Kangaroo is the calling card of Australia. Interesting facts about kangaroo (with photo) How does a kangaroo move

Kangaroos are the best jumpers on our planet: the length of one jump is three meters in height and about twelve in length. They move in huge leaps at a speed of about 50 km / h, pushing off the surface with strong hind legs, while an important role is played by the tail, which plays the role of balance and helps to maintain balance.

Therefore, it is impossible to catch up with the animal, especially since during the flight it is capable of anything: once a large red kangaroo, running away from farmers, jumped a three-meter fence. If someone who wants to eat kangaroo meat is lucky enough to overtake him, the marsupial will use its hind legs. To do this, it will transfer the entire weight of the body to the tail, and freeing both hind legs, inflict terrible wounds on the enemy.

Kangaroo is called marsupials animals from the order of two-cutters (they have two large incisors on the lower jaw). The word is used in two meanings:

1. They are applied in a broad aspect to all representatives of the kangaroo family, and this is from 46 to 55 species. It includes a family of herbivores that move by jumping, have undeveloped forelegs, and vice versa, extremely developed hind legs, and also have a strong tail that helps to maintain balance while moving. Because of this structure, the body of the animals is in an upright position, while leaning on the tail and hind legs. Thus, three species are distinguished: kangaroo rats are the smallest individuals; wallabies - are of medium size, outwardly resemble a smaller copy of large animals; large kangaroos are the marsupials of Australia.
2. Name the most major representatives marsupials from the long-legged family, which are an unofficial symbol of Australia: they can be seen on the coat of arms, coins.

Representatives of the family live both in arid regions and tropical forests in Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, and the Bismarck Islands. At the end of XIX - beginning of XX century. took root well in Germany and England, successfully bred and even tolerated snowy winters, but they were powerless against the poachers, who completely exterminated them.

Description

Depending on the species, members of the family have a length of 25 cm (plus 45 cm - tail) to 1.6 m (tail - 1 m), and weigh from 18 to 100 kg. The largest individual is considered to be a resident of the Australian continent - a large red kangaroo, and the heaviest - an eastern gray kangaroo. The fur of marsupials is soft, thick, it can be gray, black, red colors and their shades.

Kangaroo animal is interesting because its upper part is poorly developed. The head is small, the muzzle can be both long and shortened. The shoulders are narrow, the front legs are short, weak, hairless, have five fingers, but are armed with very sharp claws. The fingers are very mobile and the animal uses them for grasping, feeding, combing wool.

But the lower part of the body is developed: the hind legs, a long thick tail, the hips are very strong, they have four fingers on the foot, while the second and third are connected by a membrane, and the fourth has a strong claw.

Such a structure makes it possible to successfully defend themselves with the help of powerful blows with the hind legs, and move quickly (while the tail replaces the steering wheel of the marsupial). These animals are unable to move backward - this is not allowed by their too large tail and the shape of the hind legs.

Lifestyle

Marsupials prefer to be nocturnal, appearing on pastures at dusk. During the day, they rest in burrows, nests made of grass, or in the shade of trees.

If one of the animals notices any danger (for example, a dingo dog wanted to taste kangaroo meat), a message about this is immediately transmitted to the rest of the pack by hitting the hind legs on the ground. To convey information, they often use sounds - grunting, sneezing, clicking, hissing.

If favorable conditions for living are observed in the area (an abundance of food, no danger), marsupials may well form a large community of one hundred individuals. But, usually they live in small flocks, which consist of a male, several females and kangaroos growing up in a bag. At the same time, the male very jealously guards the flock from other males, and if they try to join, fierce fights occur.

These animals are characterized by attachment to a certain territory, and they prefer not to leave it without special reasons (the exception is the huge red kangaroo animals, which are able to overcome several tens of kilometers in search of the best food sites).

Despite the fact that marsupials are not particularly smart, they are very resourceful and able to adapt well: if their usual food ceases to be enough, they switch to other foods, while eating plants that even unscrupulous animals do not eat (for example, dry, hard and even thorny grass).

