Kangaroos are the best jumpers on the planet. Red kangaroo. The lifestyle and habitat of the red kangaroo The kangaroo feeds mainly

Kangaroo (lat. Macropus) is the commonly used name for a group of animals from the order of two-incisor marsupial mammals. In a broad sense, the term kangaroo refers to all members of the kangaroo family. In a narrow sense, this name applies to the largest representatives of this family, while the smaller ones are called wallaroo and wallaby. Kangaroos live on average six years in the wild and over 20 years in captivity, depending on the species. Most kangaroos, however, do not reach maturity in the wild.

origin of name

The word "kangaroo" comes from "kanguroo" or "gangurru" - the name of this animal in the Kuuku-Yimithiri language of the Aboriginal Australians (the language of the Pama-Nyung family), heard by James Cook from the Aborigines during his landing on the north-eastern coast of Australia in 1770 .

A myth has spread widely according to which James Cook, having arrived in Australia and seeing a large, jumping, unfamiliar animal, turned to one of the aborigines asking what it was, but he, not understanding Cook’s speech, answered him in his native language: "I don't understand". As the myth goes, Cook took this phrase, which supposedly sounds like “kangaroo,” as the name of the animal. According to modern linguistic research, there is no factual basis for this myth. However, he may have been truthful.

Description

Depending on the species, representatives of the family have a length from 25 cm (plus 45 cm - tail) to 1.6 m (tail - 1 m), and weigh from 18 to 100 kg. The largest individual is considered to be the resident of the Australian continent - the great red kangaroo, and the heaviest is the eastern gray kangaroo. The fur of marsupials is soft, thick, and can be gray, black, red and their shades.

The kangaroo is an interesting animal because its upper part is poorly developed. The head is small, the muzzle can be either long or short. The shoulders are narrow, the front legs are short, weak, hairless, have five fingers, but are armed with very sharp claws. The fingers are very mobile and the animal uses them for grasping, feeding, and combing fur.

But the lower part of the body is developed: the hind legs, a long thick tail, the hips are very strong, the foot has four toes, while the second and third are connected by a membrane, the fourth has a strong claw. This structure makes it possible to successfully defend itself using powerful blows with its hind legs, and move quickly (in this case, the tail replaces the marsupial’s steering wheel). These animals are unable to move backwards; their tail and the shape of their hind legs do not allow them to do so.

Character and lifestyle of a kangaroo

If someone asks what kind of animal called a kangaroo is by nature and way of life, then experts will answer him that they are classified as animals that lead a herd lifestyle.

They mostly gather in groups, the number of which can sometimes reach up to 25 individuals. True, rat kangaroos, as well as mountain wallabies, are relatives of the kangaroo family and are solitary by nature and do not tend to lead a group lifestyle. Small-sized species prefer to be active at night, but large species can be active both at night and during the day. However, kangaroos usually graze under the moonlight when the heat subsides.

Socialization

No one occupies a leading position in a herd of marsupials. There are no leaders due to the primitiveness of animals and underdeveloped brains. Although the instinct of self-preservation in kangaroos is well developed.

As soon as one relative gives a signal about the approaching danger, the entire herd will rush in all directions. The animal gives a signal with its voice, and its cry is very reminiscent of a cough when a heavy smoker coughs. Nature has endowed marsupials with good hearing, so they can recognize even a quiet signal at a considerable distance.

Enemies

Kangaroos do not tend to live in shelters. Only kangaroos from the rat family live in burrows. In the wild, representatives of the marsupial breed have countless enemies. When there were no predators in Australia (predators of the European breed were brought to the continent by people), they were hunted by wild dogs dingoes, wolves from the family of marsupials, and small species of kangaroos were eaten by marsupial martens, snakes, of which there are incredibly many in Australia, and birds from the order of carnivores.

Of course, large species of kangaroo can give a good rebuff to an animal attacking it, but small individuals are not able to protect themselves and their offspring. It would be hard to call a kangaroo a daredevil; they usually run away from their pursuer.

But when a predator drives them into a corner, they defend themselves very desperately. It is interesting to observe how a kangaroo defending itself, as a retaliatory blow, inflicts a series of deafening slaps in the face with its hind limbs, while “gently” hugging the enemy with its front paws.

