Kangaroo is the calling card of Australia. Where do kangaroos live

1. Kangaroos are the most famous marsupials, which personify the entire order of Marsupials in general. Nevertheless, the vast family of kangaroos, numbering about 50 species, stands apart in this order and keeps many secrets.

3. Outwardly, kangaroos do not look like any animal: their head resembles a deer, their neck is of medium length, the body is slender in the front and widens behind, the limbs are different in size - the front ones are relatively small, and the back ones are very long and powerful, the tail is thick and long. The forelegs are five-fingered, have well-developed toes, and look more like a primate hand than a dog's foot. Nevertheless, the fingers end in rather large claws.

5. Hind feet have only four toes ( thumb reduced), and the second and third fingers grow together. The body of the kangaroo is covered with short, thick hair, which protects animals well from heat and cold. The color of most species is protective - gray, red, brown, some species may have white stripes. Kangaroo sizes vary widely: the largest red kangaroos reach a height of 1.5 m and weigh up to 85-90 kg, while the smallest species are only 30 cm long and weigh 1-1.5 kg! All types of kangaroos are conventionally divided by size into three groups: the three largest species are called gigantic kangaroos, medium-sized kangaroos are called wallabies, and the smallest species are called rat kangaroos or kangaroo rats.

7. The habitat of the kangaroo covers Australia and the adjacent islands - Tasmania, New Guinea In addition, kangaroos are acclimatized in New Zealand. Among kangaroos, there are both species with a wide range that live throughout the continent, and endemic species that are found only in a limited area (for example, in New Guinea). The habitat of these animals is very diverse: most species inhabit light forests, grassy and desert plains, but there are also those that live ... in the mountains!

8. It turns out that a kangaroo among the rocks is quite normal, for example, mountain views wallabies can rise to the level of snows.

9. But the most unusual ... tree kangaroos that live in dense forests. On the branches of trees, they spend most of their lives and very dexterously climb in the crowns, and sometimes jump over the trunks with short jumps. Considering that their tail and hind legs are not tenacious at all, then such balancing is amazing.

10. All species of kangaroos move on their hind legs; during grazing, they hold their bodies horizontally and can rest their front paws on the ground, while alternately pushing off with their hind and forelimbs. In all other cases, kangaroos keep their bodies upright. Interestingly, kangaroos are not able to move their paws sequentially, as other bipedal animals (birds, primates) do, and push off the ground simultaneously with both paws. For this reason, kangaroos cannot move backwards. Actually, walking is unknown to these animals, they move only by jumping, and this is a very energy-consuming way of movement! On the one hand, kangaroos have phenomenal jumping ability and are capable of jumping several times their body length, on the other hand, they spend a lot of energy on such a movement, therefore they are not very hardy. Large species of kangaroos can withstand a good pace for no more than 10 minutes. However, this time is enough to hide from enemies, because the longest jump of the largest red kangaroo can reach 9 or even 12 m, and the speed is 50 km/h! In height, red kangaroos can jump to a height of up to 2 m.

11. In other species, achievements are more modest, but in any case, kangaroos are the fastest animals in their habitat. The secret of such jumping lies not so much in the powerful muscles of the paws as in ... the tail. The tail serves as a very effective balancer during the jump and a fulcrum when sitting, leaning on the kangaroo's tail unloads the muscles of the hind limbs.

12. Kangaroos are herd animals and stay in groups of 10-30 individuals, with the exception of the smallest rat kangaroos and mountain wallabies, which live alone. Small species are active only at night, large ones can be active during the day, but still prefer to graze in the dark. There is no clear hierarchy in the herd of kangaroos and in general social connections they are not developed. This behavior is due to the general primitiveness of marsupials and the weak development of the cerebral cortex. Their interaction is limited to tracking their fellows - as soon as one animal gives an alarm, the rest take to their heels. The voice of a kangaroo is similar to a hoarse cough, but their hearing is very sensitive, so they hear a relatively quiet cry from afar. Kangaroos do not have dwellings, with the exception of rat kangaroos, which live in burrows.

