in the red kangaroo), whereas the smaller macropodids do not.
袋鼠（袋鼠目有袋动物的统称）_百度百科
鼠目有袋动物的统称）_百度百科 网页新闻贴吧知道网盘图片视频地图文库资讯采购百科百度首页登录注册进入词条全站搜索帮助首页秒懂百科特色百科知识专题加入百科百科团队权威合作下载百科APP个人中心袋鼠是一个多义词，请在下列义项上选择浏览（共11个义项）展开添加义项袋鼠[dài shǔ]播报讨论上传视频袋鼠目有袋动物的统称收藏查看我的收藏0有用+10袋鼠是双门齿目袋鼠亚目袋鼠科大袋鼠属的哺乳动物。 [6]袋鼠跳得最高、最远。 [7]雌性袋鼠都长有一个前开的育儿袋，袋鼠也因此得名。 [8]袋鼠泛指任一种属于袋鼠目的有袋动物， [7]它头小眼大耳朵长，面部较长，鼻孔两侧有黑色须痕。袋鼠胆小而机警，视觉、听觉、嗅觉都很灵敏。袋鼠以跳跃的方式生活，前肢短小而瘦弱，可以用来搂取食物，后肢强大，趾有合并现象。其粗壮的尾巴在栖息时起支撑作用，跳跃时起平衡作用。袋鼠喜欢聚成二三十只群体活动，为植食性动物。 [6]袋鼠主要分布于澳洲大陆和巴布亚新几内亚的部分地区。其中，有些种类为澳大利亚独有。袋鼠是食草动物，也吃真菌类。 [7]以矮小润绿离地面近的小草为生，个别种类的也吃树叶或小树芽。 [9]它们大多在夜间活动，但也有些在清晨或傍晚活动。不同种类的袋鼠在澳大利亚各种不同的自然环境中生活，从凉性气候的雨林、沙漠、平原到热带地区都能看到它们的身影。 [7]袋鼠胎生，无胎盘，1—2月交配繁殖， [10]怀孕时间4—5周后分娩，幼崽出生时只有约2.5厘米。 [11-12]袋鼠是澳大利亚的象征物，出现在澳大利亚的货币图案， [13]绿色三角形袋鼠代表澳大利亚制造，澳洲航空标识采用飞行袋鼠， [14]袋鼠也成为澳大利亚国徽上动物之一。 [13]中文名袋鼠外文名Kangaroo界动物界门脊索动物门纲哺乳纲目袋鼠目（双门齿目）科（大）袋鼠科属大袋鼠属亚 门脊椎动物亚门亚 目袋鼠亚目亚 纲后兽亚纲分布区域澳大利亚、新几内亚等地。目录1名字来源2形态特征3栖息环境4生活习性5分布范围6繁殖方式7种群现状8品种分类9主要价值10文化内涵名字来源播报编辑据传说，“Kangaroo”是袋鼠的英文名，源自于澳洲原住民Guugu Yimidhirr:“gangurru”，意思是指“不知道”。而这一切其实只是一场误会，约瑟夫·班克斯的第一次航海旅行时，他抵达努力河（即现时库克镇港口）岸边。在靠岸修理船舰的七个礼拜期间，他意外地发现到一种古灵精怪的动物，便去询问当地澳洲土著，但是由于语言不通将“不知道”当做“袋鼠”的英文名称，就一直使用。但事实上，经语言学家John B. Haviland研究，当地称呼袋鼠即为“ganguro”，其意义并非“不知道”。形态特征播报编辑袋鼠(7张)动物学家考证，袋鼠是袋类动物的典型代表。袋类动物是发育不完全的动物，属早产胎儿，所以需要在育儿袋中发育，母袋鼠有四个乳头，两个高脂肪，两个低脂肪，母袋鼠一般每胎产3至4个仔，袋鼠出生后即要入袋，食用低脂肪乳水。这就决定了每胎袋鼠仔只能存活2个；袋鼠出生时非常小，大约只有1粒花生米那么大，成年袋鼠的身高有1.3～1.5米，体重可以达到50公斤。袋鼠用下肢跳动，奔跑速度非常快，时速可达50公里以上。袋鼠有一条“多功能”的尾巴其作用非常大，在休息时它可以支撑于地与双下肢共同起到平衡身体的作用，跑动中尾巴更是重要的平衡工具另外袋鼠尾巴还是重要的进攻与防卫的武器。袋鼠胫骨长、股骨短所有袋鼠，不管体积多大，有一个共同点：强健而有力的、长着长脚的后腿；袋鼠的Crural指数（即(小腿长/大腿长)×100指数，或(胫骨长/股骨长)×100指数）达到172，其中红袋鼠更是达到202 [1]，远远超过其它动物，而人类平均只有80多 [2]。袋鼠以跳代跑，最高可跳到4米，最远可跳至13米，可以说是跳得最高最远的哺乳动物。大多数袋鼠在地面生活，从它们强健的后腿跳越的方式很容易便能将其与其他动物区分开来。袋鼠在跳跃过程中用尾巴进行平衡，当它们缓慢走动时，尾巴则可作为第五条腿。袋鼠的尾巴又粗又长，长满肌肉。它既能在袋鼠休息时支撑袋鼠的身体，又能在袋鼠跳跃起帮助袋鼠跳得更快更远。所有雌性袋鼠都长有前开的育儿袋，但雄性没有，育儿袋里有四个乳头。“幼崽”或小袋鼠就在育儿袋里被抚养长大，直到它们能在外部世界生存。栖息环境播报编辑袋鼠不同种类的袋鼠在各种不同的自然环境中生活。比如，波多罗伊德袋鼠会给自己做巢而树袋鼠则生活在树丛中。大种袋鼠喜欢以树、洞穴和岩石裂缝作为遮蔽物。生活习性播报编辑袋鼠(2张)袋鼠是食草动物，吃多种植物，有的还吃真菌类。它们大多在夜间活动，但也有些在清晨或傍晚活动。袋鼠以矮小润绿离地面近的小草为生，将长草与干草留给其它动物。个别种类的袋鼠也吃树叶或小树芽。袋鼠家族中“种族歧视”十分严重，它们对外族成员进入家族不能容忍，甚至本家族成员在长期外出后再回来也是不受欢迎的。家族即使接受新成员，也要教训一番，直到新成员学会许多“规矩”后，才能和家族融为一体。袋鼠通常以群居为主，有时可多达上百只。但也有些较小品种的袋鼠会单独生活。在野外，大袋鼠被敌害追赶的时候，有它们独特的反击办法。它们背靠大树，尾巴柱地，用有力的后腿狠狠地蹬踢跑过来的敌害腹部。然而在动物园里，大袋鼠还是比较温驯老实的动物。它们受到精心照料，吃营养丰富的饲料，习惯了动物园里的生活。寒冷气候，就搬进装着大玻璃窗的暖房里生活。袋鼠是用两后足一起跳跃的最大的哺乳动物，而跳跃是一种对大型哺乳动物来说很为奇特的步态，不过这并不是袋鼠行走的唯一方式。袋鼠并不仅仅跳跃行进，当慢速移动的时候，它们也用四个脚掌爬行，但一对前肢与一对后肢一起运动而不是交替移动 [3]。分布范围播报编辑袋鼠主要分布在大洋洲的草原上和丛林中。大多数袋鼠都是澳大利亚的特有动物，但是有些树袋鼠则生活在新几内亚岛。