Food

Marsupials feed on leaves of trees and shrubs, bark, roots, shoots, some species hunt insects and worms. They either dig food or cut it with their teeth, while it is worth noting that they usually have no upper fangs at all, or they are poorly developed, but there are two large incisors on the lower jaw (another interesting fact is that they, in unlike most mammals, teeth are constantly changing).

Marsupials are very well adapted to drought, so they can do without water for several days and even months (they take most of the liquid from plant foods).

If they still feel very thirsty, they dig a well a meter deep with their paws, and get to the precious moisture (along the way, helping other animals suffering from lack of water). At this time, they try not to waste energy: during the drought months, they move less and spend more time in the shade.

reproduction

The ability to reproduce offspring begins as early as one and a half to two years (they live from 9 to 18 years, there have been cases when individual specimens have lived to be thirty). At the same time, the males are fighting so fiercely for the female that the collision often ends in severe injuries.

The female is born basically only one kangaroo cub, less often - twins. Before the baby is born, the mother carefully licks the pouch (a leather fold on the abdomen intended for the development of the baby kangaroo) and cleans it.

Pregnancy lasts from one to one and a half months, so the kangaroo is born blind, without hair, its weight does not exceed one gram, and its length is no more than three centimeters. large species. As soon as he is born, he instantly clings to his mother's wool and crawls into a bag in which he spends about eleven months.

In the bag, he immediately grabs one of the four nipples and does not come off from it for two and a half months (on initial stage he is not yet able to suck milk, the liquid is secreted by itself under the influence of a special muscle). By this time, the baby develops, grows up, begins to see clearly, becomes overgrown with fur and begins to leave the shelter for a short time, while he is very alert and jumps back at the smallest sound.

After the kangaroo begins to leave the pouch for a long time (at the age of 6 to 11 months), the mother gives birth to the next cub. Interestingly, the female is able to delay the birth of a kangaroo cub until the previous baby leaves the pouch (it is either still too small, or adverse conditions are observed). weather e.g. drought). And then, in case of danger, he will be in the shelter for several more months.

And here an interesting picture is observed when the female begins to produce two types of milk: from one nipple, the already grown cub receives more fat milk, from the other, the newborn eats milk with a lower fat content.

Relationships with people

In nature, a large kangaroo has few enemies: kangaroo meat attracts only foxes, dingoes and birds of prey (and even then, marsupials are quite capable of protecting themselves with the help of their hind legs). But relations with humans are tense: pastoralists, not without reason, accuse them of spoiling crops on pastures, and therefore shoot them or scatter poisonous baits.

In addition, most species (only nine are protected by law) are allowed to be hunted to regulate their numbers: kangaroo meat, which contains a huge amount of protein and only 2% fat. It is worth noting that kangaroo meat has long been one of the main sources of food for the natives. Animal skins are used to make clothes, shoes and other products. Animals are often hunted for sport, so many species are found only in uninhabited areas.

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 are giant kangaroos: 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?" To which the locals 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. In appearance and habits, they do not differ - only in their 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 it is very difficult to see it in the wild. 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.

Kangaroos are amazing and unique representatives of the animal world of our planet, a kind of 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 of the Australian fauna) struck the imagination of Europeans, who had never met such peculiar 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 of this. According to one of them, when the team of the English navigator James Cook went deep into the Australian continent and met a kangaroo, the British asked the local natives what kind of strange creatures they were, to which the answer was “kangaroo”, which in their language meant “keng” - jumping "Uru" means four-legged.

According to another version, "kangaroo" in the language of the natives simply meant "I do not understand." According to the third, the natives simply repeated the phrase after the British: can you tell me” (you can tell me), which in their performance was transformed into the actual “kangaroo”.

Be that as it may, linguists have established that the word “kangaroo” first appeared in the language of the Australian Guugu-Yimithirr tribe, as the natives 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 of Dictator marsupials, and the Kangaroo family. Their close relatives are also kangaroo rats or potoroo about which there will be a separate article on our website.