13. Kangaroos feed on plant food, which they can chew twice, burping out part of the digested food and chewing it again, like ruminants. The stomach of a kangaroo has a complex structure and is inhabited by bacteria that facilitate the digestion of food. Most species feed exclusively on grass, eating it in large quantities. Tree kangaroos feed on the leaves and fruits of trees (including ferns and vines), and the smallest rat kangaroos can specialize in eating fruits, bulbs and even frozen plant sap, in addition, they can include insects in their diet. This brings them closer to other marsupials - possums. Kangaroos drink little and can go without water for a long time, being content with the moisture of plants.

14. Kangaroos do not have a specific breeding season, but their reproductive processes are very intense. In fact, the body of the female is a "factory" for the production of their own kind. Excited males arrange fights during which they grapple with their front paws and hit each other hard in the stomach with their hind legs. In such a fight big role plays the tail, on which the males literally rely on the fifth leg.

15. Pregnancy in kangaroos is very short, so, female gray giant kangaroo they bear a cub for only 38-40 days, in small species this period is even shorter. In fact, kangaroos give birth to underdeveloped embryos 1-2 cm long (in the most large species). It is surprising that such a premature fetus has complex instincts that allow it to independently (!) Get to the mother's pouch. The female helps him, licking the path in the wool, but the embryo crawls without outside help! To appreciate the magnitude of this phenomenon, imagine that human babies were born 1-2 months after conception and found their mother's breasts blindly on their own. Having climbed into the mother's bag, the kangaroo cub sticks to one of the nipples for a long time and spends the first 1-2 months in the bag without getting out.

16. At this time, the female is ready to mate. While the older kangaroo is growing up, the younger one is born. Thus, two cubs of different ages can be in the female's bag at the same time. Having matured, the cub begins to look out of the bag, and then climb out of it. True, yet for a long time later, a completely independent cub, at the slightest danger, climbs into the mother's bag. The kangaroo bag is formed by very elastic skin, so it can be highly stretched and withstand big weight grown up baby. Quokka kangaroos went even further, in which two embryos are conceived at once, one of which develops, and the second does not. If the first calf dies, the second one immediately begins to develop, so quokkas don't waste time mating again. However, in large kangaroos there are also cases of the birth of twins and triplets. The life expectancy of a kangaroo is 10-15 years.

17. In nature, kangaroos have many enemies. Previously, large kangaroos were hunted by dingoes and marsupial wolves (now exterminated), small marsupial martens, birds of prey, snakes. After the introduction of European predators to Australia and adjacent islands, foxes and cats joined their natural enemies. If small species are defenseless in front of predators, then large kangaroos can stand up for themselves. Usually, in case of danger, they prefer to flee, but a driven kangaroo can suddenly turn to the pursuer and “hug” it with its front paws, inflicting powerful blows with its hind legs. A blow from the rear leg can kill an ordinary dog, and cause serious injury to a person. In addition, there are cases when kangaroos escaped in reservoirs and drowned the dogs chasing them in the water.

Predators are not the only problem with kangaroos. Huge harm is done to them by food competitors brought by people: rabbits, sheep, cows. They deprive kangaroos of their natural food, which is why many species have been forced out into arid desert regions. Small species are not able to migrate over long distances, so they simply disappear under the onslaught of aliens. In turn, people consider kangaroos as their competitors and unwanted neighbors, so they hunt them all. possible ways. If earlier kangaroos were hunted for meat and skins, now they are simply shot, poisoned by dogs or traps are set. Australia is a major global supplier of kangaroo meat. True, his taste qualities inferior to livestock meat, so it is used in the production of canned food for the same dogs or as an exotic component of restaurant cuisine.

19. The total impact of all unfavorable factors is great, small kangaroo species are especially vulnerable, most of them are on the verge of extinction. Large species have adapted to live near people and can often be found on the outskirts of cities, rural farms, golf courses, and parks. Kangaroos quickly get used to the presence of people, behave calmly next to them, but do not tolerate familiarity: attempts to caress and feed animals can cause aggression. But you need to understand that such a reaction is due to the instinct to protect the territory. In zoos, kangaroos are more affectionate to the attendants and are not dangerous. They take root and breed well in captivity and attract many visitors. Together with the emu, the kangaroo flaunts on the coat of arms of Australia and symbolizes the eternal movement forward (since they do not know how to back away).

Kangaroos are the most famous marsupials, which personify the entire order of Marsupials in general. Nevertheless, the vast family of kangaroos, numbering about 50 species, stands apart in this order and keeps many secrets.