It is reliably known that a blow inflicted by a kangaroo can kill a dog the first time, and a person encountering an angry kangaroo risks ending up in a hospital bed with fractures of varying severity. Interesting fact: local residents say that when a kangaroo escapes persecution, they try to lure the enemy into the water and drown it there. At least, dingo dogs suffered from this more than once. Kangaroos often settle close to people. They are often found on the outskirts of small towns, near farms. The animal is not a pet, but the presence of people does not frighten it. They very quickly get used to the fact that a person feeds them, but kangaroos cannot stand a familiar attitude towards themselves, and when trying to pet them, they are always wary, and sometimes they can attack.

Nutrition

Under natural conditions, kangaroos feed only once a day, in the evening when the sun sets. Most kangaroos feed primarily on grass, as well as various types of legumes such as alfalfa and clover. The favorite food of marsupials is the so-called porcupine grass, the leaves of which resemble

thorns. This grass grows only in dry areas in Australia, mainly in desert areas, so if a kangaroo is kept in captivity, it usually does not get this food.

Feeding in captivity

In captivity, kangaroos are fed regular grass, sometimes eucalyptus leaves. In principle, the diet of representatives of the marsupial species in the wild and in captivity is practically the same, however, there are certain species of kangaroos living on desert plains that prefer to feed on porcupine grass. If they are fed food that is not familiar to them, various ailments will develop, as a result of which their lifespan can be significantly reduced.

Kangaroo breeding

For a long time, the question of how kangaroos reproduce interested many researchers, but modern scientists were still able to give an accurate answer to it. During the mating season, males actively fight for females, and real fights take place between them. They beat each other mercilessly with their front paws.

Mating process

After the male has achieved mating rights, he fulfills his male duty and then quietly goes home. He doesn't care at all about how reproduction will continue. By the way, to this day it is not known how these animals mate. Most researchers agree that they use the traditional “missionary” position, since in another position they are hampered by a powerful tail.

Pregnancy and childbirth

The female bears and feeds the baby on her own. Pregnancy lasts approximately one month. When the time comes for giving birth, the female sits in a secluded place and assumes a position with her tail pointing forward between her hind legs. It is on the tail that the newborn ends up. At the moment of birth, the baby does not look like a kangaroo at all - it is a translucent creature the size of a bean, its weight does not reach one gram. The baby has strong, long front legs, a large mouth and a well-defined nose. The baby needs these parts of the body in order to get to the mother’s pouch and continue its further development in it.

Mother's love

The cub, after falling on the mother’s tail, clings tightly to the fur of the mother’s belly with its front paws, and this is how it unmistakably determines the path to the pouch. Scientists suggest that it is at this moment that the baby’s nose comes in handy, or, to be a little more precise, its sense of smell. The little kangaroo, already in its mother’s pouch, firmly attaches its large mouth to the nipple, which swells. At this moment, all the baby’s strength goes away, and he hangs motionless, and the milk itself flows into his mouth, since the baby still does not know how to suck well.

The baby kangaroo spends about seven months in its cradle and feeds exclusively on its mother's milk. In recent months, the baby begins to look out of the bag and examine the world around him. Then he gradually begins to jump out of the bag for a short time, but at the first danger he

hides in it again. And having matured a little, he leaves his mother’s bag forever and begins to live independently.

I would like to note that after the birth of the baby, the mother is again ready for mating and pregnancy.

Kangaroo as a symbol of Australia

The kangaroo and emu are recognized symbols of Australia, appearing on the Australian coat of arms and arms, as well as on the 50 cent coin. Kangaroos (marsupials) and emus (a large bird that cannot fly) live naturally exclusively on this continent. These two exotic representatives of Australia's fauna have something in common - they very rarely move backwards. Thanks to their body shape and long, strong tail, kangaroos can move by jumping, but they have great difficulty backing up. Emus run quickly on their long limbs, but the structure of the knee joints prevents the bird from turning.

Kangaroos and emus symbolize the dignity of the Australian nation, which never retreats and moves only forward. The male emu is a caring father, he guards the clutch of eggs and raises the chicks during the first 6 months of their life. The kangaroo seemed an extraordinary and unique creature when, in 1771, Captain James Cook brought one specimen of the animal from an expedition to England on board his ship.

