Australian animal kangaroo. Where do kangaroos live? Their way of life

The red kangaroo is the largest marsupial mammal on the planet.

Thanks to his great height and incredibly strong hind legs, he is the undisputed long jump champion among animals.

The kangaroo is the unofficial symbol of Australia - it is even depicted on the coat of arms of this state.

Appearance

The body size of an adult male is one and a half meters, not counting the tail, which reaches another meter in length. The animal weighs 80–85 kilograms. The fur is short and thick, brownish-red in color.

Powerful hind legs and a large, heavy tail allow kangaroos to jump superbly. In case of danger, in one jump he can cover a distance of up to 12 meters in length and up to 3 meters in height. If it is necessary to fight back, the animal suddenly leans on its own tail, and with its freed hind legs it painfully hits the enemy.

The front clawed legs are excellent for digging up edible roots. Females have a convenient pouch - a deep fold of skin on the abdomen, in which the mother carries the kangaroo.

Habitat

The only continent where kangaroos live is Australia. Animals are accustomed to arid conditions in steppes and semi-deserts, so they can go without water for a long time. During long droughts, they dig wells and extract water from them. These wells are then used by pink cockatoos, marsupial martens, emus and other steppe inhabitants.

Lifestyle

Kangaroos forage at night and during the day they rest in burrows or grass nests. They live in groups of 10–12 individuals. At the head of a small herd is a male, he has several females and small cubs. The leader is very jealous - he strictly ensures that other males do not enter his territory. Otherwise, it ends in a serious fight.

During sweltering heat, they try to move less, breathe frequently, open their mouths wide and lick their paws. If there is no way to hide in the shade from the scorching sun, they dig shallow holes in the sand.

Kangaroo animals eat plant foods. In addition to steppe grass, they love to find cereals, roots and tubers in pastures and homesteads, which causes significant harm to Australian farmers.

Enemies

IN wildlife The red kangaroo has few enemies: dingoes, foxes and. If necessary, the marsupial can perfectly stand up for itself, using fighting techniques with the help of its hind legs. They successfully escape, reaching speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour.

The main enemy of the kangaroo is man. Farmers and herders different ways fight against annoying animals that eat pastures. The Australian red kangaroo is of great interest to hunters - its dietary meat is rich in proteins and contains only 2% fat. The skin is used to make clothes, shoes and other products.

Reproduction

Kangaroo pregnancy does not last long - from one to one and a half months. A tiny and completely helpless baby is born, measuring only 3 centimeters. He is immediately placed in the pouch and spends the next two and a half months there, feeding on his mother's milk.

Voice of a baby kangaroo

Having gotten a little stronger, the little kangaroo begins to make short forays, instantly jumping back at the slightest danger. Usually he hides in a bag for up to 8 months or simply warms himself in it. After this, the cub begins to gradually gain independence. The lifespan of a kangaroo is about 20 years.

1. The history of the word "kangaroo" is associated with a fascinating legend. James Cook, finding himself on a new continent for the first time and noticing an unusual animal, asked a local resident what it was called. The aborigine replied: “Ken-gu-ru,” that is, “I don’t understand you,” and Cook decided that this was the name of an exotic animal.
2. The principle of carrying a baby in a pouch on the stomach formed the basis of modern baby carriers, which are called kangaroo backpacks.

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 meeting, kangaroos (as well as other unique representatives Australian fauna) captured the imagination of Europeans, who had never seen such unique 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 Australian Aboriginals, but there are several versions on this matter. According to one of them, when the team of the English navigator James Cook went deep into the Australian continent and met kangaroos, the British asked the local aborigines what they were. 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 native language simply meant “I don’t understand.” According to the third, the natives simply repeated after the British the phrase “can you tell me” (can you tell me), which in their performance was transformed into “kangaroo”.

Be that as it may, linguists have established that the word “kangaroo” first appeared in the language of the Australian tribe Guugu-Yimithirr, as the aborigines 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 Two-incisor marsupials and the family Kangarooidae. Their close relatives are also kangaroo rats or potoroos, which may be discussed in a separate article on our website.

The kangaroo family includes 11 genera and 62 species, including rare and endangered ones. Small species of kangaroo are also sometimes called 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. Moreover, the tail of these animals can be an additional 27-51 cm.

Interestingly, male kangaroos are many times larger than females, whose growth stops after puberty, while males continue to grow. It is not uncommon for a female gray or red kangaroo, who is participating in reproduction 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: they have a small head, but with large ears and no less large almond-shaped eyes. Kangaroos' eyes have eyelashes that protect their corneas from dust. The kangaroo's nose is black.

The lower jaw of a kangaroo has an unusual structure; its rear ends are curved 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 rough plant food.

The front legs of a kangaroo seem to be not fully developed, but the hind legs are very strong, it is thanks to them that the kangaroo makes its signature jumps. But the thick and long tail of a kangaroo is not just for beauty; thanks to it, these creatures balance when jumping, and it also serves as a support when sitting and fighting. The length of a kangaroo's tail, depending on the species, can be from 14 to 107 cm.

When resting or moving, the animal's body weight is distributed over its long narrow feet, creating the effect of plantigrade walking. But when kangaroos jump, they use only two toes on each foot - the 4th and 5th. And the 2nd and 3rd fingers are one process with two claws; kangaroos use them to clean their fur. The first toe of their foot, alas, is completely lost.

The small front paws of a kangaroo have five movable toes on a wide and short hand. At the ends of these fingers there are sharp claws, which serve kangaroos for a variety of purposes: with them they take food, scratch 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, followed by saliva, and thus cools the blood in the network of superficial vessels.

Large kangaroos move by jumping using their strong hind legs, but jumping is not the only way of movement of these animals. In addition to jumping, kangaroos can also walk slowly using all four limbs, which move in pairs rather than alternately. How fast can kangaroos reach? Using 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.

Interesting fact: kangaroos are not only excellent runners and sprinters, 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 vertically and supported by the tail. Or they lie on their side, leaning on their forelimbs.

All kangaroos have soft, thick, but short fur. Kangaroos have fur of 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, and the belly, on the contrary, is lighter. Rock and tree kangaroos sometimes have longitudinal or transverse stripes on their tails. And in some species of kangaroos, males are brighter colored than females, but this sexual dimorphism is not absolute.

Albino kangaroos are very rarely found in nature.

The females of all kangaroos have signature pouches on their bellies in which they carry their young - this is one of the most striking and unique features of these animals. At the top of the kangaroo's pouch there are muscles with which the mother kangaroo can tightly close the pouch when necessary, for example during swimming, so that the little kangaroo does not suffocate.

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

How long do kangaroos live?

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

What does a kangaroo eat?