Red kangaroo (Macropus rufus).

Outwardly, kangaroos do not look like any animal: their head resembles a deer, their neck is of medium length, the torso is slender in the front and widens behind, the limbs are different in size - the front ones are relatively small, and the rear ones are very long and powerful, the tail is thick and long. The forelegs are five-fingered, have well-developed toes, and look more like a primate hand than a dog's foot. Nevertheless, the fingers end in rather large claws.

Front paw of a large gray or forest kangaroo (Macropus giganteus).

The hind feet have only four toes (the thumb is reduced), with the second and third toes fused. The body of the kangaroo is covered with short, thick hair, which protects animals well from heat and cold. The color of most species is protective - gray, red, brown, some species may have white stripes. Kangaroo sizes vary widely: the largest red kangaroos reach a height of 1.5 m and weigh up to 85-90 kg, while the smallest species are only 30 cm long and weigh 1-1.5 kg! All types of kangaroos are conventionally divided by size into three groups: the three largest species are called gigantic kangaroos, medium-sized kangaroos are called wallabies, and the smallest species are called rat kangaroos or kangaroo rats.

The brush-tailed kangaroo (Bettongia lesueur) is a representative of small rat kangaroos. Due to its tiny size, it is easy to mistake it for a rodent.

The habitat of the kangaroo covers Australia and the adjacent islands - Tasmania, New Guinea, in addition, kangaroos are acclimatized in New Zealand. Among kangaroos, there are both species with a wide range that live throughout the continent, and endemic species that are found only in a limited area (for example, in New Guinea). The habitat of these animals is very diverse: most species inhabit light forests, grassy and desert plains, but there are also those that live ... in the mountains!

Mountain kangaroo, or wallaroo (Macropus robustus) among the rocks.

It turns out that the kangaroo among the rocks is a common sight, for example, mountain views of wallabies can rise to the level of snows.

Kangaroo in a snowdrift is not such a rare occurrence.

But the most unusual are tree kangaroos that live in dense forests. On the branches of trees, they spend most of their lives and very dexterously climb in the crowns, and sometimes jump over the trunks with short jumps. Considering that their tail and hind legs are not tenacious at all, then such balancing is amazing.

Tree kangaroo Goodfellow (Dendrolagus goodfellowi) with a cub.

All species of kangaroos move on their hind legs; during grazing, they hold their bodies horizontally and can rest their front paws on the ground, while alternately pushing off with their hind and forelimbs. In all other cases, they keep the body upright. Interestingly, kangaroos are not able to move their paws sequentially, as other bipedal animals (birds, primates) do, and push off the ground simultaneously with both paws. For this reason, they cannot back away. Actually, walking is unknown to these animals, they move only by jumping, and this is a very energy-consuming way of movement! On the one hand, kangaroos have phenomenal jumping ability and are capable of jumping several times their body length, on the other hand, they spend a lot of energy on such a movement, therefore they are not very hardy. Large species of kangaroos can withstand a good pace for no more than 10 minutes. However, this time is enough to hide from enemies, because the longest jump of the largest red kangaroo can reach 9 or even 12 m, and the speed is 50 km/h! In height, red kangaroos can jump to a height of up to 2 m.

Jumping red kangaroo amaze with its power.

In other species, achievements are more modest, but in any case, kangaroos are the fastest animals in their habitat. The secret of such jumping lies not so much in the powerful muscles of the paws as in ... the tail. The tail serves as a very effective balancer during the jump and a fulcrum when sitting, leaning on the tail, these animals unload the muscles of the hind limbs.

Kangaroos often rest lying on their side in a sybarite pose, scratching their sides in a funny way.

Kangaroos are herd animals and stay in groups of 10-30 individuals, with the exception of the smallest rat kangaroos and mountain wallabies, which live alone. Small species are active only at night, large ones can be active during the day, but still prefer to graze in the dark. There is no clear hierarchy in the herd of kangaroos and, in general, their social ties are not developed. This behavior is due to the general primitiveness of marsupials and the weak development of the cerebral cortex. Their interaction is limited to tracking their brethren - as soon as one animal gives an alarm, the rest take to their heels. The voice of a kangaroo is similar to a hoarse cough, but their hearing is very sensitive, so they hear a relatively quiet cry from afar. Kangaroos do not have dwellings, with the exception of rat kangaroos, which live in burrows.