Joseph Banks, a naturalist who visited the continent for research purposes, commissioned the painter George Stubbs to paint a “portrait” of a kangaroo. When the scientist presented his report on the expedition, he provided it with an illustration of the animal. From that time on, the kangaroo began to be associated with the Australian continent and became an obligatory attribute of exhibitions, collections, works of art and books published in Europe about Australia. But a lot of time passed before the kangaroo became an officially recognized symbol of the country. Despite the fact that the animal was recognized as “noxious” and capable of causing damage to crops and domestic animals, in 1908 its image was included in the Australian national emblem. The kangaroo is present on the emblems and logos of various institutions and societies, sports equipment, is included in architectural decor, and is a frequently used motif in decorative and applied arts.

Kangaroos are bred at home; they are popular characters in books, TV series, cartoons, games and songs. Two red kangaroos are included in the coat of arms of Western Australia, the national passenger airliner Qantas uses an image of a galloping kangaroo as an emblem, the Government Tourism Authority uses a kangaroo in its logo for instant identification with Australia. A special symbol in the form of a golden kangaroo and a green triangle shows that the product is produced or grown in Australia. The Red Kangaroo is the logo of the Australian Shipping Service, part of the official emblem of the Royal Australian Regiment and the Northern Territory (federal entity of Australia) and its police force. The word "kangaroo" is included in many geographical names in Australia - Kangaroo Island, Kangaroo Suburb - Bendigo Suburb (Victoria), Kangaroo Land (a city in Victoria), Kangaroo River, Kangaroo Valley, Kangaroo Reservoir, etc.

Relationships with people

In nature, the large kangaroo has few enemies: kangaroo meat only attracts foxes, dingoes and birds of prey (and even then, marsupials are quite capable of protecting themselves with the help of their hind legs). But relations with humans are tense: pastoralists, not without reason, accuse them of damaging crops in pastures, and therefore shoot them or scatter poisonous baits.

In addition, most species (only nine are protected by law) are allowed to be hunted to regulate numbers: kangaroo meat, which contains a huge amount of protein and only 2% fat. It is worth noting that kangaroo meat has long been one of the main sources of food for the natives. Clothes, shoes and other products are made from animal skins. Animals are often hunted for sport, so many species are found only in uninhabited areas

• The kangaroo was first described by James Cook. There is a very widespread legend on this score, according to which, when asked by a researcher: “What kind of animal is this?”, the leader of a local tribe replied: “I don’t understand,” which for Cook sounded like “kangaroo.” However, there is another version of how the legendary Australian jumper got his name - it is believed that the word “gangurru” means the animal itself in the language of the aborigines of northeastern Australia.
• There are many varieties of kangaroos in the world. It is customary to distinguish about 60 species of these animals. The largest kangaroo - Red or Gray, can weigh up to 90 kg (the male is always larger than the female, so it makes sense to determine the maximum weight based on it), the smallest is about 1 kg (female).
• The kangaroo is the only large animal that moves by jumping. In this he is helped by strong muscular legs with elastic Achilles tendons, which act like springs during a jump, and a long, powerful tail, adapted to maintain balance during a jumping movement.
• Kangaroos live in the Australian bush. They can also be seen on beaches or in the mountains. Kangaroos are generally very common in the wild. During the day they like to rest in shady places and be active at night. This habit, by the way, often causes accidents on rural Australian roads, where kangaroos blinded by bright headlights can easily collide with a passing car. A special type of tree kangaroo has also adapted to climbing trees.
• Kangaroos can reach great speed. Thus, the largest Red kangaroos, which usually move at a speed of 20 km/h, can cover short distances at a speed of 70 km/h if necessary.
• Kangaroos don't live long. About 9-18 years, although there are known cases where some animals lived up to 30 years.
• Kangaroos are very shy. They try not to approach the person themselves, and not to let him get close to them. Animals fed by tourists can be called less shy, and the friendliest on this list are those living in special wildlife reserves.
• Kangaroos give birth a few weeks after conception. This is done by a female kangaroo in a sitting position, sticking her tail between her legs. The cub is born very small (no more than 25 grams) and gains further strength in the mother’s pouch, where it crawls immediately after birth. There he finds extremely nutritious and, which is very important for his still unformed immune system, antibacterial milk.
• Female kangaroos can produce two types of milk. This happens because there can be two babies in a kangaroo’s pouch: one is a newborn, the second is almost an adult.
• Kangaroo meat can be eaten. It is believed that kangaroos served as the main source of meat for the aborigines of Australia over the past 60 thousand years. Currently, a number of Australian scientists, citing the small amount of harmful gases emitted by kangaroos during their life, propose replacing them in the food chain with the familiar, but extremely harmful, cows and sheep. Actually, the kangaroo meat industry in modern history dates back to 1994, when active supplies of kangaroo meat came to the European market from Australia.

