Big red kangaroo. Big red kangaroo, or red gigantic kangaroo, or red kangaroo

• Australia is an unusual continent inhabited by amazing animals.
• Among them is a red kangaroo, which has become a symbol of the country and bears the stamp of ancient eras in the development of the Earth.
• Millions of years ago, when our Earth was inhabited by giant dinosaurs, the first mammals appeared.
• They hatched their young by laying eggs, like the platypus and echidna, or carried them in a pouch, like the kangaroo. Gradually, the lizards began to disappear, followed by marsupials and oviparous, but in Australia, due to its isolation and remoteness from the whole world, all these living antiquities have survived to this day!
• The red kangaroo is the largest animal of all.
• The height of the male sitting on the tail reaches one and a half meters, the total length with the tail is 2.5 meters, and the weight is up to 80 kg. Females are three times smaller, much more graceful and painted more modestly - in grayish tones.
• In addition to huge lever-like legs and small underdeveloped "handles", heavy and long tails are striking, which play a special role in the life of red kangaroos.
• They sit on them, they are repelled during fights, and, finally, this is a cool balancer while running-flying over the plain, rhythmically swinging up and down.
• These animals develop speeds up to 45 km. per hour, making jumps up to 13 m in length and 3.5 m in height. Outside the run, they are clumsy and inactive creatures, and while running, they are the shadow of a bird flying above the ground.
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• The red kangaroo wears a coat of thick fur with an undercoat, which allows him to live in cold climates.
• Having remained out of competition in distant Australia, marsupials occupied all ecological niches here. Before dawn, when the sky in the east begins to brighten, herds of red kangaroos get out to pasture. They devote a lot of time to feeding (up to 10 hours a day), preferring the early morning and the time after the decline of the midday heat.
• The main diet is made up of steppe and meadow grasses, among which they seek out the most beloved - cereals and legumes richest in sugars and proteins.
• The stems and leaves of the kangaroo are bitten with three incisors of the upper and lower jaws, chewed thoroughly, after which the food enters the stomach.
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• The heat is avoided but not feared by kangaroos, and the fawn color reflects well sunlight. In case of overheating, they begin to breathe heavily, carefully lick their chest, front and hind legs, which helps to evaporate moisture and cool the body.
• Like real ones, they do not need a constant watering place and can do without it altogether. Moisture is obtained from plants, and their kidneys are able to suck water out of their own urine, easily processing it.
• In the rainy season, when the pastures are fragrant with green flowering herbs, the red kangaroo tries to isolate himself with his harem, after which the mating season. If males become mature at 2 years, then females much earlier - at a year and a half.
• The female brings one cub once a year. The fertilized egg quickly develops in the female's uterus and turns into a naked pink embryo, which is rejected by the mother's body after about a month.
• A small creature, 3-5 cm long, completely blind, crawls up on its own, clinging to the fur with its tiny claws.
• Just before giving birth, mommy licks her fur in the lower abdomen, preparing a smooth path for the unborn baby right into the bag.
• Once in place, the embryo independently finds one of the four nipples and is firmly attached to it. Now he is ready to continue his development for another 6-8 months.
• By four months, the baby is overgrown with fur and begins to gradually peek out of his mother's bag. At 7 months old, he tries to walk around his mother while she is grazing, but at the slightest danger she immediately dives into her fluffy shelter.
• The baby becomes independent at the age of eight months, gaining 3-4 kg. weight and gradually switching to eating grass, but up to a year he stays close to his mother and even climbs into a bag not to feast on milk.
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• Kangaroos have a twofold attitude towards their children: on the one hand, they are loving mothers who allow their offspring to ride them, and on the other hand, if the female is pursued by dogs or hunters, she can throw the baby out, leaving him to be torn to pieces.
• The instinct to keep the mother alive, like lizards when they throw back their tails when they are caught.
• The number of our heroes in the open spaces of Australia depends on two factors: the attitude of a person towards them, on the one hand, and rainfall, on the other.
• When it rains more, herds of kangaroos are quickly renewed, and if long droughts begin, half of the babies sitting in their mothers' bags die.
• But since the Green Continent is huge, and the red kangaroo occupies all the steppe and desert spaces in it, there is no need to worry about their numbers yet.
• Much more dangerous for these animals is human persecution. Beginning in the 19th century, local pastoralists began to displace kangaroos from pastures occupied by their sheep.
• They believed that these jumping klutzes were the main competitors of their favorite sheep, so they must be destroyed by any means.
• And since the twenties of the last century, a real boom in the extermination of kangaroos began in Australia - for dog food, for furriers, tanners and export supplies, destroying up to 2 million animals every year.
• But no matter what, today the red kangaroo in Australia is thriving and is not going to give up its positions, but only increases its numbers. Well done boys! Keep it up!