The yellow-footed rock wallaby (Petrogale xanthopus), also called the ring-tailed or yellow-footed kangaroo, has taken a liking to the rocks.

Kangaroos feed on vegetable food, which they can chew twice, burping out part of the digested food and chewing it again, like ruminants. The stomach of a kangaroo has a complex structure and is inhabited by bacteria that facilitate the digestion of food. Most species feed exclusively on grass, eating it in large quantities. Tree kangaroos feed on the leaves and fruits of trees (including ferns and vines), and the smallest rat kangaroos can specialize in eating fruits, bulbs and even frozen plant sap, in addition, they can include insects in their diet. This brings them closer to other marsupials - possums. Kangaroos drink little and can go without water for a long time, being content with the moisture of plants.

A female kangaroo with a baby in a pouch.

Kangaroos do not have a specific breeding season, but their reproductive processes are very intense. In fact, the body of the female is a "factory" for the production of their own kind. Excited males arrange fights during which they grapple with their front paws and hit each other hard in the stomach with their hind legs. In such a struggle, the tail plays an important role, on which the combatants literally rely on the fifth leg.

Male large gray kangaroos in a mating match.

Pregnancy in these animals is very short, for example, females of the giant gray kangaroo bear a cub for only 38-40 days, in small species this period is even shorter. In fact, kangaroos give birth to underdeveloped embryos 1-2 cm long (in the largest species). It is surprising that such a premature fetus has complex instincts that allow it to independently (!) Get to the mother's pouch. The female helps him, licking the path in the wool, but the embryo crawls without outside help! To appreciate the magnitude of this phenomenon, imagine that human babies were born 1-2 months after conception and found their mother's breasts blindly on their own. Having climbed into the mother's bag, the kangaroo cub sticks to one of the nipples for a long time and spends the first 1-2 months in the bag without getting out.

How diverse is the world amazing plants and animals lives on our planet! And so prominent representative nature, its next miracle can be safely considered a kangaroo. Surely everyone knows in which country the kangaroo lives. Of course, in Australia. But many may have a question about where kangaroos live, except for Australia. And they also live in Guinea, on the Bismarck archipelago and in Tasmania. In total, there are more than fifty species of these animals. All of them vary in size and weight. There is giant kangaroo: red and gray, there are kangaroo rats, wallabies - medium-sized individuals, and others.

Kangaroo: description of the animal

This animal belongs to the marsupials. The growth of gigantic kangaroos is quite impressive. Males grow from one hundred to one hundred and seventy centimeters in height, and at the same time weigh from twenty to forty kilograms. Females are slightly smaller, their height is from seventy-five centimeters to one meter, their weight is from eighteen to twenty-two kilograms. The color of the coat is from light gray to reddish-red. All kangaroos have bare black noses and long ears. Thanks to such ears, the animal can pick up even the faintest sounds, which allows you to hear the approach of the enemy in time.

The kangaroo has very long hind legs and a tail, thanks to which the animal maintains balance while moving. And they move only by jumping. Thanks to powerful hind legs, the animal can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h when running, and up to 90 km/h when running away from a predator. But at such a speed, the animal can run for a very short time. Its front legs are short, with very long claws, with which they defend themselves from predators and dig holes in search of water. And thanks to their claws, males sort things out with each other.

The question arises: how long do kangaroos live? And they live for about eighteen years. Sexual maturity is reached at about two years of age. Animals can mate throughout the year. The female's pregnancy lasts thirty-two days. A baby kangaroo is called a joey. He is born blind and without fur, and even quite tiny - two and a half centimeters. Immediately after birth, the cub crawls to the mother's pouch, where it stays for up to six months. Having reached the age of six months, the baby begins to take the first steps, but still returns to the bag. There he lives up to nine months. It should be noted that only females have a bag. It has four nipples. The female simultaneously produces several types of milk for different ages his cub. The fact is that she, having still quite little cub may be pregnant. And in the bag there can be several cubs of different ages at once. The female kangaroo can regulate the size of the bag - make it either larger or smaller. Joey is growing, so he needs more space, but when the mother moves, the walls of the bag are compressed so that the cub does not jump out.

Animal lifestyle. Where do kangaroos live in Australia?

