Kangaroo habitat. Where do kangaroos live, what do they eat and how do they breed? Gray eastern kangaroo

Kangaroo is a unique animal. This is the only large mammal that moves in huge leaps, relying on powerful hind legs And a long tail. Their front paws are small and weak, outwardly similar to human hands. This unusual animal is predominantly nocturnal, and during the day it hides in the grass, while taking funny poses. Lovers of nature and unusual animals will be interested to know where kangaroos live, how they breed and what they eat.

Variety of species

There are 69 varieties of kangaroos, which are divided into three main groups: small, medium and giant. The largest marsupial animal is the red kangaroo: its height at the withers is 1-1.6 meters, and the tallest males sometimes reach 2 meters. The length of the tail adds another 90-110 cm, and the weight ranges from 50 to 90 kg. These animals move in huge leaps up to 10 meters long, reaching speeds of up to 50-60 km/h. The smallest member of this family is the musk kangaroo. His height is only 15-20 cm, and his weight is 340 grams.

The most common species is the red steppe kangaroo. In terms of size, it refers to middle group and is distributed throughout almost the entire Australian continent, excluding the area of ​​​​tropical forests. The friendliest and most trusting species is the giant gray kangaroo, while the most aggressive is the mountain wallaroo. This animal can show unreasonable aggression and fight even when nothing threatens it. At the same time, wallar prefer to scratch and bite, but they never use powerful hind legs, like most of their relatives.

habitats

The countries where kangaroos live are Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea, as well as New Zealand. Many species of these animals prefer to live on the plains among thick, tall grass and sparse shrubs. Kangaroos are mostly nocturnal, so this habitat allows them to securely hide during the daytime. Animals build large grass nests, and some species dig shallow burrows. Mountain species live in hard-to-reach rocky gorges. These small animals have adapted perfectly to the environment: their paws have become hard and rough to move safely over slippery stones. Tree kangaroos live in trees, they freely crawl and jump from branch to branch, but descend to the ground for food.

Kangaroos are herbivores. Like cows, they chew grass, swallow it, and regurgitate it to make it digestible. Eating can occur at different times of the day and depends on the temperature. environment. During hot periods, kangaroos can lie in the shade all day, and go out to eat at night. One of the most amazing features is that kangaroos can go months without water. On dry days, they feed on grass and tree bark, thus saturating their body with moisture.

Reproduction features

kangaroo breeding in wild nature happens once a year. The size of a newborn cub is only 1-2 centimeters, it is born completely helpless, blind and bald, therefore, immediately after birth, it crawls into a bag on its mother’s stomach and clings to the nipple for the next 34 weeks. If the baby does not reach the bag and falls to the ground, the mother is forced to leave him: the cub is so small that the female will simply crush it if she tries to pick it up.

Inside the surface of the bag is smooth, but before the "entrance" is covered with thick, thick wool to protect the baby from cold and danger. With the help of powerful muscles, the female is able to close the bag so tightly that she can even swim, while the cub remains completely dry.

Just a few days after the baby is born, the animal is ready to mate again. Having become pregnant, the female can suspend the development of the embryo for several months, while the already born cub grows up. When the kangaroo is so strong that it can leave the mother's pouch, the female "starts" the development of pregnancy again and a new baby is born in a few weeks.

Kangaroo Enemies

Where kangaroos live natural enemies almost completely absent. In rare cases, foxes or dingoes can attack small individuals. Attacks by large birds such as the wedge-tailed eagle also occasionally occur. The only serious enemy of kangaroo animals in Australia is the marsupial wolf, but these predators were exterminated by hunters, and at the moment there is not a single individual left on the planet. Oddly enough, sand flies are the most dangerous. These pesky insects bite into the kangaroo's eyes, leading to blindness in most cases.

Kangaroos live in packs of 10-15 individuals. As a rule, the largest and strongest male is dominant.

Kangaroo meat is very nutritious and contains almost no fat, which is why it is very popular with consumers. Kangaroo dishes are served even in the most expensive and luxurious top-class restaurants.