• KEY FACTS
• Habitat: remote corners of the Australian bush.
• Body length:
  males - 1.3-1.6 m
  females - 85 cm-1.05 m
• Tail length:
  males - 1-1.2 m
  females - 65-85 cm
• The weight:
  males on average 55 kg (sometimes up to 90 kg)
  females on average 30 kg

Unusually strong hind legs carry the red kangaroo across the savannah in huge leaps, and the long and thick tail serves as a balancer for the beast.

Apart from Australia, kangaroos and their close relatives wallabies are found only on the islands of Tasmania and New Guinea. These harmless vegetarians occupy the same ecological niche as large ungulates - antelope, buffalo and deer - in other parts of the world. The appearance of the kangaroo is so peculiar that it cannot be confused with anyone - long and extremely strong hind limbs, short front legs and a long muscular tail narrowed at the end. It serves as an additional support for a sitting kangaroo, and on the run it performs the functions of a rudder and balancer. Two large fingers of the four-fingered hind legs of the animal are armed with long claws, and two smaller fingers are armed with short claws for grooming.

Bizarre Appearance

The largest among the marsupials are red kangaroos - in their native savannah in the west of New South Wales (Australia).

Above the pelvis, the body gradually narrows, and a disproportionately small and narrow head with a blunt muzzle and long, slightly rounded ears is planted on the shoulders. The short, dense fur of the red kangaroo is reddish-brown in males and bluish-gray in females; on the legs and belly, the coat is light. AT different places habitats, males and females seem to change clothes, and ladies flaunt in reddish fur coats.

The male is usually twice the size of his mate. The length of his body rarely exceeds 1.7 m, but rising to his full height on his hind legs, the enraged beast turns into a two-meter giant.

Different types of kangaroos are inherent different forms social behavior. Red kangaroos usually live in groups of up to 10 individuals, which, however, form only for a short time without establishing any strong bonds between individual animals.

Male kangaroos often fight for the female, grappling with their front paws and pushing with their hind legs.

The favorite habitat of kangaroos is dry savannahs, although at the same time they invariably stay close to islands of dense vegetation, where you can hide from the heat and enemies. Leading a nocturnal lifestyle, they often graze in cool weather even in daylight.

If there is plenty of food, a herd of kangaroos usually occupies a small home plot However, in drought, animals make long-distance migrations in search of pastures. Kangaroos are not chased away from their territory, but this does not mean that outbursts of aggressiveness cannot be expected from them. Males, for example, fiercely fight with each other for the right to possess females. Starting a duel, they rise to their full height and, grappling with their front paws, exchange powerful blows from their hind legs to knock the enemy to the ground.

Food

Kangaroos go out to graze shortly before evening twilight and continue feeding until dawn. A grazing kangaroo slowly moves from place to place, nibbling grass and leaning on a thick tail. Nature endowed him with extremely acute hearing, and, barely hearing a suspicious rustle, he rushes to his heels, making giant (9-10 m) jumps and developing speeds of up to 50 km / h.

Red kangaroos do not have a pronounced mating season, but the appearance of offspring in them is usually timed to coincide with the abundant food season. Almost any greenery is suitable for them, therefore, with favorable weather conditions they actively mate, and during the period of drought they do not breed at all.