Animals live in the rocky regions of the continent. They feel more secure there. Kangaroos are social animals. The family consists of a male and several females. When the cub reaches sexual maturity, he leaves the family and creates his own. These animals feed exclusively on plant foods. During a drought, they can independently obtain water by digging deep (up to one meter deep) holes. They can also get the water they need from food. Animals are nocturnal. It is at dusk that they go out to pastures in order to refresh themselves with juicy grass, but during the day they rest in the shade of trees, hiding from the scorching sun. If some animal hears the approach of the enemy, then it immediately begins to knock loudly with its hind legs, warning relatives of the danger. From time immemorial, there were no predators on the continent where kangaroos live, and the animals felt absolutely safe.

But with the arrival of Europeans on the island, a threat loomed over the kangaroo. Some of the dogs that were brought ran wild - they began to be called And now they have become the main enemies of the kangaroo. When attacked by a predator, the animal tries to lure it into the water and drown it. If there is no reservoir nearby, then the kangaroo runs to the nearest tree, rests against it with its back and delivers a crushing blow with its hind legs. And the legs are really strong. A kangaroo can easily jump over a three-meter barrier. Where the kangaroo lives large predators no. But animals can be subjected to other misfortunes. Very dangerous for kangaroos are midges that clog their eyes, causing severe inflammation. The animal can go blind!

Kangaroos trust people and are practically not afraid of them. Very often these animals can be found in the park or in the forest. If you go to where kangaroos live and you are lucky enough to meet them, then there is a high probability that the animal will even allow itself to be photographed.

The history of the name of the animal

Such an eccentric name - "kangaroo" - the animal received thanks to the discoverers of an unknown continent at that time. When the Europeans saw these amazing animals, they asked the natives: "Who is this?" For what locals They replied, "Ken Gu Ru", which translates to "we don't understand". Sailors thought it was the name of an animal. So the name "kangaroo" stuck to him.

kangaroo island

Near Australia there is an island where kangaroos live. This area has not yet been fully developed by humans, so animals feel very good here. Animal world presented in this area in its original form. The number of kangaroos on the island is very high.

wallaby

Wallabies are marsupials belonging to the Kangaroo family. It represents exact copy gigantic kangaroo, only in a reduced form. In height, these animals reach seventy centimeters and weigh up to twenty kilograms. There are up to fifteen species of this animal, some are on the verge of extinction - such as striped wallabies. Almost nothing remains of the once numerous species. They are found only on two islands located off the west coast of Australia. There are mountain wallabies, and there are marsh ones. By appearance and habits they do not differ - only in habitat.

Where do wallabies live?

Mountain wallabies live in forest thickets and are found throughout Australia. They lead the same way as their brothers, giant kangaroos, predominantly nocturnal. They feed on succulent grass, tree bark and young shoots. Swamp wallabies live in wet plains.

The amazing thing is that wallabies can be kept as pet. They are easily tamed. But for this you need to take an animal that has not yet been weaned from milk, and independently feed it from a bottle. Otherwise, the animal will be very difficult to tame.

kangaroo rat

The second name of the animal is the musk kangaroo. This animal is small. Its body reaches a length of forty centimeters, a third is the tail. It is covered with dark thick fur, on which red speckles can be seen. The fur on the hind legs is dark brown, but the feet are completely bare. In appearance, the animals are very similar to ordinary kangaroos. Animals live in hard-to-reach thickets along the banks of rivers. These animals lead a diurnal lifestyle, lazily digging through plant waste in search of insects, earthworms and plant tubers. They also eat grass, tree bark and palm fruit. Females carry their young in a pouch.

brush-tailed kangaroo

This marsupial is the size of a rabbit. The coat is quite long, the upper part is dark in color with black speckles, and the coat on the belly is off-white. This type of kangaroo got its name because of the crest of shaggy black hair on part of the tail. The length of his body is sixty-seven centimeters, of which thirty-one is the tail. The animal digs depressions in the ground, which are lined with grass and branches, it turns out a kind of nest. The bushy-tailed kangaroo chooses a place for a bed in dense thickets of grass, so you can see it in wild nature very difficult. lie in the nests, and come out to feed at night. The animals feed on grass and plant roots, which they very cleverly dig out of the ground.

Australia is a country where kangaroos live - amazing place. And if you have the opportunity to visit this wonderful continent, go. At least in order to see the wonderful kangaroos with your own eyes.