The kangaroo family includes 11 genera and 62 species, among which there are rare and endangered ones. Smaller kangaroo species are also sometimes referred to as 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. At the same time, the tail of these animals can be an additional 27-51 cm.

At the same time, interestingly, male kangaroos are many times larger than females, in which growth stops after puberty, while males continue to grow further. It is not uncommon for a female gray or red kangaroo, which is involved in breeding for the first time, to be courted by a male 5 or even 6 times larger than her.

Surely everyone has seen what large kangaroos look like: their head is small, but with big ears and no less large almond-shaped eyes. Kangaroo eyes have eyelashes that protect their corneas from dust. The nose of a kangaroo is black.

The lower jaw of a kangaroo has an unusual structure, its rear ends are bent inward. How many teeth does a kangaroo have? Depending on the species, the number of teeth ranges from 32 to 34. Moreover, the teeth of a kangaroo are devoid of roots and are perfectly adapted for coarse plant foods.

The front legs of the kangaroo seem to be not fully developed, but the hind legs are very strong, it is thanks to them that the kangaroos make their signature jumps. But the thick and long tail of a kangaroo is not for beauty alone, thanks to him these creatures balance when jumping, and it is also a support while sitting and fighting. The length of the tail of a kangaroo, depending on the species, can be from 14 to 107 cm.

During rest or movement, the weight of the animal's body is distributed on long, narrow feet, creating the effect of a stop-walk. But when kangaroos jump, only two fingers of each foot are used for jumping - the 4th and 5th. And the 2nd and 3rd fingers are one process with two claws, they are used by kangaroos to clean their fur. The first toe of their foot, alas, is completely lost.

The small front paws of a kangaroo have five movable fingers on a wide and short brush. At the ends of these fingers there are sharp claws that serve kangaroos for a variety of purposes: they take food with them, scratch their fur, grab enemies in self-defense, dig holes, etc. And great views Kangaroos also use their front paws for thermoregulation, licking them from the inside, after which saliva, and thus cools the blood in a network of superficial vessels.

Large kangaroos move by jumping with their strong hind legs, but jumping is not the only way movement of these animals. In addition to jumping, kangaroos can also walk slowly using all four limbs, which at the same time move in pairs, and not alternately. How fast can kangaroos develop? 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.

An interesting fact: kangaroos are not only excellent sprinters, jumpers, 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 upright and supported by the tail. Or they lie on their side, leaning on their forelimbs.

All kangaroos have soft, thick, but short fur. Kangaroo fur is in 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, while the belly, on the contrary, is lighter. Rocky and tree kangaroos sometimes have longitudinal or transverse stripes on their tails. And in some species of kangaroo, males are brighter than females, but this sexual dimorphism is not absolute.

Albino kangaroos are also very rare in nature.

The females of all kangaroos have branded bags on their stomachs in which they carry their cubs - this is one of the most striking and unique features of these animals. At the top of the kangaroo pouch there are muscles with which the mother kangaroo can tightly close the pouch if necessary, for example while swimming, so that the little kangaroo does not suffocate.

Kangaroos also have a sound apparatus, with which they are able to make different sounds: hiss, cough, grunt.

How long do kangaroos live

On average, kangaroos live in natural conditions about 4-6 years old. Some large species can live up to 12-18 years.

What does a kangaroo eat

All kangaroos are herbivores, although there are several omnivorous species among them. So, for example, tree kangaroos can eat the eggs of birds and the little 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 fungi, at the same time playing an important role in the spread of spores of these same fungi. Smaller kangaroo species like to eat grass, leaves, seeds as food. At the same time, they are more picky in their diet than their large counterparts - they can search for hours suitable grass when undemanding large kangaroos fit any vegetation.

Interestingly, kangaroos are not very demanding on water, so they can do without it for up to a month, being content with moisture from plants and dew.