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 legs are small and weak, similar in appearance 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 reproduce and what they eat.

Variety of species

There are 69 species 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 tail length 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 representative 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 belongs to the middle group and is distributed throughout almost the entire Australian continent, excluding the tropical forest area. The friendliest and most trusting species is the giant gray kangaroo, and the most aggressive is the mountain wallaroo. This animal can show unreasonable aggression and get into fights even when nothing threatens it. At the same time, wallaroos prefer to scratch and bite, but never use their powerful hind legs, like most of their relatives.

Habitats

Countries where kangaroos live are Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea, as well as New Zealand. Many species of these animals prefer to live on plains among thick, tall grass and sparse shrubs. Kangaroos are mainly nocturnal, so this habitat allows them to safely hide during the day. The animals make large nests out of grass, and some species dig shallow burrows. Mountain species live in inaccessible rocky gorges. These small animals have perfectly adapted to their environment: their paws have become tough and rough to move safely on slippery stones. Tree kangaroos live in trees; they crawl freely and jump from branch to branch, but come down to the ground for food.

Kangaroos are herbivores. Like cows, they chew grass, swallow and regurgitate it to make it digestible. Eating can occur at different times of the day and depends on the ambient temperature. 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 for months without water. On dry days, they feed on grass and tree bark, thus saturating their body with moisture.

Features of reproduction

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

Inside, the surface of the bag is smooth, but in front of the “entrance” it is covered with thick, thick wool to protect the baby from cold and dangers. With the help of powerful muscles, the female is able to close the pouch 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 stop the development of the embryo for several months while the already born baby grows up. When the baby kangaroo is strong enough to leave the mother’s pouch, the female again “starts” the development of pregnancy and after a few weeks a new baby is born.

Enemies of kangaroos

Where kangaroos live, natural enemies are almost completely absent. In rare cases, small individuals may be attacked by foxes or dingoes. There are also occasional attacks by large birds such as the wedge-tailed eagle. The only serious opponent 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 pose the greatest danger. These pesky insects get into the kangaroo's eyes, which in most cases leads to blindness.

Kangaroos live in flocks 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 among consumers. Kangaroo meat dishes are served even in the most expensive and luxurious top-class restaurants.

These animals do not know how to move backwards; they walk and jump only 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 forward.

Female kangaroos can care for two babies of different ages at the same time. The youngest child lives in a bag, and the older one only comes to eat milk. To do this, the mother has 4 nipples with different types of milk: fattier for the newborn, and rich in carbohydrates for the older child.

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

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

There are a huge number of different animals on our planet, but, perhaps, without kangaroos, life on earth would be less interesting. Kangaroo – marsupial and its genus contains more than fifty species.

Kangaroos inhabit many dry areas of the earth. There are a lot of them in New Guinea, they settled on the Bismarck Islands, they can be found in Germany and even in good old England. By the way, these animals have long adapted to life in countries where winter is quite cold, and snowdrifts sometimes reach the waist.

Kangaroo– unofficial symbol Australia and their image, paired with the Emu ostrich, is included in the coat of arms of this continent. They were probably put on the coat of arms due to the fact that these representatives of the fauna can only move forward and it is not in their rules to move back.

In general, it is impossible for a kangaroo to move backwards, because it is hampered by a long, thick tail and massive hind legs, the shape of which is very unusual. Huge, strong hind limbs enable kangaroos to jump at distances that no other animal species existing on earth can reach.

So, a kangaroo jumps three meters in height, and its jump reaches 12.0 m in length. And it should be noted that these animals can develop a very decent speed - 50-60 km/h, which is the permitted speed of a passenger car within the boundaries of cities. The role of a certain balance in an animal is played by the tail, which helps to maintain balance in any situation.

Kangaroo animal has an interesting body structure. The head, somewhat reminiscent in appearance of a deer, is extremely small in size when compared with the body.

The shoulder part is narrow, the front legs are short, covered with hair, poorly developed and have five fingers, at the ends of which there are sharp claws. Moreover, the fingers are very mobile. With them, the kangaroo can grab and hold whatever it decides to use for lunch, and also do its “hair” - the kangaroo combs its fur with the help of its long front fingers.