The main feature of all marsupials is the absence of a placenta. Climbing into the mother's pouch, the red kangaroo cub attaches to the nipple and does not show its nose from there for up to 3 months, and then for another 5 months it is limited only to short sorties.

After a 33-day pregnancy, the female gives birth to a tiny underdeveloped cub weighing 0.75 g. As soon as it is born, the baby crawls into the bag, where it tightly covers the nipple with its mouth. Despite the striking resemblance to the embryo, the cub has a well-developed tongue, nostrils, forelimbs and fingers, helping to cling to the mother's fur and stimulating milk production.

In its composition, kangaroo milk is similar to the milk of those animals that feed offspring during the period hibernation- for example, with a bear. However, its consistency is quite liquid - much thinner than that of animals that feed their young once or twice a day.

As a rule, the female gives birth to only one cub (cases of twins are extremely rare). Up to three months, the baby sits without getting out in the mother's pouch and during this time manages to turn into a well-developed kangaroo. Subsequently, the bag serves him as a temporary apartment and refuge, and by eight months he leaves her forever, although up to a year he can still be supported by mother's milk from time to time. Sexual maturity in females occurs at the age of 15-20 months, and in males - a few months later.

At eight months, the cub leaves the pouch, making room for a new embryo.

Under favorable conditions, females mate as early as two days after giving birth, but the development of a fertilized egg begins when the previous cub leaves the pouch. The next births occur a day or two after the final weaning of the eldest offspring.

Security

Red kangaroo or red giant kangaroo belongs to the genus giant kangaroo and is the largest representative marsupials not only in Australia, where it lives, but all over the world. This type lives in the lands of Western and Central Australia. These vast areas include shrubby, tree-shrub savannas, as well as deserts. That is, the terrain is dry and open with trees for shade.

The animal is large with pointed ears and a square muzzle. The front paws are small, the hind legs are powerful and muscular. With their help, animals move by jumping. The tail is strong. It is used as a third pillar. Males jump 8-9 meters long and 1.2-1.9 meters high. Females are smaller than the stronger sex, so their jumps are less impressive. While moving, the animal can reach a speed of 65 km / h.

The body length of males is 1.3-1.6 m without a tail. The tail adds another 1-1.2 m to the total body length. Females reach 85-105 cm in length with a tail length of 65-85 cm. They weigh from 20 to 40 kg. The weight of males is 55-90 kg. If the animal is standing, then its height is on average 1.5 m. Mature males grow to 1.8 m. The largest officially recorded growth is 2.2 m with a weight of 91 kg. The fur is short. In males, it is red-brown, noticeably paler on the limbs. In females, the skin is gray-blue and has a brown tint. The lower part of the body is light grey. The eyes of the representatives of the species are arranged so that their field of view is 300 degrees.

Reproduction and lifespan

The breeding season continues all year round. The female has developed the ability to delay the birth of the cub until the previous one leaves the pouch. This is the so-called embryonic diapause. Pregnancy lasts 33-34 days. There are 1 cub in the litter. He is naked and blind, and his length is 2 cm with a weight of 1 g. The newborn clings to the mother's fur and crawls into the bag. Here he sticks to the nipple. There are 2 in total in the bag.

The baby sits in the bag for 70 days and during this time grows and becomes covered with wool. He begins to make short trips out of his mother's pouch. Completely leaves the pouch at 8 months of age. The female immediately gives birth to a second cub. It attaches to the 2nd nipple. And the first one is fed from the 1st nipple for up to a year. At the same time, the body of the female produces more nutritious milk for the newborn, and less fat for the adult cub. Sexual maturity in females occurs at the age of 15-20 months, in males at the age of 20-24 months. AT wild nature red kangaroo lives 20-22 years. The maximum life expectancy is 27 years.