广为分布在大洋洲的各个地区，从寒冷的塔斯曼尼亚到干旱炎热的北领地，从国家公园到城市近郊，都可以发现袋鼠的踪影。繁殖方式播报编辑袋鼠(6张)母袋鼠由于长着两个子宫，右边子宫里的小仔刚刚出生，左边子宫里又怀了小仔的胚胎。袋鼠长大，完全离开育儿袋以后，这个胚胎才开始发育。等到40天左右，再用相同的方式降生下来。这样左右子宫轮流怀孕，如果外界条件适宜的话，袋鼠妈妈会一直繁殖。袋鼠每年生殖一至二次，小袋鼠在受精30～40天左右即出生，非常微小，无视力，少毛，生下后立即存放在母袋鼠的保育袋内。直到6～7个月才开始短时间地离开保育袋学习生活。一年后才能正式断奶，离开保育袋，但仍活动在母袋鼠附近，随时获取帮助和保护。母袋鼠可同时拥有一只在袋外的小袋鼠，一只在袋内的小袋鼠和一只待产的小袋鼠。小袋鼠长到四个月的时候，全身的毛长齐了，背部黑灰色，腹部浅灰色，显得挺漂亮。五个月的时候，有时候，小袋鼠探出头来，母袋鼠就会把它的头按下去。小袋鼠越来越调皮，头被按下去，它又会把腿伸出来，有时还把小尾巴拖在袋口外边。有时候，这么大的小袋鼠也会在育儿袋里拉屎撒尿，母袋鼠就得经常“打扫”育儿袋的卫生：它用前肢把袋口撑开，用舌头仔仔细细地把袋里袋外舔个干净。小袋鼠在育儿袋里长到七个月以后，开始跳出袋外来活动。可一受惊吓，它会很快钻回到育儿袋里去。这时候的育儿袋也变得像橡皮袋似的，很有弹性，能拉开能合拢，小袋鼠出出进进很方便。最后，小袋鼠长到育儿袋里再也容纳不下了，它只好搬到袋外来住。可它还得靠吃母袋鼠的奶过日子，就把头钻到育儿袋里去吃奶。经过三四年，袋鼠才能发育成熟，成为身高1.6米、体重100多公斤的大袋鼠。这时候，它的体力发展到了顶点，每小时能跳走65公里路；尾巴一扫，就可以致人于死地。种群现状播报编辑大型袋鼠面对人类在澳洲的开发有较高的适应力；相较之下，它们的许多小型亲戚则面临了较大的生存威胁，数量也较少。到2013年为止并没有大规模的袋鼠养殖业，不过野生的袋鼠会被猎杀并制成食用肉品，而此种产业也具有争议性。袋鼠主要以灌木嫩枝叶、青草和柔软植物为食。在袋鼠的动物园养殖过程中，其口腔病是一种常见的疾病，具有发病率和复发率都较高的特点，给动物园养殖的袋鼠带来较大的危害。2003年6月四川成都野生动物园的袋鼠群中流行一种以颌部肿胀，牙齿松动、脱落，牙龈糜烂或溃疡为特征的口腔炎综合征，其发病袋鼠不分性别、品种和年龄，病程往往呈慢性经过，发病率达40%～60%，死亡率达60%～100%。品种分类播报编辑红袋鼠袋鼠(7张)最著名的袋鼠是红袋鼠，生活在澳大利亚干燥地带，其地带的年平均降雨量在500毫米以下。由于袋鼠的食物含大量水分，所以他在没有活水的地区也能生存。红袋鼠实际上只有公袋鼠是红色的，母袋鼠为灰蓝色，但是在群体饲养杂交下，也出现了红色的母袋鼠。大赤袋鼠生活于澳大利亚东南部开阔的草原地带的大赤袋鼠是有袋动物，也是袋鼠类的代表种类，堪称现代有袋类动物之王。大赤袋鼠的形体似老鼠，仿佛一只特大的巨鼠。其实，它与老鼠并没有什么亲缘关系。它的体毛呈赤褐色，体长130～150厘米，尾长120～130厘米，体重70～90千克。头小，颜面部较长，鼻孔两侧有黑色须痕。眼大、耳长。相貌奇特，惹人喜爱。它们的头小，耳大，眼睛也很大。适应于跳跃的生活方式，前肢短小而瘦弱，可以用来搂取食物，后肢强大，趾有合并现象，一步可跳5米远，时速可达40～65公里。尾长大，为栖息时的支撑器官和跳跃时的平衡器。大赤袋鼠多在早晨和黄昏活动，白天隐藏在草窝中或浅洞中。喜欢集成20～30只或50～60只群体活动，以草类等植物性食物为主。它胆小而机警，视觉、听觉、嗅觉都很灵敏。稍有声响，它那对长长的大耳朵就能听到，于是便溜之大吉了。东部灰大袋鼠东部灰大袋鼠(Macropus giganteus)虽然没有红大袋鼠著名，但是东部灰大袋鼠是最常见的。生活在较为肥沃的地区。西部灰大袋鼠西部灰大袋鼠(Macropus fuliginosus)是三种袋鼠中最小的一种：成年雄性的体重为54千克(119磅)。生活于澳洲西南海岸和达令河盆地。麝香袋鼠体长仅15～20厘米，尾巴长度12.7～15厘米，是世界上最小的袋鼠，与在草原上跳跃的普通袋鼠相比，它们是典型的侏儒物种。它们在热带雨林已生活2000多万年，科学家十分担心它们的生存，认为它们很容易遭受环境变化的影响。主要价值播报编辑作为澳大利亚的象征之一，袋鼠一直是当地人的骄傲。澳大利亚现有6000万只野生袋鼠，袋鼠肉制品和其他衍生产品市场每年可带来1.72亿美元的收益。 [4]文化内涵播报编辑袋鼠是澳洲的象征物，出现在澳洲国徽中，以及一些澳洲货币图案上。许多澳洲的组织团体，如澳洲航空，也将袋鼠作为其标志。澳大利亚军队的车辆，舰船在海外执行任务时很多时候都会涂上袋鼠标志。澳大利亚之所以让袋鼠作为国徽上动物之一，还有一个原因，就是它永远只会往前跳，永远不会后退。希望人们也有像袋鼠一样，永不退缩的精神。 [5]2020年，澳大利亚组织“活着的袋鼠”将每年的10月24日定为“世界袋鼠日”（World Kangaroo Day），其使命是创造一个国际节日来庆祝澳大利亚的国家象征。 [15]新手上路成长任务编辑入门编辑规则本人编辑我有疑问内容质疑在线客服官方贴吧意见反馈投诉建议举报不良信息未通过词条申诉投诉侵权信息封禁查询与解封©2024 Baidu 使用百度前必读 | 百科协议 | 隐私政策 | 百度百科合作平台 | 京ICP证030173号 京公网安备110000020000Kangaroo: Habitat, Behavior, and Diet
Kangaroo: Habitat, Behavior, and Diet
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Kangaroo: Habitat, Behavior, and Diet
Scientific Name: Macropus
Red kangaroo, New South Wales, Australia.