The body in the lower part of the animal is much better developed than the upper part of the body. The thigh, hind legs, tail - all elements are massive and powerful. The hind limbs have four toes, but interestingly, the second and third toes are united by a membrane, and the fourth ends with a tenacious, strong claw.

The entire body of a kangaroo is covered with thick, short hair, which protects the animal from the heat and keeps it warm in cold weather. The coloring is not too bright and there are only a few colors - sometimes gray with an ashy tint, brown-brown and muted red.

The size range is varied. In nature there are large individuals, their weight reaches one hundred kilograms and their height is one and a half meters. But also in nature there are species of kangaroos that are the size of a large rat and this, for example, is characteristic of kangaroos from the rat family, although they are more often called kangaroo rats. At all, kangaroo world As animals it is very diverse, there are even marsupials that live in trees - tree kangaroos.

Pictured is a tree kangaroo

Regardless of the species, kangaroos can move only using their hind limbs. While on the pasture, when the kangaroo eats plant food, the animal holds its body in a position almost parallel to the ground - horizontally. And when the kangaroo does not eat, the body takes a vertical position.

It should be noted that the kangaroo cannot move its lower limbs sequentially, as many species of animals usually do. They move by jumping, pushing off simultaneously with both hind legs.

It was already mentioned earlier that it is for this reason that a kangaroo cannot move backward - only forward. Jumping is a difficult and very expensive activity in terms of energy consumption.

If a kangaroo takes a good pace, it will not be able to withstand it for more than 10 minutes and will become exhausted. Although, this time will be quite enough to escape, or rather, gallop away from the enemy.

Experts who study kangaroos say that the secret of the animal’s incredible jumping ability lies not only in its powerful massive hind legs, but also imagine in its tail, which, as was said earlier, is a kind of balancer.

And when sitting, this is an excellent support and, among other things, when kangaroos sit leaning on their tail, they thus allow the muscles of the hind legs to relax.

Character and lifestyle of a kangaroo

To understand more deeply what a kangaroo animal, then it is better to go to Australia or visit a zoo that has these creatures. Kangaroos are considered animals that lead a herd lifestyle.

They mostly gather in groups, the number of which can sometimes reach up to 25 individuals. True, rat kangaroos, as well as mountain kangaroos, are relatives of the kangaroo family by nature, solitary and they do not tend to lead a group lifestyle.

Small-sized species prefer to be active at night, but large species can be active both at night and during the day. However, kangaroos usually graze under the moonlight when the heat subsides.

No one occupies a leading position in a herd of marsupials. There are no leaders due to the primitiveness of animals and underdeveloped brains. Although the instinct of self-preservation in kangaroos is well developed.

As soon as one relative gives a signal about the approaching danger, the entire herd will rush in all directions. The animal gives a signal with its voice, and its cry is very reminiscent of a cough when a heavy smoker coughs. Nature has endowed marsupials with good hearing, so they can recognize even a quiet signal at a considerable distance.

Kangaroos do not tend to live in shelters. Only kangaroos from the rat family live in burrows. In the wild, representatives of the marsupial breed have countless enemies.

When there were no predators in Australia yet (predators of the European breed were brought to the continent by people), they were hunted by wild dingoes, wolves from the marsupial family, and small kangaroo species they were eaten by marsupials, of which there are incredibly many in Australia and from the order of carnivores.

Of course, large species of kangaroo can give a good rebuff to an animal attacking it, but small individuals are not able to protect themselves and their offspring. It would be hard to call a kangaroo a daredevil; they usually run away from their pursuer.

But when a predator drives them into a corner, they defend themselves very desperately. It is interesting to observe how a kangaroo defending itself, as a retaliatory blow, inflicts a series of deafening slaps in the face with its hind limbs, while “gently” hugging the enemy with its front paws.

It is reliably known that a blow inflicted by a kangaroo can kill the first time, and a person, when meeting an angry kangaroo, risks ending up in a hospital bed with fractures of varying severity.

Interesting fact: local residents say that when a kangaroo escapes persecution, they try to lure the enemy into the water and drown it there. At least, dingoes have experienced this many times.

Kangaroos often settle close to people. They are often found on the outskirts of small towns, near farms. The animal is not a pet, but the presence of people does not frighten it.

They very quickly get used to the fact that a person feeds them, but kangaroos cannot stand a familiar attitude towards themselves, and when trying to pet them, they are always wary, and sometimes they can attack.