These animals cannot move backward, they only walk and jump forward. Residents of Australia, the country where kangaroos live, decided to depict them on their coat of arms, demonstrating that the country is also moving only forward.

Female kangaroos can take care of two babies of different ages at the same time. younger child lives in a bag, and the elder only comes to refresh himself with milk. To do this, the mother has 4 nipples with different types of milk: fatter for a newborn, and rich in carbohydrates for an older child.

Several kangaroos have escaped zoos in the United States, France and Ireland and then managed to breed in the wild.

Kangaroos are unique and funny. Although most species are difficult to tame, many zoos around the world have small flocks of these interesting animals, so nature lovers have the opportunity to admire them in person.

Maybe some readers of my blog will be perplexed by this topic - they say who doesn’t know where he lives? Of course everyone knows that kangaroos live in Australia. But, not everything is so simple!

The fact is that next to the Australian mainland, there are islands - Tasmania, New Zealand and others. And is it more correct to say whether kangaroos live in Tasmania and the islands of New Zealand?

And so let's talk about everything in order. To begin with, the entire kangaroo family is divided into three groups: small - kangaroo rats, medium - walaby and large - Big red kangaroo or gigantic gray kangaroo or forest and mountain kangaroo or wallar.

Kangaroos live in Australia and on the islands adjacent to the mainland:

• Bismarck archipelago
• Western Guinea
• New Zealand
• papua new guinea
• tasmania
• Kangaroo Island

However, depending on the species, their habitat differs significantly from each other.

Where does the kangaroo live?

Each species of kangaroo lives in completely different natural conditions.

1. Big red kangaroo- lives everywhere - almost throughout the entire territory of the Australian continent. Due to its size, it has no enemies. Only in the western deserts and northern tropical forests he is not comfortable.
2. gray kangaroo- lives in South Australia, to be more precise in the state of Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales, as well as in the basins of the Darling and Murray rivers. They settle mainly in places with dense vegetation or in open rainforests. This type of kangaroo often coexists with a person without fear of him at all. He also lives on the island of Tasmania.
3. Wallar- the third species of large kangaroo, lives in the mountainous rocky regions of Australia.
4. Kangaroo rats live in Australia and Tasmania. However, recently their numbers have been significantly reduced, primarily due to the dingo dog.
5. wallaby- a medium-sized species or tree kangaroo lives only in Queensland and New Guinea. Unlike his relatives, he lives in trees.

We hope that now it will be clear to you where kangaroos live.

The word "kangaroo" comes from the Kuuku-Yimitir language. Australian aborigines who called these animals "kanguroo" or "gangurru". When Captain James Cook and his crew first learned about this animal and saw a baby kangaroo sticking its head out of its mother's pocket, he at first thought that kangaroos were two-headed animals.

Today we know much more about these funny jumpers. Native to Australia, Tasmania and Papua New Guinea, the kangaroo has become such a recognizable symbol of Australia that it can be seen on the country's banknotes, commercial products, and even on the banner of the Royal air force Australia.

These are truly amazing and strange animals, and in our list today we have collected some of the most amazing facts about kangaroos you can imagine... or you can't.

While this list contains information about different types kangaroos, we've mainly focused on the largest, well-known kangaroos seen in most wildlife documentaries. So get ready, because you might be shocked and amazed by these 25 Kangaroo Facts You Might Not Know!

25. Let's start with perhaps the coolest and most amazing fact about kangaroos. A female kangaroo can become pregnant and then have her pregnancy suspended (temporary cessation of vital functions). If the female has been fertilized, but is not yet ready for birth (for example, she is already carrying one cub), then the embryo enters a state of diapause until she raises the previous cub.

24. A kangaroo kick is so powerful that it can kill a grown man. And the sharp claws on their paws help them gut small animals.

23. Despite the fact that this is a fairly popular joke among teenagers, the kangaroo does have a fifth paw, a kind of paw. Used to maintain balance while jumping, the powerful kangaroo tail is used as a fifth leg when walking. When they hit with their hind legs, they lean on their fifth paw.