J and C Sohns/Getty Images Plus
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Description
Habitat and Distribution
Diet and Behavior
Reproduction and Offspring
Conservation Status
Species
Kangaroos and Humans
By
Regina Bailey
Regina Bailey
Biology Expert
B.A., Biology, Emory University
A.S., Nursing, Chattahoochee Technical College
Regina Bailey is a board-certified registered nurse, science writer and educator. Her work has been featured in "Kaplan AP Biology" and "The Internet for Cellular and Molecular Biologists."
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Updated on December 13, 2019
Kangaroos are marsupials that are indigenous to the Australian continent. Their scientific name, Macropus, is derived from two Greek words meaning long foot (makros pous). Their most distinctive characteristics are their large hind legs, long feet, and large tail. Kangaroos are unique in that they are the only animals of their size that use hopping as their primary means of movement.
Fast Facts: Kangaroo
Scientific Name: MacropusCommon Names: Kangaroo, RooOrder: DiprotodontiaBasic Animal Group: MammalsDistinguishing Characteristics: Large hind legs, long feet, large tail and pouch (females)Size: 3 - 7 feet in heightWeight: 50 - 200 poundsLife Span: 8 - 23 yearsDiet: HerbivoreHabitat: Forests, plains, savannas, and woodlands in Australia and TasmaniaPopulation: Approximately 40 - 50 millionConservation Status: Least concernFun Fact: Like camels, kangaroos may go for periods of time without drinking water.
Description
Kangaroos are best known for their powerful hind legs, their large feet, and their long powerful tails. They use their legs and feet to hop around, which is their basic means of locomotion, and their tails for balance. Like other marsupials, females have a permanent pouch for raising their young. A kangaroo's pouch is technically called a marsupium and it performs a number of functions. The female kangaroo's breasts, which she uses to nurse her young, are inside her pouch. The pouch also functions similarly to an incubator to allow a joey (baby) to fully develop. Lastly, the pouch has a safety function in that it helps to protect the female's young from predators.
Kangaroos are usually between 3 to 7 feet in height. They can weigh up to approximately 200 pounds. Other physical characteristics of kangaroos are their relatively small heads with their large, round ears. Due to their hopping ability, they can leap over long distances. Some males may leap to almost 30 feet in one leap.
Eastern Grey Kangaroo, Murramarang National park, New South Wales, Australia.
J and C Sohns/Getty Images Plus
Habitat and Distribution
Kangaroos live in Australia, Tasmania, and surrounding islands in a variety of habitats such as forests, woodlands, plains, and savannas. Depending on the species, kangaroos occupy different niches in the ecosystem.
Diet and Behavior
Kangaroos are herbivores and their diet consists mainly of a variety of plants such as grasses, shrubs and flowers. Some species may also eat fungi and moss. Kangaroos live in groups called "mobs," also known as troops or herds. These mobs are usually headed by the dominant male in the group.
Similar to cows, kangaroos may regurgitate their food to chew it as cud and then swallow once more. This behavior is much rarer in kangaroos than in ruminant animals. Kangaroo stomachs differ from those of cows and similar animals; while both kangaroos and cows have chambered stomachs, the fermentation process in their respective stomachs is different. Unlike cows, the process in kangaroos doesn't produce as much methane, so kangaroos don't contribute as much to methane emissions globally as cows.
Kangaroos are usually active at night and in the early morning hours, but their overall activity pattern is varied. Their rest periods are restricted almost exclusively to a diurnal (during the day) pattern. Similar to camels, they may go for periods of time without drinking water due to their relative inactivity during the day when it is hotter. Since their diet consists of plants, their water needs can be largely satisfied by the water content present in the plants that they eat.
Reproduction and Offspring
Eastern Grey Kangaroo with Joey in Pouch.
Gary Lewis/Photolibrary/Getty Images Plus
Kangaroos have a varied breeding season. Reproduction takes place all year long, but the Australian summer months of December to February are the most common. Male kangaroos may flex their muscles to attract females and can fight for the right to breed with females. Females usually produce one baby kangaroo, called a joey.
After becoming impregnated, a kangaroo will have her baby after a gestation period of a little longer than a month (approximately 36 days). The baby joey weighs about .03 of an ounce and is less than one inch in length when born, about the size of a grape. After birth, the joey will use its forelimbs to travel through its mother's fur to her pouch, where it will remain for the first few months of its life. After five to nine months, depending on the species, the joey will typically leave the pouch for brief periods of time. After about nine to eleven months, the joey will leave its mother's pouch for good.
Females can enter heat after giving birth, so they may become pregnant while a joey is still nursing in her pouch. The developing baby will enter a dormant state that coincides with their older sibling leaving the mother's pouch. When the older sibling leaves the pouch, the mother's body will send hormonal signals to the developing baby so that it will resume its development. A similar process occurs if the mother is pregnant and the older joey dies in her pouch.
Conservation Status
Kangaroos are designated as least concern by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Their population is very abundant and by most estimates, there are more kangaroos in Australia than people. Estimates range from a population of 40 to 50 million kangaroos, which continues to increase.
Humans are the main threat to kangaroos since they are hunted for both their meat and their hides. Humans can also contribute to the loss of kangaroo habitat due to land clearing for development. Predator threats include dingos and foxes. Kangaroos use their teeth, claws, and strong hind legs as defense mechanisms against such predators.
Species
There are four major species of kangaroos. The red kangaroo (Macropus rufus) is the largest. Males of the species have red/brown fur. Other species include the eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), the western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus), and the antilopine kangaroo (Macropus antilopinus). The eastern grey kangaroo is the second largest species and is known as the great grey species, while the western grey kangaroo is also known as the black-faced kangaroo due to its distinctive facial coloring. The antilopine's name means antelope-like and they are found in northern Australia. Some scientists consider there to be six species of kangaroo, including two species of wallaroo (Macropus robustus and Macropus bernardus). Wallaroos are considered to be closely related to both wallabies and kangaroos.
Herd of kangaroos at twilight (Coombabah Lake, QLD, Australia).
Kangaroos and Humans
Humans and kangaroos have a long and varied interaction pattern with one another. Humans have long used kangaroos for food, clothing, and some types of shelter. Due to their increasing numbers, kangaroos can be viewed as pests, particularly by farmers when kangaroos compete for grazing land. Kangaroos are often present in grasslands and areas that are typical farmland so resource competition may take place. Kangaroos are not typically aggressive when grazing. The situation of farmers seeing kangaroos as pests is similar to how many in the United States may see deer as pests.
