Kangaroo Facts

The kangaroo is a marsupial (mammal having belly pouch), relegated as a symbol of Australia. So, you can guess the habitat distribution of this wonderful animal. A member of the Australian animals list, kangaroo facts are very interesting to study. While some known it as the one that carries offspring in belly pouch, others remember it as the animal that hops and moves forward instead of running. Scroll down to find realities about kangaroo, which will leave you wondering about this amazing creature.

Interesting Facts about Kangaroos

The origin of the word 'kangaroo' is still doubtful. While a male kangaroo is called a buck, jack or boomer, the female is known as doe, jill or flyer. The young one is referred to as a joey. In simple words to describe animal facts, a kangaroo is identified a four-legged animal, resembling a deer in head appearance (without horns), which can stand upright on its two hind legs and jump like a frog does.

In total, there are about 50 types of kangaroos, including the small versions. Of all the kangaroo species, the red kangaroo is the largest. In fact, it is the biggest marsupial in the world. Collectively, they are grouped under the taxonomic family Macropodidae, sharing family with wallaroos, wallabies and tree kangaroos. The word 'mob' is used to signify a group of kangaroos.

The larger species leaps to about 6 feet high, and covers a larger distance in one jump. It is the big feet (a character for all members of the Macropodidae family) and stronger hind legs that make this mammal a perfectionist in hopping. The small head and strong muscular tail used for balancing the body are other adaptive features of kangaroos.

Kangaroos are true herbivores. They prefer grazing grasses for deriving their nutrition, while some species feed on young shoots of plants. The tree kangaroos, on the other hand, have wider food alternatives, with their diet encompassing small birds and eggs of other animals in the wild.

The specialized teeth enable kangaroos to feed on grasses close to the ground. Similar to pandas, the kangaroo's digestive system is adapted for low nutritious and high fibrous foods. They regurgitate food and churn again. These kangaroos facts about digestion are similar to other rudimentary animals. Bacterial strains present in the stomach aid in reducing methane gas production.

The abdominal pouch (marsupium) serves as a carrier for the young joey, until it completes its postnatal growth and development. On the underside, it has four teats. Despite being the largest marsupial, one of the astounding red kangaroo facts is the small joey size at birth, which is compatible to a lima bean in size.

The joey lacks ears and eyes, and looks like a pinkish colored, hairless worm. And to add your fascination, only a single joey is born at a time, or in a year. Immediately after birth, the young one climbs to its mother's pouch. It continues to suckle for 12 months or so, and remain in its mother's pouch for 9 months. Many a time, kangaroos carry an embryo, which does not develop till the previous joey stops suckling its mother.

Like the emus bird, it is impossible for kangaroo to move backward. Despite kangaroo habitat distribution in Australia, its forward moving behavior inspires the Australians to use it as a national symbol. Some more fun facts about kangaroo are listed below.

• The number of kangaroos is increasing day-by-day in its native habitats. It is found that the population of kangaroo in Australia is higher than humans.
• During movement, the two legs of kangaroo are dependent upon each other, or one leg cannot move independently. Hence, these animal species hop instead of walking normally.
• The fast hopping of a kangaroo is an adaptation. It can move to a speed of approximately 56 km per hour, with each leap covering 25 feet at a stretch.
• Kangaroos are gifted with good eyesight for spotting moving things. They can swivel their ears for collecting sound waves from all directions.
• Even though kangaroos need water, these Australian marsupials rarely drink it. In fact, the green vegetation serves as a source for deriving water required for survival.
• A red kangaroo at mature stage can live without water for several months. The nocturnal behavior also aids in conserving water from getting lost through sweating.
• Kangaroos have a socializing nature, and prefer to live in groups. A mob size can be just 2 kangaroos, or as large as 100 kangaroos.
• While defending, the forelimbs without thumbs are used for boxing, while the stronger hind legs give strong kicks. The male often fight amongst themselves to get attention from females.

So, weren't the above kangaroo facts fascinating? On an average, kangaroos live for 6 years or more in the wild, but there are also reports suggesting the lifespan of this marsupial animal to be as long as 23 years. In a study report related to global warming solutions and reducing agricultural emissions, some scientists strongly opine the need for farming kangaroos instead of cattle for meat.