All kangaroos are herbivores, although there are several omnivorous species among them. For example, tree kangaroos can eat bird eggs and small 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 mushrooms, at the same time playing an important role in the spread of spores of these same fungi. Small species of kangaroos like to eat grass, leaves, and seeds as food. At the same time, they are more picky in their diet than their larger counterparts - they can spend hours looking for suitable grass, when any vegetation is suitable for undemanding large kangaroos.

It is interesting that kangaroos are not very picky about water, so they can easily do without it for up to a month, being content with moisture from plants and dew.

In zoos, kangaroos are fed 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: New Guinea, Tasmania, Hawaii and the island of Kawau and some other islands.

Kangaroos also choose different habitats as habitats. climatic zones, from the deserts of central Australia to the moist eucalyptus forests along the edges of this continent. Among them we can distinguish tree kangaroos, the only representatives of this family that live in trees; they naturally live exclusively in forests, while, for example, hare and claw-tailed kangaroos, on the contrary, prefer desert and semi-desert areas.

Lifestyle of a kangaroo in the wild

The tree kangaroos we mentioned in the last paragraph are closest to the common ancestors of all kangaroos, which in the old days lived in trees, after which, in the process of evolution, all types 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 start a family, but only until the small kangaroos grow up. Males and females of these kangaroos unite only during 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 join again. It is curious that individuals of a certain age tend to live together, but it also happens the other way around, for example, a female kangaroo, whose baby is preparing to leave the pouch, avoids other kangaroo mothers who are in exactly the same position.

Living in a large herd, it is easier for large kangaroos to resist potential predators, primarily wild dingoes and the marsupial that once lived in Australia (now extinct).

Enemies of kangaroos in nature

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

But perhaps the most ferocious enemies of these animals are neither wild dingoes nor birds of prey, but ordinary midges, appearing in huge numbers after rains and mercilessly stinging kangaroos in the eyes, so that they sometimes even lose their sight for a while. Sandworms 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 nasty habit of destroying their crops. Therefore, in Australia, a 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 it is now, and the growth of their numbers 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 arboreal ones, has brought a number of their species to the brink of extinction. Also, many small Australian kangaroos suffered from being brought to Australia by Europeans at the end of the 19th century for sport hunting. The foxes, finding 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 species of kangaroos, and below 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 arid regions of Australia. It has a red coat color, although among females there are individuals with gray coat. The length of a large red kangaroo can reach 2 meters and weigh 85 kg.

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

Also known as the forest kangaroo, this name comes from its habit of settling in wooded areas. This is the second largest kangaroo, its body length is 1.8 meters and its weight is 85 kg. In addition to Australia, it also lives in Tasmania and Mary and Fraser Islands. It is this type of kangaroo that holds the record for jumping distance - it is capable of jumping at a distance of up to 12 m. It is also the fastest among kangaroos, it is capable of moving at speeds of up to 64 km per hour. It is gray-brown in color, and its fur-covered muzzle 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. People also call this kangaroo the stinky one for the pungent odor that comes from the males.

He's just an ordinary wallaroo. It differs from its other relatives in its powerful shoulders and shorter hind limbs and massive build. Lives in rocky areas of Australia. It has a body length of 1.5 m and an average weight of 35 kg. The coat color of this kangaroo is dark brown in males, and slightly lighter in females.

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 regular one, with a small tail and small hind limbs. The curve of this kangaroo's mouth resembles a smile, which is why it is also called the "smiling kangaroo". Lives in arid places with herbaceous vegetation.

The wallaby hare is the only species of striped kangaroo. On this moment listed as critically endangered. Striped kangaroos once lived in Australia, but at this time their population has survived only on the Bernier and Dorr Islands, now declared protected areas. It is small in size, its body length is 40-45 cm, with a weight of up to 2 kg. It is distinguished not only by its striped color, but also by its elongated muzzle with a hairless nasal planum.

Kangaroo breeding

In 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, males organize real kangaroo fights without rules for the female. In some ways, their fights are reminiscent of human boxing - leaning on their tails, they stand on their hind legs, trying to grab the opponent with their front legs. To win, you need to knock him to the ground and beat him with his hind legs. It is not surprising that such “duels” often end in severe injuries.

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

Sexual maturity in female kangaroos occurs after two years, in males a little later, but young males, due to their still small size, have little chance of mating with a female. And the older the male kangaroo, the larger he is, which means he has more strength and chances to win the fight for females. In some kangaroo species, 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. Usually one cub is born at a time, 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, which is why 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 attaches 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 its own, its mother feeds it all this time, regulating the flow of milk with the help of muscles. It is interesting that if during this period the cub suddenly breaks away from the nipple, it may even die of starvation. In fact, the mother-kangaroo's pouch serves as a place for the baby's further development, provides it with the necessary temperature and humidity, and helps it grow and get stronger.

Over time, the baby kangaroo grows and becomes able to crawl out of its mother's pouch. However, 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 baby, the previous one will be prohibited from getting into the mother’s pouch. For some time he will stick only his head in there to suck milk. Interestingly, a female kangaroo is capable of feeding both an older and a younger calf at the same time, and giving them different amounts of milk from different nipples. Over time, the baby grows up and becomes a full-fledged adult kangaroo.

• Back in the 19th century, people believed that small kangaroos grew 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 fat content.
• And from kangaroo leather, thick and thin, I sometimes make bags, wallets, and sew jackets.
• A female kangaroo has three vaginas, the middle one is for giving birth to babies, and the two side ones are for mating.
• A kangaroo and an ostrich adorn the coat of arms of the Commonwealth of Australia. And for a reason, they symbolize moving forward; the fact is that neither an ostrich nor a kangaroo, due to their biological characteristics, simply cannot move backwards.

Kangaroo, video

And finally, an interesting documentary from the BBC - “The Ubiquitous Kangaroos”.

There is probably no person who does not know that kangaroos live in Australia and that the kangaroo is considered a symbol of Australia.

It is not known exactly how many years the kangaroo has been living on the sunny continent, but Europeans learned about it not so long ago, in the middle of the 18th Century, when James Cook came to Australia.

This animal certainly attracted attention. Not only does the kangaroo look different from other animals, it has an unusual way of moving.

Description and lifestyle of a kangaroo

Kangaroos, like most animals in Australia, are marsupials. This means that the female kangaroo carries her cubs, which are born underdeveloped, in a pouch formed by folds of skin on the abdomen. But these are not all the differences between the Australian kangaroo and other animals; its peculiarity is its method of movement. Kangaroos move by jumping, much the same way as grasshoppers or the well-known jerboas do. But the grasshopper is an insect, and the jerboa is a small rodent, for them this is acceptable. But for a large animal to move, making jumps, and quite large ones at that, is not probable from the point of view of the expenditure of effort. After all, an adult kangaroo can jump up to 10 meters in length and almost 3 meters in height. What kind of force is needed to launch a body weighing up to 80 kg into flight? Namely, this is how much a gigantic kangaroo weighs. And in this unusual way, a kangaroo can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h or more. But it’s difficult for him to move backwards; his legs are simply not designed for this.