Sources
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. "Kangaroo." Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 11 Oct. 2018, www.britannica.com/animal/kangaroo.“Kangaroo Facts!” National Geographic Kids, 23 Feb. 2017, www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/animals/general-animals/kangaroo-facts/.“Kangaroo Mob.” PBS, Public Broadcasting Service, 21 Oct. 2014, www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/kangaroo-mob-kangaroo-fact-sheet/7444/.“Kangaroo Reproduction.” Kangaroo Facts and Information, www.kangarooworlds.com/kangaroo-reproduction/.
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Kangaroo facts and photos
Kangaroo facts and photos
Skip to contentSearchShopGamesPuzzlesActionFunny Fill-InVideosAmazing AnimalsWeird But True!Party AnimalsTry This!AnimalsMammalsBirdsPrehistoricReptilesAmphibiansInvertebratesFishExplore MoreMagazinehistoryScienceSpaceU.S. StatesWeird But True!SubscribemenuPlease be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.Please be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.1 / 31 / 3Kangaroos can leap some 30 feet in a single bound.Kangaroos can leap some 30 feet in a single bound.Photograph by Christopher Meder, DreamstimeAnimalsMammalsKangarooKangaroos possess powerful hind legs, a long, strong tail, and small front legs. Kangaroos belong to the animal family Macropus, literally "big foot." Thanks to their large feet, kangaroos can leap some 30 feet (9 meters) in a single bound, and travel more than 30 miles (48 kilometers) per hour.Common Name: Red KangarooScientific Name: Macropus rufusType: MammalsDiet: HerbivoreGroup Name: MobAverage Life Span In The Wild: Up to 23 yearsSize: Head and body: 3.25 to 5.25 feet; tail: 35.5 to 43.5 inchesWeight: 200 poundsKangaroos use their strong tails for balance while jumping. They are the tallest of all marsupials, standing over 6 feet tall.Kangaroos live in Eastern Australia. They live in small groups called troops or herds (“mobs” by Australians), typically made up of 50 or more animals. If threatened, kangaroos pound the ground with their strong feet in warning. Fighting kangaroos kick opponents, and sometimes bite.Female kangaroos sport a pouch on their belly, made by a fold in the skin, to cradle baby kangaroos called joeys. Newborn joeys are just one inch long (2.5 centimeters) at birth, or about the size of a grape. After birth, joeys travel, unassisted, through their mom’s thick fur to the comfort and safety of the pouch. A newborn joey can’t suckle or swallow, so the kangaroo mom uses her muscles to pump milk down its throat. At around 4 months, the joey emerges from the pouch for short trips and to graze on grass and small shrubs. At 10 months, the joey is mature enough to leave the pouch for good.National Geographic MapsPlease be respectful of copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited.Besides humans and wild dogs called dingoes, kangaroos face few natural predators. Heat, drought, and hunger due to vanishing habitat are the biggest dangers kangaroos face.1:45Eastern Gray KangarooEastern gray kangaroos have giant tails that help them balance! Learn more amazing facts about these amazing creatures in this video from National Geographic Kids.LegalTerms of UsePrivacy PolicyYour California Privacy RightsChildren's Online Privacy PolicyInterest-Based AdsAbout Nielsen MeasurementDo Not Sell My InfoOur SitesNational GeographicNational Geographic EducationShop Nat GeoCustomer ServiceJoin UsSubscribeManage Your Subscription Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic SocietyCopyright © 2015-2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved
Kangaroo - Description, Habitat, Image, Diet, and Interesting Facts
Kangaroo - Description, Habitat, Image, Diet, and Interesting Facts
HomeAnimal IndexComplete List of AnimalsA – GAnimals that start with AAnimals that start with BAnimals that start with CAnimals that start with DAnimals that start with EAnimals that start with FAnimals that start with GH – NAnimals that start with HAnimals that start with IAnimals that start with JAnimals that start with KAnimals that start with LAnimals that start with MAnimals that start with NO – TAnimals that start with OAnimals that start with PAnimals that start with QAnimals that start with RAnimals that start with SAnimals that start with TU – ZAnimals that start with UAnimals that start with VAnimals that start with WAnimals that start with XAnimals that start with YAnimals that start with ZDogsParks and ZoosCitationContact Us Search HomeAnimal IndexComplete List of AnimalsA – GAnimals that start with AAnimals that start with BAnimals that start with CAnimals that start with DAnimals that start with EAnimals that start with FAnimals that start with GH – NAnimals that start with HAnimals that start with IAnimals that start with JAnimals that start with KAnimals that start with LAnimals that start with MAnimals that start with NO – TAnimals that start with OAnimals that start with PAnimals that start with QAnimals that start with RAnimals that start with SAnimals that start with TU – ZAnimals that start with UAnimals that start with VAnimals that start with WAnimals that start with XAnimals that start with YAnimals that start with ZDogsParks and ZoosCitationContact Us Animals Network HomeAnimal IndexComplete List of AnimalsA – GAnimals that start with AAnimals that start with BAnimals that start with CAnimals that start with DAnimals that start with EAnimals that start with FAnimals that start with GH – NAnimals that start with HAnimals that start with IAnimals that start with JAnimals that start with KAnimals that start with LAnimals that start with MAnimals that start with NO – TAnimals that start with OAnimals that start with PAnimals that start with QAnimals that start with RAnimals that start with SAnimals that start with TU – ZAnimals that start with UAnimals that start with VAnimals that start with WAnimals that start with XAnimals that start with YAnimals that start with ZDogsParks and ZoosCitationContact Us ChordataMacropodidaeMacropusMammaliaKangarooBy Animals Network TeamKangaroos are large, famous marsupials native to Australia. These charismatic and iconic creatures are frequently featured in pop culture, and are considered one of the symbols of Australia. While they appear cute and cuddly, kangaroos are actually quite powerful creatures. Read on to learn about the kangaroo. Description of the KangarooKangaroos are large marsupials, which means that they have a pouch to carry their young, located on its lower abdomen. They have fur color ranging from red, to tan, to gray, and have a cream-colored belly. Their long, muscular tails are used to help them balance when hopping, their short front paws are used to grab things, and their long rear legs are used to jump about.Interesting Facts About the Kangaroo Marsupials as a whole are interesting, and kangaroos in particular are figureheads for this class of mammals. In addition to the unique trait of carrying their young in a pouch, kangaroos posses a number of impressive survival traits.Macropod Family – Kangaroos belong to the family Macropodidae, which means “large foot.” They have a number of close relatives that resemble smaller versions of kangaroos. Some of these Macropod relatives include wallabies, walaroos, tree kangaroos, quokkas, and pademelons.Massive Marsupials – One species of kangaroo, the red kangaroo, is the largest marsupial in the world! These massive kangaroos can stand nearly 6 ft. tall, and weigh up to 190 lbs. when fully grown.Not Ready! – When a female kangaroo is pregnant, she can delay the gestation, or development, of the baby. This frequently happens when resources are scarce, and the young is not likely to survive.Population – In Australia, kangaroos are incredibly prolific. In fact, it is estimated that there are about 60 million kangaroos across the continent. This means that kangaroos outnumber humans in Australia by two to one. There are twice as many kangaroos as people in Australia!Habitat of the KangarooAs you may have guessed based upon their numbers, kangaroos can survive