22. If you happen to see a dominance fight between two male kangaroos, it will be easy to know which one is dominant. In such fights, only the subdominant male beats with its paws. (Like other infraclass marsupials, male kangaroos are unique in that their testicles are located above rather than below the penis.)

21. The birth of a baby kangaroo is one of the strangest in the animal kingdom. From the birth canal of a female kangaroo at a period equivalent to 7 weeks of human pregnancy, a small, pink "worm" appears. The underdeveloped tiny creature must grab hold of its mother with its barely emerging forepaws and climb up the dense fur to settle in her brood pouch.

20. When this "worm" enters the mother's pouch, it sticks to one of the nipples for 34 weeks. As he grows and develops, he learns to come off the nipple and stick to others. The little kangaroo can't really suck yet, so milk from the mother's nipples is regularly injected directly into his mouth.

19. Some cubs do not leave the brood pouch for 8 months after they got into it. By that time, they are full-term, covered with hair and are already able to make their first jumps.

18. The jump of a large red kangaroo reaches 3 meters in height and 8 meters in length. Add to that top speed 60 km / h, which they can develop, and you get a pretty nimble marsupial.

17. You are probably wondering what would happen if a tiny, worm-like baby kangaroo fell while climbing its mother's fur to get into the brood pouch. If the cub falls, then it is still so small (the size of a bean) that the mother refuses it. If she tries to pick it up in order to somehow put it in a bag, she will simply crush it in an attempt to lift it.

16. Kangaroos are mainly hunted by humans and dingoes. Animals often defend themselves by leading the pursuer to the water and trying to drown him.

15. The dirtiest fact on our list: baby kangaroos pee and poop inside their mother's pouch. The inner layer of the brood pouch absorbs some waste products, but the female regularly cleans it herself by sticking her muzzle into it and licking it clean.

14. Kangaroos live in groups of about 10 individuals. Although the group consists of both females and males, only the dominant male - most often the oldest and largest - mates with the females.

13. Tree kangaroos don't sweat, and to cool off, they take shelter in the shade or lick their front paws and then run them over their furry chest.

12. Although excellent marketing gives us a clear picture of what a kangaroo looks like, the word "kangaroo" is actually an umbrella term for members of the kangaroo family, which includes giant kangaroos, large red kangaroos (the most famous), wallabies, philanders and wallaras.

11. Female kangaroos mate just a few days after giving birth. That way, if anything happens to it, she always has an embryo in diapause, ready to develop.

10. Very nutritious kangaroo meat is sold in different countries Worldwide. Over the past few decades, it has gained popularity in Australia, especially in high-end restaurants.

9. Kangaroos cannot move their paws independently of each other: they always move them at the same time - as if they are connected. However, while swimming, for reasons yet unknown to science, they move them independently of each other.

8. One of the most amazing facts about kangaroos is that females can determine the sex of their cub. Scientists don't yet know how they do it, but female kangaroos give birth to females at a younger age, leaving male embryos for later when they leave the group sooner or later.

7. Despite their powerful paws, kangaroos do not know how to move backwards. Therefore, Australia decided to depict this animal on its coat of arms, demonstrating that the state is always moving forward and developing.

6. To demonstrate to other males their strength and power, male kangaroos uproot grass and shrubs.

5. Western gray kangaroos are sometimes called "stinkers" because they emit a curry-like odor.

4. In cartoons, kangaroos are often shown boxing with their front paws. Although they sometimes do this for fun, most often this is how males fight for the right to possess a female. Such kicks are usually harmless, especially when compared to a hard kick from their hind legs.

3. Endemic to Australia and Papua New Guinea, a few kangaroos have managed to escape zoos in the US and France and breed in the wild. In Ireland, as you know, there is a whole colony of wallabies.

2. Once a baby kangaroo is old enough to leave its mother's pouch forever, it still goes back there to drink her milk. Since the female may have another baby in her pouch at this time, female kangaroos have a well-functioning lactation system: one of the nipples produces high-carbohydrate milk for the older baby, while the other teats produce high-fat milk for the younger baby.