By the way, the origin of the name “kangaroo” itself is also still not clear. There is a version that the first travelers who came to Australia, when they saw this jumping monster, asked the locals: What is his name? To which one of them responded in his own language “I don’t understand,” but it sounded just like “gangurru,” and since then this word has stuck with them as their name. Another version says that the word “gangurru” in the language of one of the indigenous tribes of Australia means this animal. There is no reliable information about the origin of the name kangaroo.

Externally, the kangaroo looks unusual for a European. Its upright stance, strong, muscular hind legs and short, usually bent front legs give it something of a boxer-like appearance. By the way, in ordinary life these animals also show boxing skills. When fighting among themselves or defending themselves from enemies, they strike with their front paws, just like boxers do in a fight. True, quite often they also use their long hind legs. It's similar to Muay Thai. In order to deliver a particularly strong blow, the kangaroo sits on its tail.

But imagine the force of the back leg of this monster. With one blow he can easily kill. In addition, it has huge claws on its hind legs. If we consider that in Australia the largest land predator is the wild dog Dingo, which in size cannot be compared with the kangaroo, then it becomes clear why the kangaroo has practically no enemies. Well, maybe only a crocodile, but where kangaroos usually live, there are almost no crocodiles. True, the real danger is posed by a python, which can eat something even larger, but this is of course rare, but nevertheless, here is a fact when a python ate a kangaroo.

Another feature of kangaroos is that they are marsupials, and as a result, raise their offspring in a rather unique way. The baby kangaroo is born very small, not fully developed and is unable to move or feed itself. But this is compensated by the fact that the female kangaroo has a pouch on her stomach formed by a fold of skin. It is in this pouch that the female places her tiny baby, and sometimes two, where they grow further, especially since the nipples through which he feeds are located there. All this time, one or two underdeveloped cubs spend in the mother’s pouch, tightly attached with their mouth to the nipples. The mother kangaroo masterfully controls the pouch using her muscles. For example, she can “lock” a cub in it at a time of danger. The presence of a baby in the bag does not bother the mother at all, and she can freely jump further. By the way, the milk that the baby kangaroo feeds changes its composition over time. While the baby is tiny, it contains special antibacterial components produced by the mother’s body. As he grows, they disappear.

After leaving infancy, during which nutrition is mother's milk, all kangaroos become vegetarians. They feed mainly on tree fruits and grass; some species, in addition to greens, eat insects or worms. They usually feed in the dark, which is why kangaroos are called crepuscular animals. These mammals live in packs. They are very careful and do not come close to humans. However, there are cases when brutal kangaroos drowned animals and attacked people. This occurred during periods of famine, when the arid regions of Australia were converted to grass. Kangaroos endure the test of hunger very hard. During such periods, kangaroos make raids on farmland, and also often go to the outskirts of towns and villages in the hope of profiting from something, which they are quite successful.

Kangaroos have a fairly long life expectancy. On average they live 15 years, but there have been cases where some live up to 30 years.

In general, there are about 50 species of these animals. But there are several of them that are most common.

Species of kangaroo

Red kangaroo, living mainly in flat areas. This is the largest and most known species. Some individuals of them are up to 2 meters tall and weigh more than 80 kg.

Gray forest kangaroos, live in forest areas. These are somewhat smaller in size, but they are distinguished by great agility. The giant gray kangaroo, when necessary, can jump at speeds of up to 65 km/h. Previously, they were hunted for wool and meat, and only thanks to their agility they have survived to this day. But their population has noticeably decreased, so they are now under state protection. Now in national parks they feel safe and their numbers are increasing.

Mountain kangaroos - wallaroo, another species of kangaroo living in the mountainous regions of Australia. They are smaller in size than red ones and gray kangaroos, but more dexterous. They are more squat and their hind legs are not so long. But they have the ability to easily jump and move quite quickly along mountain steeps and rocks, no worse than mountain goats.

Tree kangaroos- wallabies, which can be found in numerous forests in Australia. In appearance, they bear little resemblance to their lowland brothers. They have well-developed claws, long tails have the ability to grasp, and they can move their hind legs independently of one another, which gives them the ability to climb trees perfectly. Therefore, they descend to the ground only in extreme cases.

Or in other words, the yellow-footed rock wallaby or the yellow-footed kangaroo, mammals from the kangaroo family. This type of kangaroo prefers to settle in rocky areas, avoiding other animals and humans.

Or, in other words, the red-bellied philander, a small marsupial from the kangaroo family. This small kangaroo lives only in Tasmania and the large islands of the Bass Strait.

Or as it is sometimes called, the white-breasted wallaby is a species of dwarf kangaroo and lives in the New South Wales region and on the island of Kawau.

A mammal from the kangaroo family. This is a small species, otherwise called Eugenia philander, Derby kangaroo or tamnar, and lives in the southern regions of Eastern and Western Australia.

Short-tailed kangaroo or quokka is one of the most interesting species of kangaroos. The quokka is considered one and only of the genus Setonix. This is a small, harmless animal slightly larger than a cat, rather than resembling a jerboa. Being a herbivore, it eats only plant foods. Like other kangaroos, it moves by jumping, although its small tail does not help it when moving.

Kangaroo rats, little brothers of the kangaroo family, live in the steppe and desert expanses of Australia. They look more like jerboas, but nevertheless they are real marsupial kangaroos, only in miniature. These are quite cute, but shy creatures that lead a nocturnal lifestyle. True, in flocks they can cause significant damage to crops, so quite often farmers hunt them to protect their crops.

Kangaroo and man

Kangaroos as such, of any kind, live quite freely. They move freely and quite often destroy crops and pastures. In this case, operations are usually carried out to reduce the number of herds. In addition, many large kangaroos are exterminated for their valuable fur and meat. The meat of these animals is considered healthier than beef or lamb.

The increase in the kangaroo population was the creation of kangaroo farms. Kangaroo meat is eaten not only in Australia, but throughout the world. Supply of this nutritious product carried out to Europe since 1994. This is what packaged kangaroo meat sold in supermarkets looks like

Research has proven that the manure of ruminant animals, such as sheep and cows in Australia, when decomposing, emits strong greenhouse gases - methane and nitric oxide. These gases contribute hundreds of times more strongly to the greenhouse effect than carbon dioxide, which was previously considered the main culprit of global warming.

Currently, the huge number of livestock raised in Australia means that methane and nitrogen oxide account for 11% of all greenhouse gas emissions from Australia. Kangaroos produce incomparably less methane. Therefore, if you breed kangaroos instead of sheep and cows, this will reduce greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere by a quarter. If, over the next six years, 36 million sheep and seven million cattle were replaced by 175 million kangaroos, this would not only maintain current levels of meat production, but also reduce annual greenhouse gas emissions by 3%.