in a number of different habitats. This is what has allowed their numbers to increase to such a large population. You can find kangaroos in wooded forests, savannahs, scrublands, deserts, grassy plains, and more.Distribution of the KangarooKangaroos can be found in Australia, Tasmania, and the surrounding islands. The four different species of kangaroo live in different areas of Australia. Red kangaroos have the most widespread range across Australia.Diet of the KangarooAll kangaroos are herbivores, which means they only eat vegetation. The different species of kangaroos live in different areas, so the types of plants they feed on varies. In general, they eat grasses, shrubs, leaves, buds, and occasionally fungi.Kangaroo and Human InteractionThroughout Australia’s history, kangaroos have been an important resource for the aboriginal people. Aborigines use hunted kangaroo meat, hide, tendons, and bones. When Europeans began to settle in Australia, kangaroos benefitted greatly from the changes. Grazing lands for livestock give kangaroos plenty of vegetation to feed on, and the dingo numbers were reduced.The high population of these animals have caused a similar effect on traffic collisions as the whitetail deer. Kangaroos are often startled by engine noise, or dazzled by headlights, causing them to leap in front of cars. These collisions can kill or injure kangaroos, and cause extreme damage to vehicles.DomesticationThough kangaroo meat is frequently sold, this meat comes from animals in population control programs. Hunters must obtain licenses for hunting kangaroos, and follow established guidelines and protocols. Because wild populations are so plentiful, there is no reason to farm or domesticate them.Does the Kangaroo Make a Good PetAs a whole, most civilians could not properly care for a kangaroo. Because they are such prolific jumpers, and hop at high speeds, they require large fenced areas for them to exercise in. They must also be fed vegetation that replicates their natural intake. If given proper care, kangaroos can make good pets.In 2003, a hand-reared kangaroo named Lulu saved a farmer who had been trapped by a falling tree branch. She led family members, in Lassie-esque fashion, to where the farmer had been injured. For her actions, she received a National Animal Valor Award.Kangaroo CareKangaroos should be provided with lots of space for exercise, and shelter to escape from the elements. You should have a 6ft. fence that the kangaroos cannot climb under or go through. As social animals, they should never be kept solitary. Plenty of grazing opportunities must be provided, with grass and fresh branch trimmings. They are fed pelleted feed, hay, and greens as supplemental treats.Behavior of the KangarooKangaroos are social animals that live in groups of ten or more. A group of kangaroos is called a “mob.” When kangaroos gather in larger numbers they display complex social structures similar to hoofed mammals, such as horses or wildebeest. While interacting, kangaroos sniff each other’s noses. These scent cues give each animal lots of information about the other.Reproduction of the KangarooA receptive female will roam in search of a suitable mate. Male kangaroos will mate with multiple females, and they play no role in raising the young. After mating, the baby kangaroo, known as a “joey,” will be born after a maximum of 33 days. It is about the size of a grain of rice, completely blind, and hairless.The baby will climb through its mother’s fur and into the pouch. The joey will develop in the pouch for 190 days (just over 6 months) before it emerges. The joey will climb in and out of the pouch freely to feed, and will stop entering the pouch around 235 days old.How the Kangaroo Got Her Pouch: An Australian Aborigine StoryOne day, a mother kangaroo was playing with her joey at the bank of a river. While mother and joey where playing, an old, sickly wombat climbed across the bank. The mother kangaroo, being a kind and sweet animal, asked the wombat if he was ok. The wombat replied that he was old and blind, and no one wanted him around. The mother kangaroo told him that she would be his friend, and help him find the tastiest patches of grass.While she was talking with the wombat, the mother realized her joey had wandered off, and went to find him. Finding her joey asleep beneath a tree, she returned to help the wombat. As she approached, she saw a hunter sneaking up on the wombat. She had to protect the poor wombat, so she stomped her feet and shook the bushes, drawing the attention of the hunter. When the hunter was distracted, she yelled to the wombat “Run away! There is a hunter,” and the wombat escaped.The hunter chased the mother kangaroo through the brush, and she hopped as fast as she could to escape. When she could run no more, she laid in a cave so that the other animals wouldn’t have to see the hunter catch her. She waited and waited, expecting the hunter to find her, but he did not. She found her joey and went to look for the wombat, but he was gone.The mother kangaroo did not know that the wombat was actually the great god Byamee. For her kindness, Byamee sent the sky spirits down to mother. The sky spirits peeled strips of eucalyptus bark, and fashioned an apron for mother kangaroo. When she tied the apron around her waist, it magically turned to soft kangaroo fur. Now mother kangaroo could carry her joey safely with her wherever she went!Being the kindest creature in the forest, the mother kangaroo shared her gift with all of the other kangaroo mothers. Heartened by mother kangaroo’s kindness, Byamee fashioned pouches for all the marsupials. Because of mother kangaroo’s kindness, no marsupial mothers would never lose their babies again!TAGSjoeykangarooCydni Oldham RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR ArtiodactylaRed Angus ChordataPaint Horse ActinopterygiiBlack Sole Expert Recommendations Dog CareBest Raw Dog Food Dog CareBest Dog Food for Skin Allergies Dog CareBest Dog Toys Dog CareBest Grain Free Dog Food Expert RecommendationBest Outdoor Cat Houses Dog CareBest Natural Dog Food Dog CareBest Interactive Dog Toys Dog CareBest Dog Door Dog CareBest Dog Training Books Dog CareBest Dog RaincoatAnimals.NET aim to promote interest in nature and animals among children, as well as raise their awareness in conservation and environmental protection. 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15 Krazy Kangaroo Facts - Fact Animal
15 Krazy Kangaroo Facts - Fact Animal
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About
Kangaroo Facts
Kangaroo Profile
Kangaroos are probably one of the most iconic animals in Australia, along with koalas and flying foxes. However, kangaroos aren’t actually one species. Instead, the name refers to four different species of kangaroo, each one as different as it is similar to the others.
Native to Australia and New Guinea, kangaroos are herbivores. In the wild, they typically only live for around five years. However, with human care, they can live to be up to 25 years old.
Kangaroo Facts Overview
Habitat:
Rangelands, heathlands, and woodlands
Location:
Australia and New Guinea
Lifespan:
Up to 25 years
Size:
2m tall
Weight:
90kg
Color:
Red, brown, or grey
Diet:
Grass, leaves, ferns, flowers, fruit and moss
Predators:
Dingos, large birds of prey (young)
Top Speed:
70 kph (43 mph)
No. of Species:
4
Conservation Status:
Least concern
Kangaroos are a type of marsupial, like wombats and opossums and in the same family as wallabies, and quokkas
This means that they give birth to an underdeveloped baby, known as a joey, within just a few weeks after mating. For kangaroos in particular, the joey then lives in their pouch for another year before they’re ready to explore the world.
Like with joeys, male and female kangaroos have special names to distinguish them. A male kangaroo is known as a boomer, while a female is known as a flyer. They may also be known as a buck and a doe, like with deer.
There are different names for groups of kangaroos, including court, mob, herd, and troop. Kangaroos usually live in groups of 10 or more with complex social structures.