If you think about what animals are famous for their jumping ability, then only one representative of the family comes to mind. We are talking about kangaroos, the presented individuals can jump 10 meters in length and even more. And in height, their jumps reach 2.5 meters and this is not the limit. Also, individuals can reach speeds of up to 50 kilometers per hour, overtaking prey. In this material, we will consider everything that affects the discussed individuals, so that everyone can form their own opinion.

Description

1. There are quite a few varieties of the discussed individuals, the overall characteristics of the animals directly depend on this. On average, in terms of body weight, they are about 20-100 kg. with a body length of 25-150 cm. The tail plays a separate role, it serves as a balancing act and is 45-100 cm long. major representatives families live in Australia, they are red and large. Heavyweight kangaroos live in the east, they are called gray.
2. The fur is dense, gray, red or brown. It can also be combined. It must be soft and uniform. The upper part of the body of the discussed individuals is poorly developed, most of the load falls on the bottom. The head of a small format, in comparison with the body seems disproportionately small. The muzzle is short or elongated.
3. The forelimbs are shortened, poorly developed, not strongly muscular. They have 5 fingers, there is practically no hair, the claws are strong and long. Shoulders narrowed. The fingers of the animal are spaced at a certain distance, they grab food with them and comb their hair. Compared to the upper, the lower section of the body seems gigantic. She is muscular, strong and broad.
4. The hind limbs are strong and long, as is the tail. The thighs are widened and muscled, there are 4 fingers on the paws. Between the third and second there is a membrane, the fourth is equipped with a strong and long claw. Due to the special structure of the body, kangaroos can deliver serious blows to the enemy with the help of their hind limbs.
5. The tail acts as a balancer and a kind of steering wheel. Individuals quickly jump, moving forward, but due to the structure of the body they cannot move backward. Their shape of the limbs does not allow this, moreover, the tail interferes.

habitation

1. Kangaroos are known to all people as the jumping inhabitants of Australia, and this is partly true. However, the presented individuals also live in other territories, for example, in New Guinea, Tasmania and Bismarck. They also brought these representatives of the family to New Zealand.
2. Very often animals can be found near human dwellings. Similar marsupials are found on the outskirts big cities and medium in size settlements. They also prefer to live near the agricultural land of farmers.
3. Based on the observations made, we can conclude that these animals are characterized by a terrestrial lifestyle. They live on flat areas, next to bushes and among thickets of thorny grass. Tree-type kangaroos are excellent climbers, while mountain animals do well among rocks, stones and hills.

population

1. The main varieties of marsupials are not subject to the likelihood of extinction. However, for certain reasons, the number of goals is decreasing every year. This is due to the occurrence forest fires, a decrease in the natural environment for the distribution of kangaroos, as well as hunting and other human activities. As always, it is people who bear the main danger to living beings.
2. In Australia, at the legislative level, it is forbidden to endanger kangaroos. The gray inhabitants of the western and eastern parts are considered protected. Wild individuals are constantly exposed to shelling as a result of hunting.
3. During the protection of pastures, farmers mutilate these animals. Poachers shoot because of the meat, which is considered a delicacy, as well as the skin, which is subsequently used for the production of leather products. Meat is distinguished by its low calorie content and taste.
4. Generally speaking, the individuals presented are not in danger. But they have enemies in natural environment a habitat. Animals are preyed upon by snakes, large birds, dingoes, and foxes. In order not to meet enemies, these individuals prefer to eat once a day in the evening, as soon as the sun sets.