Researchers say using kangaroos for meat production could be applied around the world and not only would it new way providing food to the world's population, but will also reduce the greenhouse effect and, as a result, reduce global warming. However, there are certain difficulties in this. A significant cultural restructuring and, of course, considerable investment are needed. One of the significant problems in solving this issue is that the kangaroo is national symbol country, it is depicted on the national emblem of Australia. Moreover, the defenders environment oppose such use of this animal.

Kangaroo is a mammal that belongs to the order Two-incisor marsupials (lat. Diprotodontia), the Kangaroo family (lat. Macropodidae). Among these animals there are many endangered and rare species.

The term "kangaroo" is also applied to the family of Kangaroo rats, or potoroos. Potoroidae), the features of which we will discuss in another article.

Etymology of the word "kangaroo"

Interpretations (etymologies) of words can be scientific and folk, and very often they do not coincide. The case of the origin of the name kangaroo is one of the most typical such examples. Both interpretations agree that this word comes from the language of the Aboriginal people of Australia. When Captain Cook sailed to the mainland, he saw strange animals and asked the natives what these unusual animals were called. The aborigines answered: “gangaru.” Some scientists believe that in the native language “keng” (or “gang”) meant “jump”, and “roo” meant “four-legged”. Other researchers translate the locals' response as "I don't understand."

Linguists are confident that the word “kanguroo” or “gangurru” appeared in the language of the Australian Guugu-Yimithirr tribe, which lived on the coast of the Botanical Bay of the Tasman Sea. This word was used by local residents to call black and gray kangaroos. When Cook's expedition arrived on the mainland, all representatives of the kangaroo family began to be called this way. Literally, kangaroo is translated as “big jumper”, as opposed to the “little jumper”, which the Aborigines called “waloru”. This word has now changed to "wallaby" and is present in the species name of the mountain kangaroo. It also became a collective name for all medium-sized representatives of the kangaroo family.

What does a kangaroo look like? Description and characteristics of the animal

In a broad sense, the term “kangaroo” is used in relation to the entire Kangaroo family, and in a narrow sense it is used only in relation to large, real, or gigantic representatives of this taxon, the foot of whose hind legs is longer than 25 cm. Smaller animals are more often called wallaroo and wallaby. The common name “giant kangaroos” can equally be applied to both real kangaroos and wallaroos, since they are also tall.

The Kangaroo family includes 11 genera and 62 species included in them. Maximum length recorded in the eastern gray kangaroo (lat. Macropus giganteus): it is 3 meters. In second place is the gigantic red kangaroo (lat. Macropus rufus) with a body size excluding the tail of up to 1.65 m. True, the gigantic red one loses in weight. Its maximum weight is 85 kg, with the eastern gray kangaroo weighing 95 kg.

On the left is an eastern gray kangaroo (lat. Macropus giganteus), photo credit: Benjamint444, CC BY-SA 3.0. On the right is a gigantic red kangaroo (lat. Macropus rufus), photo by: Drs, Public Domain

The smallest representatives of the Kangaroo family are the Philanders, the striped hare-wallaby and the short-tailed kangaroo (quokka). For example, the body length of a mini-kangaroo, red-necked philander (lat. Thylogale thetis), reaches only 29-63 cm. At the same time, the animal’s tail grows to 27-51 cm. Average weight females are 3.8 kg, males – 7 kg.

Quokkas (lat. Setonix brachyurus) have overall body dimensions with a tail from 65 cm to 1.2 m. Their weight is less: females weigh from 1.6 kg, and the weight of males does not exceed 4.2 kg. The length of the body of the striped wallaby hare (lat. Lagostrophus fasciatus) is 40-45 cm, the tail length is 35-40 cm, and the mammal weighs from 1.3 to 2.1 kg.

Sign: On the left is the red-necked philander (lat. Thylogale thetis), photo author: Gaz, CC BY-SA 3.0. In the center is a quokka (lat. Setonix brachyurus), photo credit: SeanMack, CC BY-SA 3.0. On the right is a striped wallaby (Lagostrophus fasciatus), photo by John Gould, Public Domain.

Typically, male kangaroos are much larger in size than females. The growth of females stops soon after the start of reproduction, but males continue to grow, as a result of which old individuals are much larger than young ones. A female gray or red kangaroo weighing 15–20 kg, participating in reproduction for the first time, can be courted by a male who is 5–6 times larger than her. Sexual dimorphism is most pronounced in large species. In contrast, in small wallabies, adults of different sexes have similar sizes.

Large kangaroos are very interesting animals that are difficult not to recognize. Their head is small, with large ears and large almond-shaped eyes. The eyes are framed by long, dense eyelashes that reliably protect the cornea from dust. The animals' noses are black and bare.

The lower jaw of a kangaroo has a peculiar structure, its rear ends are bent inward. In total, the animals have 32 or 34 teeth, which do not have roots and are adapted to feeding on rough plant foods:

• one wide, forward-facing incisor on each half of the lower jaw;
• small blunt fangs, reduced in some species;
• 4 pairs of molars, replaced as they wear out and equipped with blunted tubercles. When the last teeth wear out, the animal begins to starve.

The kangaroo's neck is thin, rib cage narrow, the front legs seem to be underdeveloped, while the jumping legs are very strong and massive.

The kangaroo's tail, thick at the base and tapering towards the end, serves as a balancer when jumping, and in large individuals it serves as a support for the body during fights and sitting. It does not perform a grasping function. The length of a kangaroo's tail varies from 14.2 to 107 cm, depending on the species. The tail of the Philanderer is shorter and thicker, and also less furry than that of the wallaby.

Muscular thighs support the narrow pelvis of mammals. For even more long bones The muscles of the lower legs are not so developed, and the ankles are designed in such a way that they prevent the foot from turning to the side. During rest or slow movement, the animal's body weight is distributed over long narrow feet, creating the effect of plantigrade walking. However, when jumping, the kangaroo rests on only two toes - the 4th and 5th. The second and third fingers were reduced and turned into a single process with two claws used for cleaning fur. The first toe is completely lost.

As a result of the evolution of the rock wallaby, the soles of its hind legs are covered with thick hair, which helps the animal to stay on slippery, wet or grassy surfaces. Their body became massive, covered with coarse, thick hair.

Philanders and tree-wallabies are somewhat different from other kangaroos. Their hind legs are not large, like those of other kangaroos.

