Kangaroos
Kangaroos
are large marsupials that are found only in Australia. They are identified by
their muscular tails, strong back legs, large feet, short fur and long, pointed
ears. Like all marsupials, a sub-type of mammal, females have pouches that
contain mammary glands, where their young live until they are old enough to
emerge.
Kangaroos are herbivorous, eating
a range of plants and, in some cases, fungi. Most are nocturnal but some are
active in the early morning and late afternoon. Different kangaroo species live
in a variety of habitats. Larger species of kangaroo tend to shelter under
trees or in caves and rock clefts.
Kangaroos of all sizes have one
thing in common: powerful back legs with long feet. Most kangaroos live on the
ground and are distinguished from other animals by the way they hop on their
strong back legs. A kangaroo’s tail is used to balance while hopping and as a
fifth limb when moving slowly.
Kangaroos are
social and live in groups called a mob, a herd or a troop. Kangaroos in a mob
will groom each other and protect each other from danger. If a kangaroo
suspects there is danger in the area, it will stomp its foot on the ground to
alert others. If it comes to blows, a kangaroo will box and kick its opponent.
Probably the
best-known fact about kangaroos is that they carry their young in a pouch. A
female kangaroo is pregnant for 21 to 38 days, and she can give birth to up to
four offspring at one time. At birth, the baby, called a joey, can be as
small as a grain of rice, or as big as a bee, at 5 to 25 millimeters. When the
joey is born, it is guided safely into the comfy pouch, where it gestates for
another 120 to 450 days.
Inside the
pouch, the joey is protected and nurse as it grow and develop. A young joey will
remain attached to its mother while any older joey will be temporarily kicked
out. Joeys grow quickly, though, and at 14 to 20 months for females or 2
to 4 years for males, they will be fully matured. Red
kangaroo joeys do not leave the pouch for good until they are more than eight months
old.
Kangaroos are loved by many people. However, they are
many who hunt kangaroos for both the meat and the skins. It is due to
this activity that endanger animals.