In zoos, kangaroos feed on grasses, and the basis of their diet in captivity is rolled oats mixed with seeds, nuts and dried fruits. They also enjoy eating different 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: in New Guinea, Tasmania, Hawaii and the island of Kawau and some other islands.

Also, different places are chosen as habitats for kangaroos. climatic zones, from the deserts of central Australia to humid eucalyptus forests along the outskirts of this continent. Among them, tree kangaroos can be distinguished, the only representatives of this family that live on trees, they naturally live exclusively in forests, while, for example, hare and claw-tailed kangaroos, on the contrary, prefer desert and semi-desert areas.

Kangaroo lifestyle in the wild

Tree kangaroos, mentioned by us in the last paragraph, are closest to the common ancestors of all kangaroos that lived in trees in the old days, after which, in the process of evolution, all species 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 create a family, but only until the moment the little kangaroos grow up. The males and females of these kangaroos unite only for the duration of 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 rejoin it. It is curious that individuals of a certain age tend to live together, but it also happens vice versa, for example, a female kangaroo whose cub is preparing to leave the bag avoids other kangaroo mothers who are in exactly the same position.

Living in a large herd of large kangaroos, it is easier to resist potential predators, primarily wild dingoes and once living in Australia marsupials (now extinct).

Enemies of kangaroos in nature

Since ancient times, Australian predators have been natural enemies of kangaroos: wild dog dingo, marsupial wolf, various birds of prey (they prey only on small kangaroos or small cubs of large kangaroos), as well as large snakes. Although the big kangaroos themselves are able to stand up well for themselves - the impact force of their hind legs is enormous, there were cases when people fell with a broken skull from their impact (yes, these cute herbivorous kangaroos can be dangerous for humans). Well aware of this danger of the dog, dingoes hunt kangaroos exclusively in packs, in order to avoid the deadly blows of kangaroo paws, dingoes have their own technique - they deliberately drive kangaroos into the water, trying to drown.

But perhaps the most ferocious enemies of these animals are neither wild dingoes nor birds of prey, but ordinary midges, appearing in huge number after the rains, they mercilessly sting kangaroos in the eyes, so that they sometimes even lose their sight for a while. Sand 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 bad habit of destroying their crops. Therefore, in Australia, controlled shooting of large kangaroos is carried out annually in order to protect the crops of Australian farmers from them. Interestingly, at the beginning of the last century, the population of large kangaroos was smaller than now, and the increase in their numbers in Australia was facilitated by a decrease in the number of their natural enemies - dingoes.

But the uncontrolled destruction of some other species of kangaroos, especially tree kangaroos, has put a number of their species on the brink of extinction. Also many small Australian kangaroos suffered from, brought to Australia by Europeans at the end of the 19th century for sport hunting. Foxes, having found 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 types of kangaroos, and further we will describe the most interesting of them.

This is the most big representative family of kangaroos and at the same time the largest marsupial in the world. Lives in dry areas of Australia. It has a red coat color, although among females there are individuals with gray hair. The length of a large red kangaroo can reach 2 meters with a weight of 85 kg.

And the big red kangaroo is an excellent "boxer", pushing the enemy away with his front paws, he can hit him with his strong hind limbs. Of course, such a blow does not bode well.

Also known as the forest kangaroo, it got its name because of the habit of settling in wooded places. This is the second largest kangaroo, its body length is 1.8 meters and weighs 85 kg. In addition to Australia, it also lives in Tasmania and the Mari and Fraser Islands. It is this type of kangaroo that holds the record for jumping distance - it is able to bend down to a distance of 12 m. It is also the fastest among kangaroos, it can move at speeds up to 64 km per hour. It has a gray-brown color, and its muzzle covered with hair 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. The people of this kangaroo are also called the stink kangaroo for the pungent smell that comes from the males.

He is an ordinary wallar. It differs from its other relatives by powerful shoulders and shorter hind limbs and a massive physique. It lives in the rocky regions 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, while females are slightly lighter.

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 normal one, with a small tail and small hind limbs. The curve of the mouth of this kangaroo resembles a smile, which is why it is also called the "smiling kangaroo". It lives in arid places with grassy vegetation.

