Kangaroo
MammalMarsupialMacropod
Forester kangaroo (Macropus giganteus tasmaniensis), a Tasmanian subspecies of the eastern grey kangaroo.
Image: Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Overview
Kangaroos are large marsupial mammals of the family Macropodidae, endemic to Australia. The term "kangaroo" is generally used for the largest species — the red kangaroo (Osphranter rufus), eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), western grey kangaroo (M. fuliginosus), and antilopine kangaroo (O. antilopinus) — but the broader family also includes wallabies and a number of smaller related species.
Habitat & Range
Kangaroos occupy a wide range of habitats. Red kangaroos prefer arid and semi-arid open country across inland Australia. Eastern grey kangaroos are found in grassland, open forest and woodland across eastern Australia. Western grey kangaroos occupy a wide band across southern Australia. Antilopine kangaroos are restricted to the tropical savannas of the far north.
Diet
Kangaroos are herbivores, feeding primarily on grasses and herbaceous plants. Their digestive system — fore-stomach fermentation — is a separate evolutionary solution to plant digestion to that found in ruminant mammals such as cattle and sheep. Kangaroos can survive in very dry conditions and reduce activity in the hottest parts of the day.
Behavior
Kangaroos move using a distinctive bipedal hopping gait that is highly efficient at speed. They also use the tail and forelimbs in slower "pentapedal" movement when grazing. Kangaroos typically live in loose groups known as "mobs". Reproduction includes the marsupial pouch-rearing strategy: a very small newborn climbs to the mother's pouch and continues development attached to a teat over a period of many months.
Human Interaction & Conservation
Several large kangaroo species have stable or expanding populations in many parts of Australia and are managed in some regions as harvestable wildlife under regulated quotas. Some smaller macropod species are threatened or critically endangered, with pressures including introduced predators (notably foxes and cats), land-use change, and habitat loss. Status should be checked species-by- species on the IUCN Red List and Australian government sources.
Appearance & Recognition
Kangaroos are unmistakable in body plan: small forelimbs held close to the chest, very large and powerfully muscled hind limbs, and a long, thick muscular tail that doubles as a counterbalance in motion and as a third support point at rest. The head is relatively small for the body, with a long muzzle, large dark eyes, and long mobile ears. The standing "upright on the tail" posture is a near-perfect field cue at any distance.
Coat colour and exact build vary across the large macropods. Red kangaroo adult males are a clear brick-red across the upper body while females are more bluish-grey — the well-known "blue flyer". Eastern and western grey kangaroos are more uniformly grey-brown; the antilopine kangaroo of northern Australia shows a reddish-to-grey gradient and proportionally longer legs. Females of all species carry a forward-opening pouch in which a joey may be visible. Wallabies and smaller macropods share the body plan but at substantially smaller body size; the distinction between "kangaroo" and "wallaby" is essentially one of size and not a strict biological boundary.
Similar Animals
Kangaroos are most closely related to other macropods including wallabies, wallaroos and tree-kangaroos. Outside the macropods, their closest broader relatives are other marsupial mammals including possums and koalas.
More photos of the kangaroo
Eastern grey kangaroo with a joey in the pouch.
Image: nh53, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Kangaroo joey emerging from the pouch.
Image: 825545, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.