Left: Tasmanian pademelon, photo by fir0002, GFDL 1.2; right: Goodfellow's kangaroo (lat. Dendrolagus goodfellowi), photo credit: Richard Ashurst, CC BY 2.0

Latin name of the family Macropodidae received according to gender Macrop us, which includes the red kangaroo. From Latin this word is translated as “big-legged”. The term is quite appropriate for the largest mammal, moving by jumping on powerful hind legs. But this is not the only way of movement for representatives of the Kangaroo family. These mammals not only jump: they can also walk slowly on all fours, which move in pairs rather than alternately.

When large and medium-sized animals raise their hind legs to carry them forward, they rely on their tail and front paws. When jumping, kangaroos can reach speeds of 40-60 km/h, but over short distances. Since their method of movement is very energy-consuming, they get tired and slow down just 10 minutes after they start jumping quickly.

When resting, they sit on their hind legs, holding their body upright and leaning on their tail, or lie on their side. Animals lying on their sides rest on their forelimbs.

When large kangaroos escape from enemies, they make jumps 10-12 m long. They also jump over fences 3 meters high and “fly over” four-lane highways. They are helped by the Achilles tendons of the legs, which act like springs. At an average “running” speed (20 km/h), the kangaroo jumps a distance of 2-3 m.

Kangaroos are excellent swimmers, and they often escape from enemies in the water. At the same time, their legs make alternating, rather than paired movements.

The front paws of large kangaroos are small, with five movable toes on a short and wide hand. The fingers end in strong, sharp claws: animals actively work with them, take food, comb fur, grab enemies during defense, open the bag, dig wells, burrows and underground parts of plants. Large species also use the forelimbs for thermoregulation, licking their inner side: saliva, evaporating, cools the blood in the network of superficial vessels of the skin.

Soft, short (2-3 cm long), not shiny, thick kangaroo fur has a protective color. It comes in different shades of grey, yellow, black, brown or red. Many species have diffuse dark or light stripes: along the lower back, around the upper thigh, in the shoulder area, behind or between the eyes. The limbs and tail are often darker than the body, and the belly is usually light. Some rock and tree kangaroos have longitudinal or transverse stripes on their tails.

The males of some groups are brighter colored than the females: for example, the males of the red kangaroo are sandy-red in color, while the females are blue-gray or sandy-gray. But this dimorphism is not absolute: some males can be blue-gray, and females red. Hair color in each sex appears immediately after birth, rather than being the result of hormonal changes during puberty, as in many ungulates.

There are albino kangaroos with white fur.

Although marsupial bones are developed in both males and females, only the belly of the females of all kangaroos is equipped with a pouch that opens forward. It is needed to carry helpless newborn babies to term. At the top of the pouch there are muscles with which the female closes it tightly if necessary: ​​for example, so that the baby kangaroo does not choke while the mother is in the water.

How long do kangaroos live?

The average life expectancy of kangaroos in natural conditions is 4-6 years. Large species in nature can live 12-18 years, in captivity - 28 years.

What does a kangaroo eat?

Basically, kangaroos are herbivores. But among them there are also omnivorous species. Large red kangaroos feed on dry, tough and often thorny grass (for example, triodia (lat. Triodia)). Short-faced kangaroos eat mainly underground storage parts of plants: thickened roots, rhizomes, tubers and bulbs. They also eat the bodies of some fungi, playing an important role in the spread of their spores. Small wallabies, including hares and claw-tails, feed on grass leaves, seeds and fruits.

In moderately humid forests, the diet of kangaroos includes more fruits and leaves of dicotyledonous plants, which dominate the diet of tree kangaroos, swamp wallabies and philanders. Woody species can also eat eggs and chicks, cereals and even tree bark.

Different types of kangaroos eat alfalfa (lat. Medicago), clover (lat. Trifolium), ferns (lat. Polypodiophyta), eucalyptus leaves (lat. . Eucalyptus) and acacias (lat. Acacia), cereals and other plants. Red-legged Philanders enjoy eating the fruits of trees such as Ficusmacrophylla And Pleiogynium timorense, sometimes eat the leaves of ferns from the genus Nephrolepis (lat. Nephrolepis cordifolia), dendrobium orchids (lat. Dendrobium speciosum), nibble grass ( Paspalum notatum And Cyrtococcum oxyphyllum), periodically catch cicadas. Diet of the glove wallaby (lat. Macropus irma) includes plants such as carpobrotus edulis (lat. Carpobrotus edulis), pigweed (lat. Cynodon dactylon), Nuitsia profusely flowering (Christmas tree) ( lat . Nuytsia floribunda).

The smallest kangaroos are the most selective in their food preferences. They seek out high-quality foods, many of which require careful digestion. Large species, on the other hand, tolerate low-quality nutrition, consuming a wide range of plant species.

Kangaroos graze at different times of the day, depending on the weather. In the heat, they can lie in the shade all day, and at dusk they set off. These animals are very undemanding to water: they can not drink for a month or even more (up to 2-3 months), being content with the moisture of plants or licking dew from stones and grass. Wallaroo strip the bark from trees to drink their sap. In dry places, large kangaroos have learned to get to the water themselves. When they are thirsty, they dig wells up to a meter deep with their paws. These watering holes are used by many other animals: pink cockatoos (lat. Eolophus roseicapilla), marsupial martens (lat. Dasyurus), wild, etc.

The kangaroo's stomach is adapted to digesting rough plant foods. It is disproportionately large, complex, but not multi-chambered. Some Kangaroos regurgitate semi-digested gruel from the stomach and chew it again, as do ungulate ruminants. They are helped in breaking down fiber by up to 40 species of bacteria that live in different parts of their gastrointestinal tract. The role of fermentation agent in them is also performed by massively reproducing symbiotic yeast fungi.

At the zoo, kangaroos are fed herbs; the basis of their diet is rolled oats mixed with seeds, nuts, dried fruits and wheat crackers. The animals happily eat vegetables, corn and fruits.

Classification of kangaroos

According to the database www.catalogueoflife.org, the Kangaroo family (lat. Macropodidae) includes 11 genera and 62 modern looking(data from 04/28/2018):