He is a wallaby hare, is the only species of striped kangaroo. On the this moment listed as critically endangered. Once striped kangaroos lived in Australia, but at the present time their population has survived only on the islands of Bernier and Dorr, now declared protected areas. It has small size, its body length is 40-45 cm, with a weight of up to 2 kg. It differs not only in a striped color, but also in an elongated muzzle with a hairless nasal mirror.

Kangaroo breeding

Some species of kangaroo mating season occurs at a certain time, but in most representatives of the kangaroo family, mating happens all year round. Usually, for the female, the males arrange real kangaroo fights without rules. In some ways, their fights resemble human boxing - leaning on their tails, they stand on their hind legs, trying to grab the enemy with their front legs. To win, you need to knock him to the ground and beat him with his hind legs. Not surprisingly, such "duels" often end in severe injuries.

Kangaroo males have a habit of leaving odorous marks from their saliva, and they leave them not only on grass, bushes, trees, but also on ... a female, in such a simple way giving other males a signal that this female belongs to him.

Puberty in female kangaroos occurs after two years, in males a little later, however, young males, due to their still small size, have little chance of mating with a female. And the older the male kangaroo, the more big sizes, which means more strength and more chances to win in the fight for females. In some species of kangaroo, it even happens that the largest and strongest alpha male performs up to half of all matings in the herd.

Pregnancy of female kangaroo lasts 4 weeks. At a time, one cub is usually born, 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, because of this, 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 sticks 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 his own, all this time his mother feeds him, regulating the flow of milk with the help of muscles. Interestingly, if during this period the cub suddenly comes off the nipple, it may even die of hunger. In fact, the mother's kangaroo bag serves as a place for the baby to further development, provides it with the necessary temperature and humidity, helps to grow and get stronger.

Over time, the baby kangaroo grows up and becomes able to crawl out of the mother's pouch. Nevertheless, 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 cub, the previous one will be forbidden to climb into the mother's bag. For a while, he will stick only his head in there to suck milk. Curiously, a female kangaroo is able to feed both an older and a younger cub at the same time, and give them different amounts of milk from different nipples. Over time, the cub grows and becomes a full-fledged adult kangaroo.

• Back in the 19th century, people believed that small kangaroos grow 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 is low in fat.
• And from kangaroo skin, dense and thin, sometimes I make bags, wallets, sew jackets.
• The female kangaroo has as many as three vaginas, the middle one is intended for the birth of cubs, and the two side ones are for mating.
• A kangaroo, along with an ostrich, adorn the coat of arms of the Commonwealth of Australia. And not just like that, they symbolize the movement forward, the fact is that neither the ostrich nor the kangaroo, due to their biological characteristics, simply do not know how to back away.

Kangaroo video

And finally, interesting documentary from the Air Force - "The ubiquitous kangaroos."

most famous marsupial of australia- of course, a kangaroo. This animal is the official symbol of the Green Continent. His image is everywhere: on the national flag, coins, commercial products ... In their homeland, kangaroos can be found up close. settlements, in farmlands and even on the outskirts of cities.

Types of kangaroos and their habitats

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

Tree kangaroos Claw-tailed kangaroos Bush kangaroos Striped kangaroos Red kangaroos Wallabies Philanders Potoroo

Kangaroos live throughout Australia, New Guinea and the islands.

Potoroo (10 species) in addition to Australia are also found in Tasmania. They inhabit rain forests, wet hardwood forests and thickets of shrubs.

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

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, nimble wallaby, etc.) are found from deserts to the outskirts of Australia's humid eucalyptus forests.

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

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

What does a kangaroo look like? Description of the animal

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

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

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 blurred light or dark stripes down the back, around the upper thighs, around the shoulders, 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 than females. So, for example, male red kangaroos are sandy-red, while females are blue-gray or sandy-gray.