1. Our last kangaroo quirky fact is again a bit shocking. Female kangaroos have a rather interesting anatomical feature: they have three vaginas. Two of them are used to conduct seminal fluid into the uterus, of which the kangaroo already has two. During childbirth, the fetus from the uterus enters the median vagina, and from there through a special birth canal - outward, so that, clinging to mother's wool, it rises and climbs into the bag.

Probably not enough words to describe all the diversity of the animal world of our planet. Almost every country and every region has its own unique endemic animals that are found only in a particular area. A striking example of such creatures is the kangaroo.

And if you ask any person the question “where do kangaroos live”, he will answer without a doubt: in Australia. Of course, he will be right, because a significant part of kangaroos lives on this continent, and handsome marsupial is also national symbol the most unique and little-studied state.

However, if you dig wider, then the animal kangaroo can live:

• in New Zealand;
• in New Guinea;
• on the islands of the Bismarck archipelago;
• in Tasmania.

It should be noted that in nature there are more than 50 varieties of such animals with their own characteristics and interesting facts. Meet giant red and gray, there are also small kangaroo rats, which also belong to marsupials, there are also wallabies - medium-sized individuals, and many others.

Where do kangaroos live: animal description and lifestyle

Main characteristics

Kangaroo belongs to the infraclass of marsupials and is a fairly large animal 100-170 centimeters high and weighing 20-40 kilograms. Such characteristics define males, because. females are slightly smaller and lighter. The main feature of the animals is the light gray or reddish-red color of the coat, bare black nose and long ears, which allow you to successfully pick up the most insignificant sounds and determine the approach of the enemy.

Also, the animal has long hind legs and a flexible tail, which allows you to maintain balance when making complex and long jumps. During the movement, the animal can develop an incredible speed, which often reaches 60 kilometers per hour. If the kangaroo notices danger, it can accelerate up to 90 kilometers per hour. Naturally, he can only run at that speed for a few minutes. The front legs are much shorter than the hind legs and have sharp claws. The animal uses its claws to protect itself from predators and search for water in dry ground. Also, the claws serve as an indispensable tool in clarifying the relationship with each other.

How many live?

The life expectancy of a kangaroo often reaches 18 years. Puberty ends at the age of two, and the mating procedure can last a whole year. A pregnant female carries a cub for 32 days, after which a small kangaroo is born. Its locals call it joi. The baby is born completely blind and without fur. At the same time, its dimensions are incredibly tiny - 2.5 centimeters. In the first days after birth, a tiny creature climbs into the mother's bag and continues to be there for up to six months. When he turns six months old, he begins to take the first independent steps, after which he still returns to the bag.

The child is finally released at the age of nine months. It should be taken into account the fact that only females have a bag, because. it contains nipples for feeding offspring with milk.

When feeding the animal can produce several types of milk. This is due to the fact that the female can become pregnant again, even if she is already in the bag. little cub. As a result, often several babies of different ages can be in the bag of such an animal at the same time. The size of the kangaroo bag is determined independently, depending on the size and number of cubs. When joey starts to grow, mom expands the bag, and when she is about to go on a long journey, she tightens it so that it does not pop out during the move.

Where do kangaroos live and what do they eat?

Kangaroos can live in four main regions:

1. Australia;
2. New Zealand;
3. New Guinea;
4. Tasmania;

Less often they can be found on the territory of the Bismarck archipelago.

In most cases, kangaroos are found in the rocky part of Australia, where they feel protected. The animal is considered social, so it leads a pack lifestyle in families of a male and several females. Upon reaching sexual maturity, the animal leaves the family and begins to create its own. The diet of kangaroos is exclusively vegetable food. If an intense drought occurs in the region, then the animal begins to dig holes with its claws. Sometimes the recesses reach a meter in depth. In addition, kangaroos are able to extract liquid from food.

Lifestyle Features

As for the lifestyle, these marsupials have it almost nocturnal. At dusk, the animals go out to pastures and feed on lush grass. It is very difficult to live in Australia during the daytime, which associated with unbearable temperatures air and the scorching sun, so the kangaroo hides in the shade of trees.