• Genus Tree kangaroos (lat. Dendrolagus)
  • Dendrolagus bennettianus– Bennett's Kangaroo
  • Dendrolagus dorianus– Kangaroo Doria
  • Dendrolagus goodfellowi– Kangaroo Goodfellow
  • Dendrolagus inustus– Grey-haired tree kangaroo
  • Dendrolagus lumholtzi– Lumholtz's Kangaroo (Lumholtz)
  • Dendrolagus matschiei– Kangaroo Matches (Matshi)
  • Dendrolagus mbaiso– Tree wallaby, dingiso, bondegezoo
  • Dendrolagus pulcherrimus
  • Dendrolagus scottae– Papuan tree kangaroo
  • Dendrolagus spadix– Plains tree kangaroo
  • Dendrolagus stellarum
  • Dendrolagus ursinus– Bear kangaroo, bear-shaped kangaroo
• Genus Shrub kangaroos (lat. Dorcopsis)
  • Dorcopsis atrata– Black bush kangaroo, Goodenough kangaroo
  • Dorcopsis hageni– Hagen Kangaroo
  • Dorcopsis luctuosa
  • Dorcopsis muelleri
• Genus Forest kangaroos (lat. Dorcopsulus)
  • Dorcopsulus macleayi– Macleay's Kangaroo
  • Dorcopsulus vanheurni– Mountain bush kangaroo
• Genus Hare kangaroo (lat. Lagorchestes)
  • Lagorchestes asomatus– Small hare kangaroo
  • Lagorchestes conspicillatus– Spectacled kangaroo
  • Lagorchestes hirsutus– Shaggy kangaroo, tufted kangaroo
  • † Lagorchestes leporides– Long-eared kangaroo
• Genus Striped kangaroo (lat. Lagostrophus)
  • Lagostrophus fasciatus– Striped kangaroo, striped wallaby hare
• Genus Gigantic kangaroos (lat. Macropus)
  • Macropus fuliginosus– Western gray kangaroo
  • Macropus giganteus– Giant kangaroo, or giant gray kangaroo
  • Macropus (Notamacropus) agilis– Agile wallaby, agile kangaroo
  • Macropus (Notamacropus) dorsalis– Black-striped wallaby
  • Macropus (Notamacropus) eugenii– Eugenia Kangaroo, Eugenia Philander, Lady Kangaroo, Derby Kangaroo, Tamnar
  • Macropus (Notamacropus) irma– Glove Wallaby
  • Macropus (Notamacropus) parma– White-breasted philander, or white-breasted wallaby
  • Macropus (Notamacropus) parryi– Wallaby Parry
  • Macropus (Notamacropus) rufogriseus– Red-gray wallaby
  • Macropus (Osphranter) antilopinus– Antelope kangaroo, antelope kangaroo
  • Macropus (Osphranter) bernardus– Black wallaroo, aka Bernard's kangaroo
  • Macropus (Osphranter) robustus– Mountain kangaroo, mountain wallaroo, common wallaroo
  • Macropus (Osphranter) rufus– Red kangaroo, big red kangaroo, giant red kangaroo
  • † Macropus (Notamacropus) grayi– Gray's Kangaroo
• Genus Claw-tailed kangaroos, also known as nail-tailed kangaroos (lat. Onychogalea)
  • Onychogalea fraenata– Short-clawed kangaroo, bridle kangaroo, or dwarf kangaroo
  • Onychogalea unguifera– Flat-clawed kangaroo
  • †Onychogalea lunata– Lunar-clawed kangaroo, crescent-clawed kangaroo
• Genus Rock wallabies, rock kangaroos, rock kangaroos (lat. Petrogale)
  • Petrogale assimilis– Queensland rock wallaby
  • Petrogale brachyotis– Short-eared kangaroo, or short-eared wallaby
  • Petrogale burbidgei– Wallaby Barbage
  • Petrogale coenensis
  • Petrogale concinna– Pygmy rock wallaby
  • Petrogale godmani– Godman's Wallaby, Godman's Kangaroo
  • Petrogale herberti
  • Petrogale inornata– Spectacled rock wallaby
  • Petrogale lateralis– Black-footed rock wallaby
  • Petrogale mareeba
  • Petrogale penicillata– Brush-tailed rock-wallaby, brush-tailed rock-kangaroo, brush-tailed rock-wallaby
  • Petrogale persephone– Persephone's wallaby
  • Petrogale purpureicollis– Purple-necked wallaby
  • Petrogale rothschildi– Rothschild's wallaby, Rothschild's kangaroo
  • Petrogale sharmani
  • Petrogale xanthopus– Ring-tailed kangaroo, yellow-footed kangaroo, yellow-footed rock wallaby
• Genus Short-tailed kangaroos (lat. Setonix)
  • Setonix brachyurus– Quokka, short-tailed kangaroo
• Philander family (lat. Thylogale)
  • Thylogale billardierii– Tasmanian philander, red-bellied philander
  • Thylogale browni– Philander Brown
  • Thylogale brunii– New Guinea Philander
  • Thylogale calabyi Philander Calabi
  • Thylogale lanatus Mountain Philander
  • Thylogale stigmatica– Red-footed philander
  • Thylogale thetis– Red-necked philander
• Genus Wallaby (lat. Wallabia)
  • Wallabia bicolor– Swamp wallaby
  • † Wallabia indra
  • † Wallabia kitcheneris
• † Genus Watutia
  • † Watutia novaeguineae
• † Genus Dorcopsoides(Dorcopsoides)
  • † Dorcopsoides fossilis
• † Genus Kurrabi
  • † Kurrabi mahoneyi
  • † Kurrabi merriwaensis
  • † Kurrabi pelchenorum
• † Genus Procoptodon (lat. Procoptodon)

In what country do kangaroos live and on what continent are they found?

The habitat of modern kangaroos covers Australia, New Guinea and nearby small islands. Feral populations of some species are found in Great Britain, Germany, Hawaii and New Zealand. Several kangaroos escaped from zoos in the United States and France and founded their own colonies. And yet, according to German geneticists, the homeland of the kangaroo is South America, and their story begins from there. These animals are not found in Africa, America and Antarctica.

So, kangaroos live:

• In Australia;
• In New Guinea;
• In Hawaii, the brush-tailed rock wallaby (lat. Petrogale penicillata);
• In England and Germany there is a red-gray wallaby (lat. Macropus rufogriseus);
• The brush-tailed rock kangaroo (lat. Petrogale penicillata), red-gray kangaroo (lat. Macropus rufogriseus), white-breasted wallaby (lat. Macropus parma) and kangaroo Eugenia (lat. Macropus eugenii);
• On the island of Kawau lives the white-breasted wallaby (lat. Macropus parma);
• The red-gray kangaroo (lat. Macropus rufogriseus) and Tasmanian philander (lat. Thylogale billardierii);
• On Kangaroo Island there are western gray kangaroos (lat. Macropus fuliginosus) and Tasmanian kangaroo (lat. Thylogale billardierii);
• The quokka (lat. Setonix brachyurus).

Representatives of the genus Macropus are found in various natural areas: ranging from deserts to the edges of moist eucalyptus forests. Short-faced kangaroos are inhabitants of sparse forests, copses and grassy savannas. The distribution of representatives of the genera of bush, tree and forest kangaroos is limited to rain forests. Philanders also inhabit moist, dense forests, including eucalyptus. By the way, tree kangaroos are the only members of the family that live in trees. Hare and claw-tailed kangaroos live in deserts and semi-deserts, including bushland, savannas and sparse woodlands. Rock wallabies occupy territories that range from the desert zone of Central, Western and South Australia to tropical forests. They live among boulder rubble, rock outcrops and cliffs, where they hide during the day.

