Question to a psychologist 

The kangaroo is a peculiar Australian animal. Kangaroo - the calling card of Australia Kangaroo habitat

Kangaroos are amazing and unique representatives animal world of our planet, a kind 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 of the Australian aborigines, 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.

At the same time, what is interesting is that male kangaroos are significantly larger than females, in which 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 more than her 5, or even 6 times.

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 fat and a long tail The kangaroo's body is not just for beauty; thanks to it, these creatures balance when jumping, and it is also a support during 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: they use them to take food, scratch fur, grab enemies in self-defense, dig holes, etc. large views Kangaroos also use their front paws for thermoregulation by licking them from the inside, after which the saliva evaporates, and thus cools the blood in the network of superficial vessels.

Large kangaroos move by jumping using their strong hind legs, but jumping does not the only way movements 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, while playing 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 predator birds(they only hunt small kangaroos or small babies of large kangaroos), also 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 were cases when people fell with a broken skull from their blow (yes, these cute herbivorous kangaroos may 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. Sand fleas 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. It is interesting that at the beginning of the last century the population of large kangaroos was smaller than now, and the growth of their numbers in Australia was facilitated by a decrease in their numbers natural enemies- dingo dogs.

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 those brought to Australia by Europeans back in late XIX centuries 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. Has a body length of 1.5 m, and average weight– 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 in given time their population survived only on the islands of Bernier and Dorr, 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 kangaroos, the mating season occurs at a certain time, but in 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 more he has big sizes, which means 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 a high protein content 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 movement forward, the fact is that neither the ostrich nor the kangaroo, by virtue of their biological features They simply don’t know how to move backwards.

Kangaroo, video

And finally interesting documentary from the BBC - "The Ubiquitous Kangaroos."

Most Famous marsupial of Australia– of course, a kangaroo. This animal is the official symbol of the Green Continent. Its image is everywhere: on the national flag, coins, commercial products... In their homeland, kangaroos can be found nearby settlements, in farmland and even on the outskirts of cities.

In total, there are more than 60 species of kangaroos - from dwarf ones, no larger than a hare, to giant ones, whose height reaches up to two meters. Photos and names of the most famous representatives The kangaroo family (Macropodidae) is presented below.

Tree kangaroos
Claw-tailed kangaroos
Bush kangaroos
Striped kangaroo
Red kangaroo
Wallaby
Philanders
Potoroo

Kangaroos live throughout Australia, New Guinea and the islands.

In addition to Australia, potoroo (10 species) are also found in Tasmania. They inhabit rain forests, wet hard-leaved forests and bush thickets.

Bush and forest kangaroos inhabit New Guinea. Also, 8 out of 10 tree species live in New Guinea alone.

Philanders are found in eastern Australia, New Guinea and Tasmania. They are associated with moist, dense forests, including eucalyptus.

Claw-tailed species inhabit desert and semi-desert areas, their range is limited to Australia.

The red kangaroo and other representatives of the genus Macropus (gray kangaroo, common wallaroo, agile wallaby, etc.) are found from deserts to the edges of moist eucalyptus forests of Australia.



Feral populations of these animals exist in some countries and outside Australia. For example, the brush-tailed rock wallaby found a home in Hawaii, the red-gray wallaby in England and Germany, and the white-breasted wallaby in New Zealand.

Musk kangaroo rats are usually classified into the family Hypsiprymnodontidae. Their distribution is limited to the rainforests of eastern Cape York Island.

What does a kangaroo look like? Description of the animal

The kangaroo has a long massive tail, a thin neck, and narrow shoulders. The hind limbs are very well developed. Long, muscular thighs highlight a narrow pelvis. On the even longer bones of the lower leg, the muscles are not as strongly developed, and the ankles are designed in such a way that they prevent the foot from turning to the side. When an animal rests or moves slowly, its weight is distributed over its long, narrow feet, creating a plantigrade effect. However, when this marsupial jumps, it rests only on 2 toes - the fourth and fifth, while the second and third toes have been reduced and turned into one process with two claws - they are used for cleaning wool. The first finger is completely lost.

The forelimbs of a kangaroo, unlike the hind limbs, are very small, mobile and somewhat reminiscent of human hands. The brush is short and wide, with five with identical fingers. Animals can grab food particles with their front paws and manipulate them. In addition, they use them to open the bag and also comb the fur. Large species They also use their forelimbs for thermoregulation: they lick their inner side, while saliva, evaporating, cools the blood in the network of superficial vessels of the skin.

Kangaroos are covered with thick hair 2-3 cm long. The color varies from light gray through many shades of sandy brown to dark brown and even black. Many species have diffuse light or dark stripes on the lower back, around the upper thighs, in the shoulder area, or between the eyes. The tail and limbs are often darker in color than the body, while the belly is usually light.

Males are often brighter colored than females. For example, male red kangaroos are sandy-red in color, while females are blue-gray or sandy-gray.

The body length of these marsupials is from 28 cm (for the musk kangaroo) to 180 cm (for the red kangaroo); tail length from 14 to 110 cm; body weight – from 0.5 to 100 kg in the same species.

Jumping record holders

Kangaroos are the most large mammals that move by jumping on their hind legs. They can jump very far and quickly. The usual jump length is 2-3 meters in height and 9-10 meters in length! They can reach speeds of up to 65 km/h.

However, jumping is not the only way they move. They can also walk on all fours, with their legs moving together and not alternately. In medium and large kangaroos, when the hind limbs are raised and carried forward, the animal relies on its tail and forelimbs. In large species, the tail is long and thick; it serves as a support when the animal sits.

Lifestyle

Some of the largest species of these animals form groups of 50 or more individuals, and they can repeatedly leave the group and rejoin it. Males move from one group to another more often than females; They also use large areas of habitat.

Large social species live on open area. They used to be attacked by land and air predators such as dingoes, wedge-tailed eagle and marsupial wolf (which is now extinct). Living in a group gives marsupials undeniable advantages. For example, a dingo is unlikely to approach large herd, and kangaroos can spend more time feeding. The size of groups depends on population density, habitat type and other factors.

However, most small species are solitary animals. Only occasionally can you meet 2-3 individuals in one company.

As a rule, kangaroos do not have homes, with the exception of musk kangaroo rats. Some species, such as brushtails, make shelters in burrows that they dig themselves. Rock kangaroos take refuge during the day in crevices or piles of stones, forming colonies.

Kangaroos are usually most active during twilight and night hours. During the day, in the heat, they prefer to rest somewhere in a shady place.

Diet

The basis of the kangaroo's diet is plant food, including grass, leaves, fruits, seeds, bulbs, mushrooms and rhizomes. Some small species, particularly potoroos, often supplement their plant diet with invertebrates and beetle larvae.

Short-faced kangaroos prefer underground parts of plants - roots, rhizomes, tubers and bulbs. This is one of the species that eats mushrooms and spreads spores.

Small wallabies feed mainly on grass.

In wooded habitats, the kangaroo's diet includes more fruit. In general, many types of plants are eaten: marsupials eat various parts of them depending on the season.

Wallaroos, red and gray kangaroos prefer the leaves of herbaceous plants, also not missing the seeds of cereals and other monocots. Interestingly, large species can feed only on grass.

Small species are the most selective in their food preferences. They seek out high-quality foods, many of which require careful digestion.

Continuation of the family. Life of a baby kangaroo in a bag

In some species of kangaroos, the mating season is confined to a specific season, while others can breed all year round. Pregnancy lasts 30-39 days.

Females of large species begin to bear offspring at the age of 2-3 years and remain reproductively active until 8-12 years. Some rat kangaroos are ready to breed as early as 10-11 months of age. Males reach sexual maturity a little later than females, but in large species, older individuals do not allow them to participate in reproduction.

At birth, the calf is only 15-25 mm long. It is not even fully formed and looks like a fetus with underdeveloped eyes, vestigial hind limbs and a tail. But as soon as the umbilical cord breaks, the baby, without the help of its mother, on its forelimbs makes its way through her fur to the hole in the pouch on her belly. There it attaches to one of the nipples and develops within 150-320 days (depending on the species).

The bag provides the newborn desired temperature and moisture, protects, allows free movement. During the first 12 weeks, the baby kangaroo grows rapidly and acquires characteristic features.

When the baby leaves the nipple, the mother allows him to leave the pouch for short walks. Only before the birth of a new cub does she not allow him to get into the pouch. The baby kangaroo perceives this prohibition with difficulty, since it was previously taught to return at the first call. Meanwhile, the mother cleans and prepares the pouch for the next baby.

The grown kangaroo continues to follow its mother and can stick its head into the pouch to enjoy milk.


This baby in the pouch is already able to move independently

The period of milk feeding lasts many months in large species, but is quite short in small rat kangaroos. As the baby grows, the amount of milk changes. In this case, the mother can simultaneously feed the kangaroo in the pouch and the previous one, but different quantities milk and from different nipples. This is possible due to the fact that the secretion of each mammary gland is regulated by hormones independently. In order for the older cub to grow quickly, he receives full-fat milk, while the newborn in the pouch is provided with skim milk.

All species give birth to only one baby, with the exception of the musk kangaroo, which often produces twins and even triplets.

Conservation in nature

Australian farmers kill about 3 million large kangaroos and wallaroos every year because they are considered pests of pastures and crops. Shooting is licensed and regulated.

When Australia was just populated by the first newcomers, these marsupials were not so numerous, and in the second half of the 19th century, scientists even feared that kangaroos might disappear. However, the development of pastures and watering holes for sheep, along with a decrease in the number of dingoes, led to the flourishing of these marsupials. Only in New Guinea are things different: commercial hunting has reduced populations and threatened tree kangaroos and some other restricted species.

In contact with

Maybe some readers of my blog will be puzzled by this topic - they say, who doesn’t know where the kangaroo lives? Of course everyone knows that kangaroos live in Australia. But, not everything is so simple!!!

The fact is that next to the Australian mainland there are islands - Tasmania, New Zealand and others. And it would be more correct to say whether kangaroos live in Tasmania and the islands of New Zealand?

And so let's talk about everything in order. Let's start with the fact that the entire kangaroo family is divided into three groups: small - Kangaroo rats, average - Walabi and large ones - Big red kangaroo or gigantic, Gray kangaroo or forest and Mountain kangaroo or wallaroo.

Kangaroos live in Australia and on the islands adjacent to the mainland:

  • Bismarck Archipelago
  • Western Guinea
  • New Zealand
  • Papua New Guinea
  • Tasmania
  • Kangaroo Island

However, depending on the species, their habitat differs significantly from each other.

Where do kangaroos live?

Each species of kangaroo lives in completely different natural conditions.

  1. Big red kangaroo- lives everywhere - almost throughout the entire Australian continent. Due to its size, it has no enemies. Only in the western deserts and northern tropical forests he is not comfortable.
  2. Gray kangaroo- lives in South Australia, to be more precise in the states of Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales, as well as in the Darling and Murray river basins. They live mainly in places with dense vegetation or in open rain forests. This type of kangaroo often coexists with humans without any fear. He also lives on the island of Tasmania.
  3. Wallaroo- the third species of large kangaroos, lives in the mountainous rocky regions of Australia.
  4. Kangaroo rats— live in Australia and Tasmania. However Lately their numbers have been significantly reduced, primarily due to the dingo dog.
  5. Wallaby- a medium-sized species or tree kangaroo lives only in Queensland and New Guinea. Unlike its relatives, it lives in trees.

We hope that now you will understand where kangaroos live.

Kangaroos (Macropodinae) are a subfamily of marsupial mammals. Body length is from 30 to 160 cm, tail - from 30 to 110 cm, kangaroos weigh from 2 to 70 kg. 11 genera, uniting about 40 species. Distributed in Australia, on the islands New Guinea, Tasmania, on the Bismarck Archipelago. Most species are terrestrial forms; They live on plains overgrown with thick tall grass and bushes. Some are adapted to climbing trees, others live in rocky places.

Crepuscular Animals; They usually stay in groups and are very careful. They are herbivorous, but some eat worms and insects. They reproduce once a year. Pregnancy is very short - 30-40 days. They give birth to 1-2 underdeveloped cubs (a giant kangaroo has a baby body length of about 3 cm) and carry them in a pouch for 6-8 months. During the first months, the cub is tightly attached to the nipple with his mouth and milk is periodically injected into his mouth.

The number of kangaroos varies greatly. Large species are greatly exterminated, some small ones are numerous. In high concentrations, kangaroos can harm pastures; some species destroy agricultural crops. Object of fishing (use valuable fur and meat). Kangaroos are captured for zoos, where they reproduce well.

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. Most big 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).

Kangaroo is the only one large animal moving 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. A kangaroo makes standard jumps within 12 meters in length and 3 meters in height. By completely transferring the weight of its body to its tail, the kangaroo can fight its opponent with the help of its freed hind legs.

Kangaroos live in the Australian bush. They can also be seen on beaches or in the mountains. Kangaroos are generally very common in wildlife. 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. Special view tree kangaroos have 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. Around 9-18 years old though known cases, when some animals lived up to 30 years.

All kangaroos have pouches. No, only females have pouches. Male kangaroos do not have a pouch.

Kangaroos can only move forward. Their large tail prevents them from moving backwards. unusual shape hind legs.

Kangaroos live in herds. If you can call it that, a small group of a male and several females.

Kangaroo is a herbivore animal. They mainly feed on leaves, grass and young roots, which they dig with their hand-like front paws. Musk rat kangaroos also eat insects and worms.

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.

Female kangaroos are constantly pregnant. Direct pregnancy in a kangaroo lasts about one month, after which the baby kangaroo remains in the pouch for about 9 months, occasionally getting out.

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.

A baby kangaroo that gets out of its pouch may die. In fact, this only applies to the smallest, unformed kangaroo chicks, who cannot live outside the protective and nurturing environment of the mother’s body. Baby kangaroos at the age of several months can leave the rescue pouch for a short time.

Kangaroos do not hibernate. Pure truth.

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 entered the European market from Australia.

Kangaroos are dangerous to humans. Basically, kangaroos are quite shy and try not to approach a person even for close quarters, however, several years ago, cases were recorded when brutal kangaroos drowned dogs and attacked people, mostly women. The most common cause of animal anger is simple hunger in the arid regions of Australia.

Australia has many unusual and mysterious animals, and a special place among them is occupied by kangaroos, or more precisely, the kangaroo family, which includes large and medium-sized kangaroos, wallaroos and wallabies. There are also kangaroo rats, small animals similar to wallabies, but this is an independent family in the suborder Macropodiformes of the order Two-incisor marsupials, which includes kangaroos.

The most famous features of the kangaroo are the presence of a pouch for carrying babies and a characteristic method of movement, jumping, which allows you to move quickly and overcome various obstacles. Someone may remember the difficult nature of kangaroos, which leads to skirmishes and fights among adult males. But in fact, these animals still have many differences and unusual features. Some of their secrets are still a mystery to scientists.

This article does not promise a complete set of encyclopedic knowledge about the kangaroo, but is intended to tell in detail about this animal, the myths associated with it, as well as Interesting Facts, whose hero is a kangaroo.

Appearance

Firstly, the kangaroo family is very diverse and has more than 50 species, from the smallest, up to 30 cm in height, to giant animals over 1.5 meters, reaching a weight of 90 kg. The most major representatives families, gray and red (red) kangaroos, some males of which grow up to 3 meters and weigh up to 100 kg. The physique of all members of the family is similar - powerful, developed hind legs, a thick tail and small, human-like arms. The appearance determined the characteristic method of movement - springy jumps on the hind legs. The jumps of some adults reach 12 meters in length and 3 meters in height; in case of danger, kangaroos reach speeds of up to 60 km/h. The thick tail serves as a balancer during a jump, and calm state– with additional support, standing on their hind legs and using the kangaroo’s tail, they keep their torso in an upright position. In case of danger, kangaroos deliver powerful blows with their hind legs, often breaking the bones of the attacking animal. The front, underdeveloped paws with sharp claws are used for digging up roots and succulent stems.

Kangaroos cannot walk backwards. The Australians noticed this and, together with the emu, which also cannot walk backwards, they placed the kangaroo on the unofficial part of the Australian coat of arms above the motto “Australia, forward!”, thus symbolizing progress, the only forward movement that the country follows.

Habitat

An amazing feature of kangaroos is that they can go without water for a long time, sometimes for months. They take water from plants, sometimes during dry periods, peel off the bark of trees and lick the juice. Suffering from the heat, kangaroos lick their skin, thus cooling themselves, but they drink water in extremely rare cases.

Kangaroos are social animals; they live either in small groups consisting of a male with several females and cubs, or in large flocks of up to 100 kangaroos. When there is danger, kangaroos warn their fellow tribesmen by knocking their paws on the ground. Only mountain kangaroos, wallaroos, prefer to live alone. Old male wallaroos are also very aggressive. If other types of large kangaroos do not attack themselves, preferring to run away from danger, and use their special fighting techniques - claws and powerful kicks - as defense, then wallaroos are very pugnacious. Wallaroos scratch and bite, but surprisingly, they never use their strongest weapon - their legs. Why is a mystery! In Australia, kangaroo fights are widespread; they are organized as entertainment for tourists, but for residents of the country it is a whole industry with betting on betting.

Features of reproduction

Another amazing feature of kangaroos is their breeding system. Like all marsupials, their babies are born very prematurely and are finally formed in the mother's pouch. But the mother kangaroo has a new baby every year, as soon as the previous one finally leaves the pouch. It turns out that immediately after birth, and in swamp wallabies the day before, female kangaroos mate. The new embryo freezes in development and remains in this state until a certain “signal” - the bag is freed. Thus, a caring mother can have 3 cubs at the same time - one adult who has just left the pouch, the second growing in the pouch, and the third an embryo in pause mode.

By the way, only the female kangaroo has a bag, and she controls it using special muscles. Thus, the mother herself decides when to release the baby into the wild. When swimming, these muscles reliably protect the baby, so that not a single drop of water leaks inside. There are 4 nipples inside the bag, each of which produces milk that differs in composition and is required at different times. age period cub. If a mother has 2 babies of different ages, then each will receive their own milk, which is required for development. Previously, there was an opinion that cubs were immediately born in the pouch, but in fact, a tiny, unformed baby crawls into the pouch on its own along a path licked in the fur and attaches itself to a nourishing nipple. He cannot suck on his own yet, so the mother, controlling the muscles of the nipple, injects milk, the nipple swells and gets stuck in the baby’s mouth. The cub will remain in this “suspended” position until it grows up.

Kangaroos are also very loving and caring mothers. Not only do they feed and protect the already grown cubs, they let them into their pouch in case of danger or simply when they need their mother’s warmth, even if they are already growing in the pouch younger brother. During an attack, escaping from the chase, the female quietly throws the cub out of the pouch into the bushes or tall grass, saving it from pursuit and diverting attention to herself. Later, she definitely returns for him if she herself manages to escape.

Natural enemies

In nature natural enemies kangaroos have little. Young kangaroos of small species are attacked by dingoes, foxes or birds of prey. After the extermination of the kangaroo's main enemy, the marsupial wolf, there were no serious opponents. What bothers them most are sand flies, swarming in clouds near water bodies. Insects bite animals, stick to the eyes and often lead to blindness.

The size of kangaroo populations depends on the species. Large species have recently expanded greatly, and it is estimated that there are now three times more kangaroos than people in Australia. Some species became extinct or were exterminated. Other species are shot for their valuable fur and meat. Kangaroo meat is considered very healthy as it contains a minimal amount of fat. If the numbers of some species are not regulated, then when kangaroos proliferate greatly, they cause great damage to pastures and agricultural crops. Some types of kangaroos are specially bred on farms. Medium-sized wallabies are often captured for zoos in other countries, where they thrive and reproduce. In captivity, kangaroos are easily tamed and even communicate with visitors.

And finally, note that in Australian English language own words are used to denote the male, female and child types of kangaroos. The males are called the old man or "boomer", the females are called "doe" or "flyer", and the baby is called "joey".