If the kangaroo notices danger or the approach of predators, it will immediately begin to kick the ground, notifying neighbors of a possible threat. For centuries, the animal could live peacefully on the continent and not be afraid of predators. But when the first European colonizers appeared in Australia, the situation changed significantly.

It is known that it was they who brought dingo dogs to this continent, which became wild and became the main enemies of marsupials. If the kangaroo is in danger, it starts to drive the dog to the nearest body of water and is about to drown him. If there is no access to the reservoir, the animal can run to the nearest tree and with a powerful blow from its hind legs attack the predator. But dingoes are not the only problem for these animals. Australia is home to an incalculable number of dangerous midges that clog the eyes and cause inflammation that can deprive the animal of sight.

Kangaroo gets along well with people and is practically not afraid of contact with them. Currently, the animal can be found in an ordinary city park or in the forest. If you manage to meet a kangaroo in the wild, he may allow you to take a picture with him and feed him by hand.

By the way, near the Australian continent there is one unique island, which was called "kangaroo island". The fact is that there are a lot of these animals, and they are presented in their original form. People have little mastered the territory, so the number of marsupials reaches a record high.

Kangaroos are amazing and unique representatives of the animal world of our planet, a kind of business card Australia. Previously unknown to Europeans, these animals were discovered only with the discovery of Australia itself by the Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon in 1606. And from the first acquaintance of the kangaroo (as well as other unique representatives Australian fauna) struck the imagination of Europeans, who had never met such peculiar animals anywhere before. Even the origin of the very name of these creatures - "kangaroo" is very curious.

Etymology of the word "kangaroo"

It is believed that the name "kangaroo" came to us from the language of the Australian aborigines, but there are several versions of this. According to one of them, when the team of the English navigator James Cook went deep into the Australian continent and met a kangaroo, the British asked the local Aborigines what kind of strange creatures, to which the answer was "kangaroo", which in their language meant "keng" - jumping "uru" - four-legged.

According to another version, "kangaroo" in the language of the natives simply meant "I do not understand." According to the third, the natives simply repeated the phrase “can you tell me” (can you tell me) after the British, which, in their performance, was actually transformed into “kangaroo”.

Be that as it may, linguists have established that the word “kangaroo” first appeared in the language of the Australian Guugu-Yimithirr tribe, as the natives called black and gray kangaroos, and literally it meant “big jumper”. And after the British met them, the name kangaroo spread to all Australian kangaroos.

Kangaroo: description, structure, characteristics. What does a kangaroo look like?

Kangaroos are mammals that belong to the order of Dictator marsupials, and the Kangaroo family. Their close relatives are also kangaroo rats or potoroo about which there will be a separate article on our website.

The kangaroo family includes 11 genera and 62 species, among which there are rare and endangered ones. Smaller kangaroo species are also sometimes referred to as wallaroos or wallabies. The largest eastern gray kangaroo is 3 meters long and weighs 85 kg. While the smallest of the kangaroo family are philanders, striped wallabies and short-tailed kangaroos reach only 29-63 cm and weigh 3-7 kg. At the same time, the tail of these animals can be an additional 27-51 cm.

At the same time, interestingly, male kangaroos are many times larger than females, in which growth stops after puberty, while males continue to grow further. It is not uncommon for a female gray or red kangaroo, which is involved in breeding for the first time, to be courted by a male 5 or even 6 times larger than her.

Surely everyone has seen what large kangaroos look like: their head is small, but with large ears and no less large almond-like eyes. Kangaroo eyes have eyelashes that protect their corneas from dust. The nose of a kangaroo is black.

The lower jaw of a kangaroo has an unusual structure, its rear ends are bent inward. How many teeth does a kangaroo have? Depending on the species, the number of teeth ranges from 32 to 34. Moreover, kangaroo teeth are devoid of roots and are perfectly adapted for coarse plant foods.

The front legs of the kangaroo seem to be not fully developed, but the hind legs are very strong, it is thanks to them that the kangaroos make their signature jumps. But the thick and long tail of a kangaroo is not for beauty alone, thanks to him these creatures balance when jumping, and it is also a support while sitting and fighting. The length of the tail of a kangaroo, depending on the species, can be from 14 to 107 cm.