Kangaroo breeding

Some kangaroos breed seasonally, but most mate and give birth at any time of the year. On the day of estrus, the female may be accompanied by a string of passionate males, waging endless duels for the opportunity to leave offspring.

Kangaroos fight brutally, as if in a fight without rules. Leaning on their tails, they stand on their hind legs and, like wrestlers, clasp each other with their forelimbs. To win, you need to knock your opponent to the ground and beat him with his hind legs. Sometimes kangaroo fights end in severe injuries.

Males of many species of large kangaroos leave scent marks. They mark grass, bushes and trees with secretions from their throat glands. They leave the same “traces” on the female’s body during the courtship period, showing rivals that this is his chosen one. A specific secretion in males is also produced in the cloaca, which passes through the ducts into urine or feces.

Females of large kangaroos begin to reproduce at 2-3 years, when they grow to half the length of an adult animal, and remain reproductively active until 8-12 years. Male kangaroos reach sexual maturity soon after females, but in larger species they are not allowed to breed by adult males. The hierarchical position of kangaroos is determined by their overall size, and, consequently, age. In gray kangaroos, the dominant male in a given area can perform up to half of all matings in his area. But he can maintain his special status only for a year, and to achieve it he must live 8–10 years. Most males never mate at all, and very few reach the top of the hierarchy.

On average, the gestation period for kangaroos lasts 4 weeks. More often they give birth to only one cub, less often two, large red kangaroos (lat. Macropus rufus) bring up to 3 kangaroos. Kangaroos are mammals that do not have a placenta. Due to its absence, the embryos develop in the yolk sac of the female uterus, and kangaroo cubs are born underdeveloped and tiny, only 15-25 mm long and weighing from 0.36 - 0.4 grams (in quokkas and philanders) to 30 grams (in gray kangaroo). In fact, these are still embryos, similar to mucous lumps. They are so small that they can fit in a tablespoon. At birth, a baby kangaroo does not have formed eyes, hind limbs and tail. The birth of such small cubs does not require much effort from the female; she sits on the rump, extending her tail between her hind limbs, and licks the fur between the cloaca and the pouch. Kangaroos give birth very quickly.

This is what a newborn kangaroo looks like, having already crawled into the pouch and sucked on its mother’s nipple. Photo credit: Geoff Shaw, CC BY-SA 3.0

Using strong forelimbs, a newly born calf, without outside help, guided by the smell of milk, climbs up the mother’s fur into her pouch in an average of 3 minutes. There, a small kangaroo attaches itself to one of the 4 nipples and continues to develop for 150-320 days (depending on the species), remaining attached to it.

The newborn itself is not able to suck milk at first: it is fed by the mother, regulating the flow of fluid with the help of muscles. The special structure of the larynx helps the baby not to choke. If during this period the baby kangaroo accidentally breaks away from the nipple, it may die of starvation. The bag serves as a cuvette chamber in which its development is completed. She provides for the newborn required temperature and humidity.

When a small kangaroo leaves the nipple, in many large species the mother allows him to leave the pouch for short walks, returning it back when moving. She forbids him to enter the pouch only before the birth of a new cub, but he continues to follow her and can stick his head into the pouch to suckle.

The amount of milk changes as the baby grows. The mother simultaneously feeds the baby kangaroo in the pouch and the previous one, but with different amounts of milk and from different nipples. This is possible due to the fact that skin secretion in each mammary gland is independently regulated by hormones.

A few days after giving birth, the female is ready to mate again. If she becomes pregnant, the embryo stops developing. This diapause lasts about a month until the baby in the pouch leaves it. Then the embryo continues its development.

Two days before the birth, the mother does not allow the previous kangaroo to climb into the pouch. The baby perceives this rebuff with difficulty, since he was previously taught to return at the first call. Meanwhile, the female kangaroo cleans and prepares her pocket for the next baby. During the dry season, the embryo remains in a state of diapause until the rainy season arrives.

Lifestyle of a kangaroo in the wild

Surely, everyone is familiar with the red Australian kangaroo that gallops through the desert areas of the mainland. But this is only one of 62 species of kangaroos. Desert-adapted herbivores such as the red kangaroo appeared 5-15 million years ago. Before this, Australia was covered with forests, and the ancestors of the representatives of this amazing family lived in trees.

Most kangaroos are solitary animals, with the exception of females with cubs that form a family. Brush-tailed kangaroos make shelters in burrows that they dig on their own, and settle there in small colonies. And yet these animals cannot be called truly social. Solitary kangaroo subfamily Macropodinae who do not use permanent shelters (mostly we are talking about small species living in areas with dense vegetation) behave in the same way, but the union between the female and her last offspring can last many weeks after the cessation of milk feeding. Rock kangaroos take refuge during the day in crevices or piles of stones, forming colonies. At the same time, males try to prevent other suitors from entering the shelter of their females. In some species of rock kangaroos, males team up with one or more females, but they do not always feed together. Male tree kangaroos guard trees used by one or more females.

Large species of kangaroo live in herds. Some of them form groups of 50 or more individuals. Membership in such a group is free, and animals can leave and rejoin it repeatedly. Individuals of certain age categories usually tend to live nearby. The characteristics of a female’s socialization are determined by the stage of development of her kangaroo: females whose babies are ready to leave the pouch avoid meeting other females in the same position. Males move from one group to another more often than females and use larger habitat areas. They are not territorial and move widely, checking a large number of female individuals.

Large social kangaroos live in open areas and used to be attacked by land and aerial predators such as dingoes, wedge-tailed eagle or the now extinct marsupial wolf. Living in a group gives kangaroos the same benefits as many other social animals. Thus, dingoes have fewer opportunities to approach a large group, and kangaroos can spend more time feeding.

Kangaroo and man

Under favorable conditions, kangaroos reproduce very quickly, which greatly worries Australian farmers. In Australia, from 2 to 4 million large kangaroos and wallaroos are killed annually, as they are considered pests of pastures and crops. Shooting is licensed and regulated. When kangaroo country was settled by the first Europeans, these marsupial mammals were less numerous, and from 1850 to 1900 many scientists feared they might become extinct. The development of pastures and watering holes for sheep and cattle, together with a decrease in the number of dingoes, led to the flourishing of kangaroos.

These animals were once the prey of the aborigines, who hunted mammals with spears and boomerangs. Small wallabies were driven out by fire or driven into prepared traps. In New Guinea they were pursued with bows and arrows, and now they are killed with firearms. In many areas, hunting has reduced populations and pushed tree kangaroos and other restricted species to the brink of extinction. In most of Australia, outside rain or wet hardwood forests, the number of kangaroo species weighing less than 5–6 kg declined in the 19th century. On the mainland, some of these species have disappeared or have had their range greatly reduced, although they have managed to survive on the islands. The extinction was caused by habitat destruction and the importation of livestock and foxes. Foxes, introduced for sport hunting into the state of Victoria in 1860 - 1880, quickly spread throughout the sheep-raising areas, feeding mainly on introduced animals, but they also began to use short-faced kangaroos and wallabies as prey. Only where foxes have now been eliminated are kangaroos at the peak of population development and have restored their numbers.