Nutrition

Plant food is the daily diet of kangaroos. Herbivores chew their food twice, like ruminants. First they chew, swallow, and then regurgitate a small part and chew again. The animal's stomach contains a special type of bacteria that greatly facilitates the digestion of tough plant foods.

Kangaroos living in trees naturally feed on leaves and fruits growing there. Kangaroos, belonging to the rat family, prefer fruits, roots, and plant bulbs, however, they also like insects. Kangaroos cannot be called water-drinkers, because they drink very little and can do without life-giving moisture for a long time.

Reproduction and lifespan of kangaroos

Kangaroos do not have a breeding season as such. They can mate all year round. But nature has fully endowed animals with reproductive processes. The body of a female individual is, in fact, a producer of offspring, put on a wide stream, like a factory for producing cubs.

Males every now and then arrange mating fights and the one who emerges victorious does not waste time in vain. The gestation period is very short - pregnancy lasts only 40 days and one, less often two cubs, up to 2 centimeters in size, are born. This is interesting: The female can delay the appearance of the next offspring until the first litter is weaned.

The most amazing thing is that the offspring is actually born as an underdeveloped embryo, but instinct allows them to find their own way into the mother’s pouch. The mother helps a little along the first path in life, licking the baby’s fur as he moves, but he overcomes everything else on his own.

Having reached the warm mother's pouch, the baby spends the first two months of life there. The female knows how to control the bag with the help of muscle contractions and this helps her, for example, to close the marsupial compartment during rain and then the water cannot soak the small kangaroo.

Kangaroos can live on average fifteen years in captivity. Although there are cases where the animal lived to an advanced age - 25-30 years and by the standards of a kangaroo became a long-liver.

Kangaroos are the best jumpers on our planet: the length of one jump is three meters in height and about twelve in length. They move in huge leaps at a speed of about 50 km/h, pushing off the surface with strong hind legs, while an important role is played by the tail, which plays the role of balance and helps maintain balance.

Therefore, it is impossible to catch up with the animal, especially since during its flight it is capable of anything: once a large red kangaroo, fleeing from farmers, jumped over a three-meter fence. If someone who wants to taste kangaroo meat is lucky enough to overtake him, the marsupial will use its hind legs. To do this, it will transfer the entire weight of the body to the tail, and, freeing both hind legs, inflict terrible wounds on the enemy.

Kangaroos are called marsupial mammals from the order of two-incisors (they have two large incisors on the lower jaw). This word is used in two meanings:

1. It is applied in a broad aspect to all representatives of the kangaroo family, which ranges from 46 to 55 species. Includes a family of herbivores that move by jumping, have undeveloped front legs and, conversely, extremely developed hind legs, and also have a strong tail that helps maintain balance while moving. Because of this structure, the animal’s body is in an upright position, resting on its tail and hind legs. Thus, three species are distinguished: kangaroo rats - the smallest individuals; wallabies are medium in size, outwardly resembling a smaller copy of large animals; Large kangaroos are marsupials of Australia.
2. They call the largest representatives of marsupials from the long-legged family, which are the unofficial symbol of Australia: they can be seen on the coat of arms and coins.

Representatives of the family live both in arid regions and tropical forests in Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, and the Bismarck Islands. At the end of the XIX - beginning of the XX century. They took root well on the territory of Germany and England, reproduced successfully and even tolerated snowy winters well, but they were powerless against poachers, who completely exterminated them.

Description

Depending on the species, representatives of the family have a length from 25 cm (plus 45 cm - tail) to 1.6 m (tail - 1 m), and weigh from 18 to 100 kg. The largest individual is considered to be the resident of the Australian continent - the great red kangaroo, and the heaviest is the eastern gray kangaroo. The fur of marsupials is soft, thick, and can be gray, black, red and their shades.

The kangaroo is an interesting animal because its upper part is poorly developed. The head is small, the muzzle can be either long or short. The shoulders are narrow, the front legs are short, weak, hairless, have five fingers, but are armed with very sharp claws. The fingers are very mobile and the animal uses them for grasping, feeding, and combing fur.

But the lower part of the body is developed: the hind legs, a long thick tail, the hips are very strong, the foot has four toes, while the second and third are connected by a membrane, the fourth has a strong claw.

This structure makes it possible to successfully defend itself using powerful blows with its hind legs, and move quickly (in this case, the tail replaces the marsupial’s steering wheel). These animals are unable to move backwards; their tail and the shape of their hind legs do not allow them to do so.