Food

1. To a greater extent, kangaroos prefer to eat grass, therefore they are considered herbivores. However, among the diversity of animals, there are varieties that are distinguished by their omnivorous nature. The largest red individuals lean on prickly and stiff grass. Individuals with a short muzzle feast on roots, tubers, bulbs and other underground parts of plants.
2. Certain species of animals eat mushrooms and are directly involved in sowing their spore powder. Small wallabies are content with herbal leaves, seeds, small fruits. If individuals live in forest parts with moderate humidity, they feed on fruits, foliage, and plants. Arboreal individuals eat bird eggs and the chicks themselves, gnaw the bark from the tree trunk.
3. Also in the diet may include clover, alfalfa, eucalyptus leaves, acacia, cereal crops, other vegetation. Kangaroos consume cicadas, ferns. Smaller members of the family are more selective when it comes to food preferences. They go in search of a high quality forage base, often such food is digested for a long time.
4. Animals large format they can safely eat low-grade food, but compensate for this with a variety of vegetation. They go to the pastures in the late afternoon, but it all depends on weather conditions in the area of ​​habitation. If it's hot outside, then the kangaroos will wait until the sun goes down, resting in the shade. Then in the late afternoon they go to look for food.
5. A distinctive characteristic of these animals is undemanding in terms of water consumption. Individuals may not lean on water for several months, in some cases even longer. The liquid is obtained from plant foods, and dew is also licked from grass and rocks. Some smart members of the species rip off the bark, then content themselves with the juice flowing from the tree.
6. Living in a dry area, large-format kangaroos have adapted to independently seek water. They begin to dig wells to a depth of 100 cm or more. Subsequently, these watering places are used by birds, martens, wild-type pigeons and other animals. The stomach of individuals can digest hard food, it is huge, but does not have many chambers. Some members of this family induce vomiting to get rid of food debris in the stomach. Then they chew it again for better absorption.
7. AT digestive system There are more than 40 varieties of bacteria. They are responsible for the correct functioning and digestion of dietary fiber. Yeast bacteria are also present, which serve to create fermentation. If we talk about the nutrition of animals living in the zoo, they eat herbs, oats, nuts, seeds, breadcrumbs, vegetables and fruits, etc.

Lifestyle

1. If you really want to know more about the animals in question, your best bet is to head to Australia and visit national park. In such a place, individuals behave in exactly the same way as in the wild. Kangaroos are animals that lead a herd lifestyle.
2. Most often they gather in small groups, in which there can be up to 25 individuals. However, mountain wallabies and rat kangaroos prefer to lead a solitary lifestyle. They never form groups. There are also small representatives of this species. They are predominantly nocturnal.
3. Large individuals, on the contrary, can be active both during the day and in the evening. The animals in question graze in the moonlight when the heat subsides. Interestingly, the kangaroo herd has no leader. They are all equal. Such animals do not have a leader because they are primitive due to an underdeveloped brain.
4. However, the individuals under consideration have a fairly well-developed self-preservation instinct. It is enough for just one kangaroo to give an alarm signal, the whole group will immediately rush in different directions. The animal gives a voice that is somewhat reminiscent of a cough. In addition, kangaroos have excellent hearing. Therefore, they can hear the alarm signal at a sufficient distance.
5. It is worth noting that these animals are not used to settling in shelters. Only rat kangaroos live in burrows. Concerning natural enemies, then such individuals have a lot of them. Initially, there were no European predators in Australia, later they were brought by people. Therefore, dingoes and marsupial wolves constantly hunted kangaroos. Small kangaroos were attacked by martens, birds of prey and even snakes.
6. As for large individuals, such kangaroos may well stand up for themselves. However, small representatives of the same species are practically helpless. Individuals do not belong to the daredevils, on the contrary, they always try to escape from danger. If the predator nevertheless overtakes its prey, the kangaroo tries to defend itself very fiercely.
7. It is quite interesting to watch how the animal defends itself. The kangaroo delivers a series of powerful blows with its hind legs, while the individual leans on the tail. Also, the kangaroo tries to grab the offender with its front paws. Many people know that a blow from an adult can easily kill a dog. A person can easily end up in a hospital with broken bones.
8. Locals claim that when a kangaroo flees from an enemy, it lures the predator into the water. As a result, the animal drowns the offender. Dingo dogs have suffered in this way more than once. Among other things, kangaroos try to stay away from people. Therefore, it is impossible to see the settlements of these animals nearby.
9. However, such individuals are often found near farms and on the outskirts of small towns. Kangaroos are not pets, but the presence of people does not scare them. Individuals quickly get used to the fact that people often feed them. However, they do not allow themselves to be petted.

reproduction

1. Such animals reach sexual maturity at about 2 years. Life expectancy is on average about 18 years. In some cases, some individuals even lived up to 30 years. During the mating season, males fight very hard for the attention of the female. Often this ends in serious injury.
2. After mating, the female most often has only 1 cub. Before the birth of the cub, the mother begins to carefully lick her bag. It is in it that the baby will continue to develop in the future. Pregnancy lasts only about 1.5 months.
3. As a result, a completely blind baby without hair is born. Further, the cub develops in the mother's pouch for about 11 months. Moreover, the young growth almost immediately sticks to one of the nipples and does not come off from it for about 2 months. During this time, the cub continues to grow, develop and grow hair.
4. Sometimes the baby is already starting to crawl out of the bag, but at the slightest rustle it immediately returns back. Already at the age of 8-10 months, the cub can leave the pouch for a long time, sometimes the mother begins to prepare for the next mating season.