There are 4 species of kangaroo, the red kangaroo, antilopine kangaroo, eastern grey kangaroo, and western grey kangaroo. While all species are similar, they vary in both size, color and distribution.
The conservation status of all four species of kangaroo is of least concern according to the IUCN. Like all wildlife in Australia, kangaroos are protected by legislation, however commercial hunting is permitting are government controlled plans.
Interesting Kangaroo Facts
1. They are the largest marsupial in the world
The red kangaroo (Osphranter rufus) is actually the largest living marsupial anywhere in the world.
Males are larger than females and grow to be up to 2 meters (6ft 7) tall and weigh as much as 90 kilograms (200 lb).
2. There are tens of millions of kangaroos in Australia
In 2020, the Australian government estimated that there were 42.8 million kangaroos in the commercial harvest areas of the country.
This means that there are more not accounted for in both Australia and New Guinea. 1
3. Their hind legs are spring loaded
Kangaroos have large elastic tendons in their hind legs that store elastic strain energy. This helps provide most of the energy needed to hop, rather than muscular effort.
They can hop up to speeds of 70 kph (43 mph) over short distances and easily sustain a speed of 40 kph (25 mph) for a couple of km. 2
4. They can hop over 8 meters in a single leap
Large powerful red kangaroos are able to leap over 8 meters (25 feet) in a single large jump.
5. Kangaroos are a national symbol of Australia
You may know that the koala is one national icon in Australia. However, so are kangaroos!
As an important part of the culture of the country, you can find kangaroo imagery everywhere in Australia. Most importantly, they appear on the coat of arms as well as some of the currency in the country.
There are also many government organizations that utilize the kangaroo’s iconic appearance as their logos. This includes Qantas Airways Limited, the world’s third oldest airline that’s still in operation, as well as Royal Australian Air Force.
6. Kangaroos are a significant source of resources in Australia
Kangaroos are considered normal wild game in Australia. This means that it’s common to see them hunted: for their leather, for their meat, and even to protect the grazing lands of different animals.
Kangaroo meat is actually considered to be healthy for human consumption, especially compared to other traditional types of meat like beef or pork. This is because kangaroo meat is lean and lacks a high-fat concentration.
Although kangaroo meat is banned in certain areas, including California, it’s important to remember that this is an important tradition of the indigenous people of Australia. For indigenous Australians, kangaroo meat is a staple.
7. They digest food like a cow
When humans eat, our food goes directly into our stomach to be broken down and then continues through our intestines. Kangaroos aren’t the same.
Because kangaroos are herbivores eating highly fibrous food, there’s a different process to breaking down their food. Like cows, kangaroos will actually regurgitate their food before eating it again, allowing for it to easily pass into their single-chambered stomach.
8. They don’t fart like cows and sheep!
Cattle release large amounts of methane through farting and burping due to their herbivorous diet. However, kangaroos don’t have the same problem, instead by-product gases are turned into acetate which is a form of salt, and this is then used to provide further energy.
Scientists are studying the potential use of such bacteria to help in this process for cattle, to help reduce carbon emissions.
9. They have teeth like elephants and manatees
It’s not just their stomach and digestion process that’s unique, however. Kangaroos also have teeth that are rare among mammals. While there are certain anatomical differences in their jaw bones, one of the most notable differences is in their molars.
Whereas humans have one set of adult teeth, kangaroos, like elephants, have more. Because chewing grass can actually be harsh on their teeth, kangaroos have evolved the ability to replace their teeth after they wear down. Worn-down molars will move forward before eventually falling out and being replaced by new, healthier teeth.
This is known as polyphyodonty, and it’s only found in two other types of mammals: elephants and manatees. Overall, what is means is that their teeth are constantly being replaced by new ones.
10. They’re the only large animal to rely on hopping to get around
You’re probably used to seeing frogs and rabbits hop to get around. However, hopping is actually fairly rare in the animal world. It can be difficult to get around quickly, and hopping can take a lot of energy.
However, despite some of the drawbacks of hopping, kangaroos are actually the largest animal to use it as their primary mean of locomotion (movement).
11. They use their tail as an extra leg at slow speeds
Kangaroos can employ pentapedal locomotion, which is where they use their two forelimbs and tail to form a tripod, and move their two back legs forward to move.
12. They box
All species of kangaroo are known to fight, over access to females, or limited drinking spots. They are powerful and muscular, and will stand on their hind legs with their heads held high and paw at each others heads and shoulders like a boxing match.
They will lean back and sometimes perform leaping kicks to the body. Most fights are relatively short and proceeded by mutual scratching and grooming.
There is a well known virual video of a man boxing a kangaroo, when it had his dog in a head-lock.
13. They can’t walk backwards
Or hop backwards! This is because of their large feet and long tail, that restrict them from this movement.
14. They have been known to drown enemies
Kangaroos are excellent swimmers, and if pursued by a predator such as a dog, they will instinctively run into water and hope they are not followed.
If followed by the predator, such as a dingo or feral cat, the kangaroo can hold them at bay, with their powerful forelimbs, and even drown them. 3
15. 9 from 10 animal vehicle collissions in Australia involve kangaroos
Kangaroo crossing signs are common across Australia, and if you ever drive at night across Australia, you’ll often see kangaroos and their eyes shining at the side of country roads grazing.
Sadly the lights of cars and noise can scare kangaroos and cause them to run in front of cars, which can be fatal for them, and cause serious damage to vehichles due to their size. 4
Kangaroo Fact-File Summary
Scientific Classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Chordata
Class:
Mammalia
Infraclass:
Marsupialia
Order:
Diprotodontia
Suborder:
Macropodiformes
Family:
Macropodidae
Genus:
Osphranter
Macropus
Species Names:
Red kangaroo (Osphranter rufus)
Antilopine kangaroo (Osphranter antilopinus)
Eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus)
Western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus)
Fact Sources & ReferencesAustralian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment (2020), “Macropod quotas and harvest for commercial harvest areas in NSW, QLD, SA and WA – 2020“, Dcceew.gov.au.C P McGowan, J Skinner, A A Biewener (2008), “Hind limb scaling of kangaroos and wallabies (superfamily Macropodoidea): implications for hopping performance, safety factor and elastic savings“, National Library of Medicine.Adam Withnall (2013), “Kangaroo Tries to Drown Dog’ video sparks anger in Australia“, The Independent.Ann Carter and Jen Browning (2019), “Kangaroos account for 90 per cent of crashes involving animals in NSW, so what do you do if you hit a roo?“, ABC News.
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Australia’s kangaroos and their characteristics
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Western gray kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus).kangaroo, Most specifically, any of six large Australasian marsupials of the family Macropodidae. The term is also used broadly to refer to any of the family’s 65 species. Most kangaroos graze on the Australian plains, but tree kangaroos are arboreal; they climb trees and leap from branch to branch. Kangaroos generally have long, powerful hind legs and feet and a long tail, thickened at the base. The hind legs enable their spectacular leaps and are also useful for self-defense; the tail is used for balance. The head is small, the ears large and rounded, and the fur soft and woolly. Females have one young (called a joey) annually; it is suckled in its mother’s pouch for six months and often returns to be carried in the pouch later as well. The gray kangaroo, the best-known and second largest species, can leap more than 30 ft (9 m). The red kangaroo is the largest species; the male may stand 6 ft (1.8 m) tall and weigh 200 lb (90 kg). Millions are killed annually for their meat and hides and because they compete with livestock for forage. See also wallaby; wallaroo.