Lifestyle

Marsupials prefer to be nocturnal, appearing in the pastures at dusk. During the day they rest in burrows, nests made of grass or in the shade of trees.

If one of the animals notices any danger (for example, a dingo dog wants to taste kangaroo meat), the message about this is immediately transmitted to the rest of the pack by striking the ground with its hind legs. They often use sounds to convey information - grunting, sneezing, clicking, hissing.

If the area has favorable living conditions (abundance of food, absence of danger), marsupials may well form a large community of one hundred individuals. But, usually they live in small flocks, which consist of a male, several females and kangaroo chicks growing in the pouch. At the same time, the male very jealously protects the flock from other males, and if they try to join, fierce fights occur.

These animals are characterized by attachment to a certain territory, and they prefer not to leave it without special reasons (the exception is the huge red kangaroo animals, which are able to travel several tens of kilometers in search of the best feeding areas).

Despite the fact that marsupials are not particularly smart, they are very resourceful and know how to adapt well: if their usual food is no longer enough, they switch to other foods, eating plants that even animals that are not picky about food (for example, dry, hard food) do not eat. and even prickly grass).

Nutrition

Marsupials feed on leaves of trees and shrubs, bark, roots, shoots; some species hunt insects and worms. They either dig up food or cut it off with their teeth, and it is worth noting that they usually either do not have upper fangs at all, or they are poorly developed, but they have two large incisors on the lower jaw (another interesting fact is that they, in Unlike most mammals, teeth are constantly changing).

Marsupials are very well adapted to drought, so they can easily go for several days and even months without water (they take most of the liquid from plant foods).

If they still feel very thirsty, they dig a well a meter deep with their paws and get to the precious moisture (at the same time helping other animals suffering from lack of water). During this time, they try not to waste energy: during the dry months, they move less and spend more time in the shade.

Reproduction

The ability to reproduce begins as early as one and a half to two years (they live from 9 to 18 years; cases have been recorded where individual specimens lived to be thirty). At the same time, males fight so fiercely for the female that the collision often ends in severe injuries.

A female usually gives birth to only one baby kangaroo, less often twins. Before the baby is born, the mother carefully licks the pouch (a fold of skin on the abdomen intended for the development of a baby kangaroo) and makes it clean.

Pregnancy lasts from one to one and a half months, so the baby kangaroo is born blind, without hair, its weight does not exceed one gram, and its length is no more than three centimeters in large species. As soon as it is born, it immediately clings to its mother’s fur and crawls into the pouch, in which it spends about eleven months.

In the pouch, he immediately grabs one of the four nipples and does not tear himself away from it for two and a half months (at the initial stage, he is not yet able to suck milk; the liquid is released on its own under the influence of a special muscle). By this time, the baby is developing, growing up, gaining sight, growing fur and begins to leave the shelter for a short time, while he is very alert and jumps back at the slightest sound.

After the baby kangaroo begins to leave the pouch for a long time (between 6 and 11 months of age), the mother gives birth to the next baby. Interestingly, the female is able to delay the birth of a baby kangaroo until the previous baby leaves the pouch (it is either too small, or there are unfavorable weather conditions, for example, drought). And then, in case of danger, he will remain in shelter for several more months.

And here an interesting picture is observed when the female begins to produce two types of milk: from one nipple the already grown cub receives fattier milk, from the other the newborn feeds on milk with less fat content.

Relationships with people

In nature, the large kangaroo has few enemies: kangaroo meat only attracts foxes, dingoes and birds of prey (and even then, marsupials are quite capable of protecting themselves with the help of their hind legs). But relations with humans are tense: pastoralists, not without reason, accuse them of damaging crops in pastures, and therefore shoot them or scatter poisonous baits.

In addition, most species (only nine are protected by law) are allowed to be hunted to regulate numbers: kangaroo meat, which contains a huge amount of protein and only 2% fat. It is worth noting that kangaroo meat has long been one of the main sources of food for the natives. Clothes, shoes and other products are made from animal skins. Animals are often hunted for sport, so many species are found only in uninhabited areas

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. The maximum length was 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. The average weight of females is 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, the chest is 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. On the even longer bones of the lower leg, the muscles 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 may 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 species (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 kangaroos is South America, and their history 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: from deserts to the outskirts 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. It provides the newborn with the necessary 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 that do not use permanent shelters (mainly 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 out large numbers of females.

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.