During rest or movement, the weight of the animal's body is distributed on long, narrow feet, creating the effect of a stop-walk. But when kangaroos jump, only two fingers of each foot are used for jumping - the 4th and 5th. And the 2nd and 3rd fingers are one process with two claws, they are used by kangaroos to clean their fur. The first toe of their foot, alas, is completely lost.

The small front paws of a kangaroo have five movable fingers on a wide and short brush. At the ends of these fingers there are sharp claws that serve kangaroos for a variety of purposes: they take food with them, scratch their fur, grab enemies in self-defense, dig holes, etc. And large species of kangaroos also use their front paws for thermoregulation , licking them from the inside, after which saliva, and thus cools the blood in the network of superficial vessels.

Large kangaroos move by jumping with their strong hind legs, but jumping is not the only way these animals move. In addition to jumping, kangaroos can also walk slowly using all four limbs, which at the same time move in pairs, and not alternately. How fast can kangaroos develop? With the use of jumps, large kangaroos can easily move at a speed of 40-60 km per hour, while making jumps 10-12 m long. At this speed, they not only escape from enemies, but sometimes jump over three-meter fences and even Australian highways. True, since such a jumping method of movement for kangaroos is very energy-consuming, after 10 minutes of such running and jumping, they begin to get tired and, as a result, slow down.

An interesting fact: kangaroos are not only excellent sprinters, jumpers, but also good swimmers, in the water they also often escape from enemies.

When resting, they sit on their hind legs. The body is held upright and supported by the tail. Or they lie on their side, leaning on their forelimbs.

All kangaroos have soft, thick, but short fur. Kangaroo fur is in different shades of yellow, brown, gray or red. Some species have dark or light stripes on the lower back, in the shoulder area, behind or between the eyes. Moreover, the tail and limbs are usually darker than the body, while the belly, on the contrary, is lighter. Rocky and tree kangaroos sometimes have longitudinal or transverse stripes on their tails. And in some species of kangaroo, males are brighter than females, but this sexual dimorphism is not absolute.

Albino kangaroos are also very rare in nature.

The females of all kangaroos have branded bags on their stomachs in which they carry their cubs - this is one of the most striking and unique features of these animals. At the top of the kangaroo pouch there are muscles with which the mother kangaroo can tightly close the pouch if necessary, for example while swimming, so that the little kangaroo does not suffocate.

Kangaroos also have a sound apparatus, with which they are able to make different sounds: hiss, cough, grunt.

How long do kangaroos live

On average, kangaroos live in natural conditions for about 4-6 years. Some large species can live up to 12-18 years.

What does a kangaroo eat

All kangaroos are herbivores, although there are several omnivorous species among them. So, for example, tree kangaroos can eat the eggs of birds and the little chicks themselves, cereals and tree bark. Large red kangaroos feed on Australian thorny grass, short-faced kangaroos eat the roots of some plants and some types of fungi, at the same time playing an important role in the spread of spores of these same fungi. Smaller kangaroo species like to eat grass, leaves, seeds as food. At the same time, they are more picky in their diet than their large counterparts - they can spend hours looking for suitable grass, when any vegetation is suitable for undemanding large kangaroos.

Interestingly, kangaroos are not very demanding on water, so they can do without it for up to a month, being content with moisture from plants and dew.

In zoos, kangaroos feed on grasses, and the basis of their diet in captivity is rolled oats mixed with seeds, nuts and dried fruits. They also enjoy eating various fruits and corn.

Where do kangaroos live

Of course, in Australia you say, and of course you will be right. But not only there, in addition to it, kangaroos can be found in neighboring New Zealand, and some nearby islands: in New Guinea, Tasmania, Hawaii and the island of Kawau and some other islands.

Also, different places are chosen as habitats for kangaroos. climatic zones, from the deserts of central Australia to humid eucalyptus forests along the outskirts of this continent. Among them, tree kangaroos can be distinguished, the only representatives of this family that live on trees, they naturally live exclusively in forests, while, for example, hare and claw-tailed kangaroos, on the contrary, prefer desert and semi-desert areas.