The kangaroo, the animal depicted on the national emblem of Australia, is the main symbol of the country. It is believed that the choice of the kangaroo as a national symbol occurred because these animals are characterized by only forward movement, which symbolizes progress. Sailors who first arrived on the Australian continent were frightened when meeting an unusual creature, perceiving it as a monster with two heads.


Time passed until scientists who began researching a unique representative of the Australian fauna solved this mystery, explaining to the world the fact that kangaroos carry babies in a pouch. In the process of studying these extraordinary animals, many amazing facts. We will discuss the most interesting of them further.

Origin of the name "kangaroo"

There are several legends about the origin of the name "Kangaroo". According to one of them, when in 1770 the navigator James Cook landed on the Australian coast, he saw a strange animal and asked the aborigine: “Who is this?” The native replied: “ken guru” - “I don’t understand.” The traveler decided that this was the name of the animal. In fact, in one of the languages ​​of the Aboriginal peoples of Australia, the name of the animal has long been called “Kanguroo”.

Types of kangaroos and their physique

Allocate more 60 species of kangaroos, of these, the species of these animals of large and medium size are considered to be the real kangaroos.

Symbol of Australia - big red kangaroo(Macropus rufus) is the longest in size. The length of its body reaches up to two meters, its tail - just over a meter. The weight of a male can reach up to 85 kilograms, and a female can weigh up to 35 kilograms.

- the heaviest among marsupials. Its weight can reach up to 100 kilograms. The height of the animal when standing on its hind legs is on average 1.7 meters.

wallaroo) is a large kangaroo that has a more squat build: broad shoulders, short and squat hind legs. Unlike other large species, it has no fur on its nose and the soles of its paws are rough, which allows them to move easily across mountainous terrain.

The only representatives of this family living in trees. They reach a length of 60 centimeters, have prehensile claws on their feet and thick brown fur, which makes them invisible among the foliage of trees.

Smaller kangaroos - wallaby, reach only 50 centimeters in length, and the smallest weight of a female individual can be 1 kilogram. Outwardly, they resemble a rat with a long, bare tail.

All types of kangaroos have common features. Their hind legs and feet are much longer and stronger than their front legs. All species have long, muscular tails that are very thick at the base, allowing them to maintain balance and guide movement while jumping.

All kangaroos have strong teeth arranged in several rows. When one tooth is worn down, it is replaced by a tooth growing behind it.
All female kangaroos have a pouch. Its edge is formed by strong muscles, which it can compress if necessary, for example, protecting the cub from the rain, and unclench it so that it can stick out. There is no fur inside the bag, and the fur is thickest at the entrance.

Unique abilities of a kangaroo

Kangaroos can run fast up to 60 km/h, and gray kangaroos, running away from hunters or cars, can reach speeds of 65 km/h.

The kangaroo is the only large animal in nature that moves in leaps that can reach lengths up to 12 meters, and in height - up to 3 meters. When jumping, animals sweat profusely. This maintains a stable body temperature, and when stopped, their breathing reaches 300 breaths per minute.


Kangaroos have sharp eyesight and hearing. With their ears, which can rotate 360 ​​degrees, they pick up any sound.

When fighting with an enemy, the kangaroo transfers the weight of its body to its tail and strikes with its hind legs. Its back paws can easily break a skull, and its claws can rip open the skin.

Nutritional Features

Kangaroos are herbivores. They search for food in evening time when the heat subsides and can follow it long distances. Their diet includes leaves, grass, fruits and young roots, which they dig with their front paws.


Large red kangaroos can eat dry, hard and even prickly grass, which they eat in a day in a volume comparable to a portion of a sheep. Rat kangaroos also eat insects and worms.

All species of these animals are adapted to go without water for a very long time, and when they feel thirsty, in search of it they can dig a well up to a meter deep with their paws or peel off the bark of trees and lick the juice from them.

Reproduction and raising of offspring

Kangaroos mate for a whole year, so the females are constantly pregnant. Their pregnancy lasts 1 month. If there is already a baby in the pouch, the female may stop the development of the fetus. Delaying the birth of a baby can keep it alive during droughts when there is not enough food.

• The baby is born no larger than a bee (2 cm) and weighs less than a gram. The newborn immediately crawls into the mother's bag, in which it immediately clings to the nipple.
• The female feeds the cubs with milk, which she produces of 4 types. If she has two babies at the same time, then the older one receives fattier milk from one nipple, and the younger female feeds less fatty milk with antibodies from the other nipple.
• If there is not enough food or the cub gets sick, the mother may throw it out of the pouch.
• The baby grows in the mother's pouch from 120 to 400 days, and several weeks before leaving her, it begins to protrude from it.
• While in the pouch at an older age, they continue to defecate into it, so the females have to constantly clean the pouch. They leave the pouch forever at 10 months, but remain with their mother until 18 months.

Population ecology

Kangaroos live in Australia, on the Bismarck Archipelago, on the islands of Tasmania and New Guinea. Habitats depend on the type of kangaroo. For the most part they live on the plain, where bushes and thick grass grow. They can also be found on the beach. Mountain kangaroos live in mountainous areas, Walabi - in the shroud. Tree kangaroos climb trees.


Kangaroos live in groups and become active at dusk, and during the day they usually rest in the shade. The most worst enemies kangaroos are sandy flies. After the rains have passed, countless numbers of them are concentrated near reservoirs where kangaroos come to drink. Swarms of flies swoop down on animals and sting their eyes. Sometimes kangaroos even go blind from these bites.

Kangaroo and man

There are currently 23 million people living in Australia, and kangaroos on the continent are 2.5 times larger. When gathered in a group, kangaroos can raid pastures or fields and destroy crops.


For humans, kangaroos are often hunted for their fur and meat. In Australia, it has been officially legal to eat kangaroo meat since 1980.

At night in Australia, kangaroos often run out onto the road at night and collide with passing cars, creating accidents.

Until 1887, all athletes started standing in full height, and the American sprinter Charles Sherrill, at the start of the race, made a stand, as kangaroos do, crouching to the ground. He started before everyone else and won the race. Since then, low starts have been used in athletics.

• According to official statistics, Australia is inhabited by more than 50 million kangaroos.
• Kangaroos live on average 12 years in the wild, and up to 25 years in captivity.
• Young females give birth first to female cubs and then to male ones.
• Kangaroos can back up, but they only jump forward.
• Kangaroos breed well in zoos.

In conclusion, take a look interesting video about these amazing animals: