Kangaroo [kang guh rOO'] is the name of any of several species of furry, hopping mammals that live in Australia. A female kangaroo has a pouch on her abdomen, in which she feeds and cares for her young. Kangaroos are the largest marsupials.

The Body of a Kangaroo

Kangaroos have a small head that looks like a deer's. They have a pointed snout, and large ears that stand straight up. The color of their short brown or gray fur varies from species to species, as well as among individuals of the same species.

Kangaroos have large, powerful hind legs and small front legs. Their thick, hairy tail measures about 4 feet long (on the larger species). The animals use their muscular tail for balance when hopping and for support when standing upright. When chased, kangaroos use their hind legs to hop at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour. Kangaroos can leap over obstacles 6 feet high. When moving slowly, a kangaroo walks on all four legs.

The Life of a Kangaroo

In regions with a moderate climate, kangaroos breed throughout the year. But in dry regions, they breed only when food is plentiful. About a month after mating, the female gives birth to one joey (baby kangaroo) if an older joey is not already in her pouch. But in most cases, the birth is delayed many months until the older joey has left the pouch. A newborn joey measures only about 1inch long. Like the babies of all marsupials, it is much less developed than the young of most other kinds of mammals.

Immediately after birth, a joey uses its forepaws to crawl unaided from the birth canal up into its mother's pouch. There, it nurses on the mother's milk. The baby first leaves the pouch at the age of 6 to 8 months, but often returns to feed or to escape from danger. The joey leaves the pouch permanently when it is 8 to 10 months old. Kangaroos live from 6 to 8 years in the wild.

Where Kangaroos are Found

Antelope kangaroos live on the plains of northern Australia. Gray kangaroos live mostly in the grasslands and forests of eastern and southern Australia. Red kangaroos make their home in the deserts and dry grasslands of the central part of the country. Most wallaroos are found in dry, rocky hills. A few species of kangaroos can be found on New Guinea, Tasmania, and other nearby islands.

Scientific Classification

phylum Chordata
subphylum Vertebrata
class Mammalia
order Diprotodontia
suborder Macropodiformes
family Macropodidae
genera & species
Dendrolagus sp. tree kangaroos
Hypsiprymnodon moschatus musky-rat kangaroo
Macropus giganteus great gray kangaroo
Macropus rufus red kangaroo
Osphranter sp. rock kangaroos
Setonix sp. quokkas
Thylogale sp. pademelons (wallabies)

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