Kangaroo lifestyle in the wild

Tree kangaroos, mentioned by us in the last paragraph, are closest to the common ancestors of all kangaroos that lived in trees in the old days, after which, in the process of evolution, all species of kangaroos, with the exception of tree kangaroos, descended to the ground.

The lifestyle of kangaroos differs depending on the species, so small kangaroos lead a solitary lifestyle, with the exception of females with children who create a family, but only until the moment the little kangaroos grow up. The males and females of these kangaroos unite only for the duration of the mating season to procreate, then scatter again and live and feed separately. During the day, they usually lie in secluded places, waiting out the heat of the day, and in the evening or at night they go out in search of food.

But large species of kangaroos, on the contrary, are herd animals, sometimes forming large herds of 50-60 individuals. However, membership in such a herd is free and animals can easily leave it and rejoin it. It is curious that individuals of a certain age tend to live together, but it also happens vice versa, for example, a female kangaroo whose cub is preparing to leave the bag avoids other kangaroo mothers who are in exactly the same position.

Living in a large herd of large kangaroos, it is easier to resist potential predators, primarily wild dingoes and once living in Australia marsupials (now extinct).

Enemies of kangaroos in nature

Since ancient times, Australian predators have been natural enemies of kangaroos: wild dog dingo, marsupial wolf, various predator birds(they prey only on small kangaroos or small cubs of large kangaroos), also large snakes. Although the big kangaroos themselves are able to stand up well for themselves - the impact force of their hind legs is enormous, there were cases when people fell with a broken skull from their impact (yes, these cute herbivorous kangaroos can be dangerous to humans). Well aware of this danger of the dog, dingoes hunt kangaroos exclusively in packs, in order to avoid the deadly blows of kangaroo paws, dingoes have their own technique - they deliberately drive kangaroos into the water, trying to drown.

But perhaps the most ferocious enemies of these animals are neither wild dingoes nor birds of prey, but ordinary midges, appearing in large numbers after rains, they mercilessly sting kangaroos in the eyes, so that they sometimes even lose their sight for a while. Sand and worms also plague our Australian jumpers.

Kangaroo and man

At good conditions Kangaroos breed very quickly, which worries Australian farmers, as they have a bad habit of destroying their crops. Therefore, in Australia, controlled shooting of large kangaroos is carried out annually in order to protect the crops of Australian farmers from them. Interestingly, at the beginning of the last century, the population of large kangaroos was smaller than now, and the increase in their number in Australia was facilitated by a decrease in the number of their natural enemies - dingoes.

But the uncontrolled destruction of some other species of kangaroos, especially tree kangaroos, has put a number of their species on the brink of extinction. Also many small Australian kangaroos suffered from, brought to Australia by Europeans at the end of the 19th century for sport hunting. Foxes, having found themselves on a new continent, quickly realized that they could hunt not only the same rabbits imported from Europe, but also local small kangaroos.

Types of kangaroos, photos and names

As we wrote above, there are as many as 62 types of kangaroos, and further we will describe the most interesting of them.

This is the largest representative of the kangaroo family and at the same time the largest marsupial in the world. Lives in dry areas of Australia. It has a red coat color, although among females there are individuals with gray hair. The length of a large red kangaroo can reach 2 meters with a weight of 85 kg.

And the big red kangaroo is an excellent "boxer", pushing the enemy away with his front paws, he can hit him with his strong hind limbs. Of course, such a blow does not bode well.

Also known as the forest kangaroo, it got its name because of the habit of settling in wooded places. This is the second largest kangaroo, its body length is 1.8 meters and weighs 85 kg. In addition to Australia, it also lives in Tasmania and the Mari and Fraser Islands. It is this type of kangaroo that holds the record for jumping distance - it is able to bend down to a distance of 12 m. It is also the fastest among kangaroos, it can move at speeds up to 64 km per hour. It has a gray-brown color, and its muzzle covered with hair resembles that of a hare.

This species is found exclusively in southwestern Australia. It is of medium size, its body length is 1.1 m. The color is brown or pale gray. The people of this kangaroo are also called the stink kangaroo for the pungent smell that comes from the males.