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Australia, the smallest continent and one of the largest countries on Earth, lying between the Pacific and Indian oceans in the Southern Hemisphere. Australia’s capital is Canberra, located in the southeast between the larger and more important economic and cultural centres of Sydney and Melbourne.
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By Alina Bradford published 2 March 2016
A kangaroo mother and her joey.
(Image credit: Renate | Shutterstock)
Kangaroos are large marsupials that are found only in Australia. They are identified by their muscular tails, strong back legs, large feet, short fur and long, pointed ears. Like all marsupials, a sub-type of mammal, females have pouches that contain mammary glands, where their young live until they are old enough to emerge.Kangaroos are in the Macropodidae family, which also includes tree-kangaroos, wallabies, wallaroos, quokkas and pademelons. When people think of kangaroos, the four species that typically come to mind are in the genus Macropus: the antilopine kangaroo, the red kangaroo, the western gray kangaroo and the eastern gray kangaroo. They are sometimes referred to as the "great kangaroos" because these species are much larger than other kangaroos. However, there are 12 species of tree-kangaroos in the Dendrolagus genus, according to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System. And, bettongs, in the Potoridae family, are called rat-kangaroos. SizeThe largest kangaroo, as well as the largest marsupial, is the red kangaroo, according to National Geographic. The length from the red kangaroo's head to its rump is 3.25 to 5.25 feet (1 to 1.6 meters) long. Its tail adds another 35.5 to 43.5 inches (90 to 110 centimeters) to its length and its entire body weighs around 200 lbs. (90 kilograms).The smallest kangaroo is the musky rat-kangaroo. It is only 6 to 8 inches (15.24 to 20.32 cm) long and weighs only 12 ounces (340 grams). Its ratlike tail adds another 5 to 6 inches (12.7 to 15.24 cm) to its length. HabitatMost kangaroos live on the continent of Australia, though each species has a different place it likes to call home. For example, the musky rat-kangaroo likes to nestle down in little nests on the floor of the rainforests in northeastern Queensland. Gray kangaroos like the forests of Australia and Tasmania, on the other hand. The antilopine kangaroo can be found in the monsoonal eucalyptus woodlands of extreme northern Australia. Tree-kangaroos live in the upper branches of trees in the rainforests of Queensland, as well as on the island of New Guinea. Kangaroos at Pinnaroo Valley Memorial Park. (Image credit: Flickr/paul dynamik.) Habits Kangaroos are the only large animals that hop as a primary means of locomotion. Their springy hind legs and feet are much stronger and larger than their arms (or "forelimbs"). According to the San Diego Zoo, kangaroos can cover 15 feet (7 m) in a single hop and can hop as fast as 30 mph (48 kph). Usually, 20 mph (32 kph) is considered their cruising speed. When feeding, kangaroos use a slower, walking movement, and for that they use their muscular tail as a kind of fifth leg, pushing off the ground as they move along.Kangaroos are social and live in groups called a mob, a herd or a troop. Kangaroos in a mob will groom each other and protect each other from danger. If a kangaroo suspects there is danger in the area, it will stomp its foot on the ground to alert others. If it comes to blows, a kangaroo will box and kick its opponent. DietKangaroos are herbivores. They eat grasses, flowers, leaves, ferns, moss and even insects. Like cows, kangaroos regurgitate their food and re-chew it before it is ready to be totally digested. A juvenile kangaroo views the outside world from the pouch of an adult female Eastern gray kangaroo. (Image credit: Fir0002/Flagstaffotos) OffspringProbably the best-known fact about kangaroos is that they carry their young in a pouch. A female kangaroo is pregnant for 21 to 38 days, and she can give birth to up to four offspring at one time, though this is unusual. At birth, the baby, called a joey, can be as small as a grain of rice, or as big as a bee, at 0.2 to 0.9 inches (5 to 25 millimeters), according to the San Diego Zoo. When the joey is born, it is guided safely into the comfy pouch, where it gestates for another 120 to 450 days. Inside the pouch, the joey is protected and can feed by nursing from its mother's nipples. Joeys urinate and defecate in the mother's pouch. The lining of the pouch absorbs some of the mess, but occasionally the mother will need to clean it out, which she does by inserting her long snout into the pouch and using her tongue to remove the contents. A young joey will remain attached to a nipple while the mother does this, but any older ones will be temporarily kicked out. Another interesting fact about the mother kangaroo is that she is able to suckle two joeys at different developmental stages at the same time with milk that has different nutritional content, the New York Times has reported. Joeys grow quickly, though, and at 14 to 20 months for females or 2 to 4 years for males, they will be fully matured. Classification/taxonomy The taxonomy of kangaroos, tree-kangaroos and rat-kangaroos, according to ITIS, is:Kingdom: AnimaliaSubkingdom: Bilateria Infrakingdom: Deuterostomia Phylum: ChordataSubphylum: VertebrataInfraphylum: Gnathostomata Superclass: Tetrapoda Class: MammaliaSubclass: TheriaInfraclass: Metatheria Order: DiprotodontiaSuborder: Macropodiformes'Great kangaroos'Family: MacropodidaeSubfamily: MacropodinaeGenus & species: Macropus fuliginosus (western gray kangaroo; three subspecies), Macropus giganteus (eastern gray kangaroo; two subspecies), Macropus antilopinus (antilopine kangaroo), Macropus rufus (red kangaroo)Tree-kangaroosFamily: MacropodidaeSubfamily: MacropodinaeGenus: DendrolagusSpecies: 12, including Dendrolagus bennettianus (Bennett's tree-kangaroo), Dendrolagus goodfellowi (Goodfellow's tree-kangaroo), Dendrolagus matschiei (Huon tree-kangaroo) and Dendrolagus spadix (Lowlands tree-kangaroo).Rat-kangaroosFamily: PotoridaeGenera & species: Aepyprymnus rufescens (Rufous bettong or Rufous rat-kangaroo), Bettongia (four species of bettongs, or short-nosed rat-kangaroos), Caloprymnus campestris (desert rat-kangaroo)Musky rat-kangaroosFamily: HypsiprymnodontidaeGenus & species: Hypsiprymnodon moschatus Kangaroo ancestorsThere is a rich fossil record for kangaroo ancestors and ancient relatives; giant kangaroos plodded through the Pleistocene (2.6 million to 11,700 years ago) and the Pliocene (5.3 million to 2.6 million years ago). And about 20 million years ago, tiny ancestors of modern kangaroos and a related group of kangaroos with fangs scurried through dense forests in northwestern Queensland, Australia, a region that is now arid outback.In a study published in February 2016, scientists described a new kangaroo genus, Cookeroo, and two new species: Cookeroo bulwidarri, dated to about 23 million years ago, and Cookeroo hortusensis, which lived between 18 million and 20 million years ago. These ancient kangaroos' bodies probably measured about 17 to 20 inches (42 to 52 centimeters) long. C. bulwidarri and C. hortusensis didn't hop, navigating their forest home on all fours and sharing it with a diverse collection of animals: marsupial moles, feather-tailed possums, ancient koalas and crocodiles. Conservation statusAccording to the IUCN's Red List of Threatened Species, 16 species of tree-kangaroos and rat-kangaroos are listed as either near threatened, threatened, vulnerable, endangered or critically endangered. The desert rat-kangaroo and the Nullarbor dwarf bettong are considered extinct. Studies show that global warming could also kill off the world's smallest kangaroo. The four species of great kangaroos are not endangered. Additional resourcesNature PBS: Kangaroo FactsNational Geographic: Gray KangaroosUniversity of Michigan: Musky Rat-KangarooAustralian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
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Alina BradfordSocial Links NavigationLive Science ContributorAlina Bradford is a contributing writer for Live Science. Over the past 16 years, Alina has covered everything from Ebola to androids while writing health, science and tech articles for major publications. She has multiple health, safety and lifesaving certifications from Oklahoma State University. Alina's goal in life is to try as many experiences as possible. To date, she has been a volunteer firefighter, a dispatcher, substitute teacher, artist, janitor, children's book author, pizza maker, event coordinator and much more.