Kangaroos can be considered unique animals. The development of babies takes place in a special bag from the mother. Such a pocket protects the young from various kinds of danger and unpredictable weather conditions. The female may prepare for mating season only after she is sure that her cub is ready for independent life. Kangaroos are a symbol of Australia, but this does not mean that such individuals will be happy with any contact with a person.

Video: kangaroo (Macropus)

Ecology

Main:

Kangaroos are herbivorous mammals that eat great amount different greens, including grass, shoots, leaves of trees and shrubs. Most Animals take moisture from food, so they can not drink water at all for a long time.

Like cows, kangaroos have a stomach with several chambers, which allows them to digest food well. They regurgitate grass and leaves and chew them repeatedly before finally swallowing them. Also, kangaroos have special teeth: molars regularly fall out, and new ones grow in their place.

Kangaroos reach a length of 1 to 3 meters and can weigh from 18 to 100 kilograms, depending on the species. Eastern gray kangaroo - the heaviest among marsupials in the world, and big red kangaroo - the largest in size.

The hind legs and feet of the kangaroo are much stronger and longer than the front legs. They have muscular long tails, very thick at the base, which allow them to maintain balance and direct movements while jumping.

If we talk about jumping, then the kangaroo is the only large animal that jumps while moving. Males can jump up to 3 meters in height and up to 9 meters in length, and during jumps they reach speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour.

Kangaroos are very social animals. They often live in groups - flocks, which consist of 10 to 100 individuals. Males fight for dominance.

If the kangaroo senses danger, it warns the whole flock with loud kicks on the ground. They can also make different sounds like grunting, sneezing, hissing and clicking.

Kangaroos belong to the infraclass marsupials. These animals are distinguished by the fact that they give birth to cubs underdeveloped, but they continue to develop in a special skin fold on the mother's abdomen - a bag.

The female kangaroo gives birth once a year after only a month of pregnancy. The cub at birth reaches a size of 5 to 2.5 millimeters - from the size of a grain of rice to the size of a bee.

The tiny and blind cub immediately crawls into the mother's pouch, where it continues to develop for another 120 to 400 days. Grown up cubs stick out their snouts from the bag and begin to inspect the surroundings a few weeks before they leave the bag.

Habitats:

The Kangaroo is native to Australia. They have adapted well to life in the most different conditions, they are often seen in public parks, gardens, and even golf courses.

Red kangaroos live in dry and semi-arid areas where they feed on the scarce local greens. Because of the drought, the kangaroo population is declining because the amount of food is decreasing.

The western gray kangaroo lives in forests, woodlands, bushy areas, grasslands in eastern Australia and on the island of Tasmania.

Antelope kangaroo lives in the monsoon tropical woodlands in the northern part of the continent.

Guard status: causing the least risk of extinction

The main kangaroo species do not have a serious risk of extinction, however, populations are declining due to development Agriculture, loss of habitat, fires and hunting. Australian law protects the eastern and western gray kangaroo. They can be hunted with a special permit for leather and meat.

Latin name for the kangaroo family macropodidae- means "big foot"

Word "kangaroo" first recorded by the British traveler and explorer James Cook, having heard the name of the animal from the locals.

A female kangaroo can become pregnant immediately after giving birth. The younger brother or sister also climbs into the bag. Both cubs, older and younger, feed different types milk produced by the mother.

The babies do not leave the pouch until a certain age, and they have to defecate and urinate into the pouch. When they are small, there are no particular problems, but when they grow up, some of the secretions are absorbed. Females have to clean their bags regularly.

Kangaroos have good hearing and, like cats, they prick up their ears and pick up the quietest sounds.

Kangaroos cannot walk backwards, but they are excellent swimmers.

The faster kangaroos jump, the less energy they use.