He is an ordinary wallar. It differs from its other relatives by powerful shoulders and shorter hind limbs and a massive physique. It lives in the rocky regions of Australia. Has a body length of 1.5 m, and average weight- 35 kg. The coat color of this kangaroo is dark brown in males, while females are slightly lighter.

Another name for this species is quokka. It belongs to small kangaroos, its body length is only 40-90 cm and weighs up to 4 kg. That is, they are the size of a normal one, with a small tail and small hind limbs. The curve of the mouth of this kangaroo resembles a smile, which is why it is also called the "smiling kangaroo". It lives in arid places with grassy vegetation.

He is a wallaby hare, is the only species of striped kangaroo. On this moment listed as it is on the verge of extinction. Once striped kangaroos lived in Australia, but at the present time their population has survived only on the islands of Bernier and Dorr, now declared protected areas. It has a small size, its body length is 40-45 cm, with a weight of up to 2 kg. It differs not only in a striped color, but also in an elongated muzzle with a hairless nasal mirror.

Kangaroo breeding

Some species of kangaroo mating season occurs at a certain time, but for most representatives of the kangaroo family, mating occurs all year round. Usually, for the female, the males arrange real kangaroo fights without rules. In some ways, their fights resemble human boxing - leaning on their tails, they stand on their hind legs, trying to grab the enemy with their front legs. To win, you need to knock him to the ground and beat him with his hind legs. Not surprisingly, such "duels" often end in severe injuries.

Kangaroo males have a habit of leaving odorous marks from their saliva, and they leave them not only on grass, bushes, trees, but also on ... a female, in such a simple way giving other males a signal that this female belongs to him.

Puberty in female kangaroos occurs after two years, in males a little later, however, young males, due to their still small size, have little chance of mating with a female. And the older the male kangaroo, the larger it is, which means more strength and chances to win in the fight for females. In some species of kangaroo, it even happens that the largest and strongest alpha male performs up to half of all matings in the herd.

The pregnancy of a female kangaroo lasts 4 weeks. At a time, one cub is usually born, less often two. And only large red kangaroos can give birth to up to three cubs at the same time. Interestingly, kangaroos do not have a placenta, because of this, small kangaroos are born underdeveloped and very tiny. In fact, they are still embryos. After birth, the baby kangaroo is placed in the mother's pouch, where it sticks to one of the four nipples. In this position, he spends the next 150-320 days (depending on the species), continuing his development. Since a newborn kangaroo is not able to suck milk on his own, all this time his mother feeds him, regulating the flow of milk with the help of muscles. Interestingly, if during this period the cub suddenly comes off the nipple, it may even die of hunger. In fact, the mother-kangaroo bag serves as a place for the baby to further develop, provides him with the necessary temperature and humidity, helps him grow and get stronger.

Over time, the baby kangaroo grows up and becomes able to crawl out of the mother's pouch. Nevertheless, the mother carefully monitors her baby and, when moving or in case of danger, returns him back to the bag. And only when the female kangaroo has a new cub, the previous one will be forbidden to climb into the mother's bag. For a while, he will stick only his head in there to suck milk. Curiously, a female kangaroo is able to feed both an older and a younger cub at the same time, and give them different amounts of milk from different nipples. Over time, the cub grows up and becomes a full-fledged adult kangaroo.

• Back in the 19th century, people believed that small kangaroos grow right in the mother's pouch, on the nipple.
• Australian aborigines have been eating kangaroo meat since ancient times, especially since it has great content protein and low in fat.
• And from kangaroo skin, dense and thin, sometimes I make bags, wallets, sew jackets.
• The female kangaroo has as many as three vaginas, the middle one is intended for the birth of cubs, and the two side ones are for mating.
• A kangaroo, along with an ostrich, adorn the coat of arms of the Commonwealth of Australia. And not just like that, they symbolize the movement forward, the fact is that neither the ostrich nor the kangaroo, due to their biological characteristics, simply do not know how to back away.

Kangaroo video

And finally, interesting documentary from the Air Force - "The ubiquitous kangaroos."