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Kangaroo - Adaptations, Locomotion, Socialization | Britannica
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IntroductionForm and functionCommon featuresReproduction and developmentDentitionBehaviourDescriptions of selected species
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Kangaroos have an irregular activity rhythm; generally, they are active at night and during periods of low light, but it is quite possible to find them out in the open in bright sunlight. During hot weather, kangaroos lick their forearms, which promotes heat loss by evaporation. Kangaroos travel and feed in groups (“mobs”) whose composition shifts, but they are not truly social, since the individual members move at liberty. One member can send the mob into a wild rout—individuals bounding off in all directions—by thumping its tail on the ground in a signal of alarm. In any mob, the largest male (“old man,” or “boomer”) dominates during the mating season. Males fight for access to females by biting, kicking, and boxing. These methods are also used by kangaroos to defend themselves against predators. With their agile arms, they can spar vigorously. They can also use the forepaws to grip an enemy while rocking back on their tails and then swiftly dropping their huge clawed hind feet. This tactic has been known to disembowel dogs and humans. When chased by hunters with dogs, kangaroos often make for water, where they have been known to turn and press down on the dog with their forepaws in an attempt to drown it.
Meet red kangaroos interacting with visitorsPeople interacting with captive red kangaroos (Macropus rufus).(more)See all videos for this articleOverall, however, kangaroos have benefited from human presence. Aboriginal hunters regularly burned large areas of forest and grassland, opening up the country for large grazers at the expense of smaller browsers. European pastoralists then cleared further tracts of dense vegetation and provided permanent sources of water in arid and seasonal habitats. By the late 20th century, the number of kangaroos in Australia had increased to the point that a major industry came to be based on them. The three most abundant species, the eastern gray, western gray, and red kangaroos, together number in the tens of millions. Every year millions of these three species, and thousands of medium-size species such as whiptail wallabies (M. parryi), are harvested. Their skins are made into rugs and clothing, and their meat, formerly used as pet food, is now increasingly sold for human consumption. The kangaroo’s status as a national symbol makes harvests politically controversial. Kangaroos are also killed because they compete for forage with livestock. Other threats are feral dogs introduced to the Australian mainland (see dingo).
Descriptions of selected species
Western gray kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus).The eastern gray kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) is found mostly in the open forests of eastern Australia and Tasmania. It is replaced by the western gray kangaroo (M. fuliginosus) along the southern coast into the southwest of Western Australia. The ranges of the two species overlap in western New South Wales and western Victoria. Both species, but especially the eastern, prefer lightly forested country, at least for refuge, but they go out into the open plains for grazing. Western grays are stockier and more brownish; there are different subspecies in the southwest, on Kangaroo Island, and on the Nullarbor Plain. Each of these may in fact be distinct species. Eastern grays may grow up to 2.1 metres (6.9 feet) in length, and some males can weigh as much as 90 kg (about 200 pounds). In contrast, western grays are shorter, with an average length of 1.6 metres (5.25 feet), and some males can weigh up to 54 kg (about 120 pounds).
Gray kangaroos can clear more than 9 metres (30 feet) at a bound—13.5 metres has been recorded—and can attain a speed of 55 km/hr (kilometres per hour; 34 mph [miles per hour]). Research has revealed a remarkable advantage to bipedal hopping. Although at low speeds kangaroos expend more energy than do quadrupeds of the same size, the red kangaroo (M. rufus) actually uses less energy at 10.1 km/hr than at 6.5 and less still at higher speeds. This seems to be related to the storage of elastic strain energy in its tendons and muscles. In addition, the heavy tail swings downward as the legs are moving backward, which helps to counteract the natural pitching motion of the head and upper body—another energy-saving device.
red kangaroo (Macropus rufus)Red kangaroo (Macropus rufus). The home range of this species spans much of Australia's interior, and it is the largest member of the family Macropodidae.(more)red kangarooRed kangaroo (Macropus rufus) jumping.(more)The red kangaroo is found throughout Australia’s interior grasslands and is the largest and most powerful macropodid. An old male may attain a head and body length of 1.5 metres (5 feet), have a tail 1 metre (3.3 feet) long, and stand 2 metres (6.6 feet) tall. Males can weigh 90 kg (200 pounds), but females are much smaller. Usually males are red and females are blue-gray, but there are generally a few red females and gray males in most populations. In regions such as western New South Wales, where red kangaroos and both species of grays can be found in the same general area, the red kangaroo is easily distinguished by its longer arms, convex face, whitish underparts, prominent black and white whisker marks on the muzzle, and bald patch on the nose (rhinarium). Gray kangaroos are more uniformly coloured, and the nose is haired.
The antilopine kangaroo (M. antilopinus), sometimes called the antilopine wallaroo, replaces the red kangaroo in the plains of the tropical north, from Cape York Peninsula in the east to the Kimberleys in the west. It is smaller than the red kangaroo and more wallaroo-like in general appearance, although it is more slenderly built. Males can grow to be 1.8 metres (5.9 feet) long and can weigh as much as 70 kg (154 pounds), whereas females are smaller, often weighing less than 30 kg (66 pounds). The antilopine kangaroo is an extremely fast hopper. The wallaroo, or euro (M. robustus), is a smaller, stockier animal quite closely related to the red kangaroo and like it in that the sexes are coloured differently (black in the male, reddish in the female), though this is not universal. The rhinarium is larger than in the red kangaroo. This wallaroo lives in hilly country throughout mainland Australia except in the far north, where it is replaced by the smaller Woodward’s, or black, wallaroo (M. bernardus).The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
This article was most recently revised and updated by John P. Rafferty.