Behavior and nutrition

Animals live in groups, in which there are an average of 10 individuals. Basically, these are females with offspring and a couple of males. In areas where there is a lot of food, it is collected a large number of red kangaroos. Sometimes their number can reach up to 1.5 thousand. The lifestyle is twilight and nocturnal. During the day, the animals rest. They are sedentary and live all the time within a certain territory. They move only when there is no food. Such movements can be tens and even hundreds of kilometers.

Young males arrange ritual fights with each other to secure leadership and access to females. At the same time, they beat each other with their paws, leaning on their tails. The diet consists of plant foods. These are grass, cereals, flowering plants. The leaves and bark of trees are also eaten. Representatives of the species mainly obtain water from lush greenery.

This type is protected by law. You can only kill an animal with permission from the authorities. However, the animals die under the wheels of cars, blinded by headlights, and they are also sometimes shot by farmers, protecting their agricultural land. There are so many red kangaroos that commercial fishing is allowed for them. Up to 1.5 million of these animals are killed per year. Skin and meat are in demand. The turnover of this industry is 270 million dollars a year. 4 thousand people are involved in it. The meat contains only 2% fat, and the skin is used to make leather.

Big red kangaroo (lat. Macropus rufus), which is also called the red giant kangaroo, is considered the largest of all kangaroo species. There is no such unique animal anywhere in the world, except for arid Australian continent. And although life in the hot deserts of Australia can hardly be called paradise, these marsupials feel great here.

Moreover, they try to avoid the fertile southern regions, do not settle on the east coast and ignore rainforests in the north. Partly because they do not want to meet people and predators living in more favorable conditions, and partly because they are already used to the 40-degree midday heat.

Big red kangaroo for a long time go without food and water. When it gets really bad from the scorching heat, he hides in the shade or digs a small depression in the ground, lies down there and generally tries to move less. Sometimes these animals lick their paws and muzzle so that the body can cool down faster. Kangaroos also like to swim if they are lucky enough to find a suitable body of water.

They move in huge 10-meter jumps, developing a speed of about 55 km / h. True, they run away not far, because such a pace tires very quickly. But, if they have nowhere to hurry, they can travel considerable distances - up to 200 km, feeding on the grasses of the steppes and semi-deserts along the way.

By the way, only males can rightly be considered red - this is their short brown-red fur, only the limbs are light. Females are usually gray-blue in color with a brown tint. At the same time, they are much smaller than their partners: if the male weighs about 85 kg with a body length of up to 1.4 m, then the female weighs no more than 35 kilos with a height of 1.1 m. The tail of both sexes can reach a length of 90-100 cm .

But it is not the tail that should be feared when meeting these amazing creatures, because it is used only as a support when standing or a balancer when jumping. But the hind limbs, on which sharp claws are located, are much worse in kangaroos. It is they who go into action when the animal is cornered and forced to defend itself.

When two males meet who want to argue for the possession of a harem of females, they prefer to box with their front paws, inflicting quite tangible blows on the opponent. And even though the upper limbs do not look as impressive as the lower ones, believe me, the red gigantic kangaroos know how to use them well.

These marsupials live in small groups consisting of one male, several females and their offspring. Moreover, each female is able to bring three cubs twice a year. However, they do not appear all together, but in turn: after a 33-day pregnancy, one tiny 2-centimeter kangaroo weighing 1 gram is born. It is difficult to call him even a cub - he looks more like an embryo with the rudiments of limbs. However, this tiny creature crawls itself into the bag prepared by the mother and greedily clings to one of the four nipples.

However, this is where the baby's efforts end. He does not even need to suck milk - from time to time it is injected into the mouth of the kangaroo. The baby grows and develops, becomes overgrown with hair and already at the age of 5 months begins to stick out its curious face and mother's bag. A month later, he briefly leaves her, but at the slightest danger he jumps back upside down, turns around and looks out again. It's interesting anyway!

When the kangaroo becomes crowded, he leaves the bag, giving way to a warm place for his little brother. However, it continues to be regularly applied to the mother's nipple, whose body miraculously simultaneously produces fatty milk for the older and more tender for the younger offspring. At the same time, the next baby is already waiting for her turn in the uterus.