The body length of these marsupials is from 28 cm (for musk) to 180 cm (for 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 largest mammals that move by jumping on their hind legs. They can jump very far and fast. The usual length of the jump is 2-3 meters in height, and 9-10 meters in length! They can reach speeds up to 65 km / h.

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

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 views live in open areas. They used to be attacked by terrestrial and aerial predators such as dingoes, wedge-tailed eagles and marsupials (which are now extinct). Living in a group gives marsupials undeniable advantages. So, for example, dingoes are unlikely to approach a large herd, and kangaroos can spend more time feeding. The size of the groups depends on the density of the population, the nature of the habitat and other factors.

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

As a rule, kangaroos do not have dwellings, with the exception of musky kangaroo rats. Some species, such as the brush-tailed ones, take refuge in burrows that they dig themselves. Rock kangaroos hide for the day in crevices or piles of stones, forming colonies.

Kangaroos are usually most active during the 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 diet is plant foods, including grass, leaves, fruits, seeds, bulbs, mushrooms and rhizomes. Some smaller species, notably the potoroo, often diversify their plant-based diet with invertebrates and beetle larvae.

Short-faced kangaroos prefer the underground parts of plants - roots, rhizomes, tubers and bulbs. It 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 fruits. In general, plants of many species are eaten: marsupials eat their various parts depending on the season.

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

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

Procreation. The life of a kangaroo in a bag

In some species of kangaroo, the mating season is timed to a certain 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 reproductive activity up to 8-12 years. Some rat kangaroos are ready to breed as early as 10-11 months old. Males reach sexual maturity a little later than females, but in large species, older individuals do not allow their participation in reproduction.

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

The bag provides the newborn with the right temperature and humidity, protects, allows you to move freely. The first 12 weeks, the kangaroo grows rapidly and acquires characteristic features.

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

The grown up kangaroo continues to follow the mother and can stick its head into the bag to feast on milk.

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

In all species, only one cub is born, with the exception of the musky kangaroo, which often has twins and even triplets.

conservation in nature

Australian farmers annually kill about 3 million large kangaroos and wallaras, because they are considered pests of pastures and crops. Shooting is licensed and regulated.

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

In contact with

Kangaroo - the animal depicted on the national emblem of Australia, is the main symbol of the country. It is believed that the choice of the kangaroo as a national symbol occurred because these animals only move forward, which symbolizes progress. Sailors, who first came to the Australian continent, were frightened when they met an unusual creature, perceiving it as a monster with two heads.


Time passed until the scientists, who studied a peculiar representative of the Australian fauna, solved this riddle, explaining to the world the fact of carrying kangaroo cubs in a bag. In the process of studying these extraordinary animals, many amazing facts. We will discuss the most interesting of them below.

Origin of the name "kangaroo"

There are several legends about the origin of the name "Kangaroo". According to one of them, when in 1770 the navigator James Cook landed on the Australian coast, when he saw a strange animal, he asked the native: “who is this?”. The native answered: "ken guru" - "I do not understand." The traveler decided that this was the name of the animal. In fact, in one of the languages ​​\u200b\u200bof the Aboriginal peoples of Australia, the name of the animal has long sounded like this - "Kanguroo".

Types of kangaroos and their physique

Allocate more 60 species of kangaroos, of which the species of these animals of large and medium size are considered to be actually real kangaroos.

Australia symbol - big red kangaroo(Macropus rufus) - the longest in size. The length of its body reaches up to two meters, the tail - a little more than a meter. The weight of the male can reach up to 85 kilograms, and the female up to 35 kilograms.

The only members of this family that live in trees. They reach a length of 60 centimeters, they have tenacious claws on their paws and thick brown fur, which makes them invisible among the foliage of trees.

All kangaroos have strong teeth arranged in several rows. When one tooth wears down, it is replaced by the one that grows behind it.
All female kangaroos have a pouch. Its edge is formed by strong muscles, which, if necessary, it can compress, for example, protecting the cub from the rain and unclench so that it can lean out. Inside the bag there is no wool, and in front of the entrance to it is the thickest fur.

Kangaroo's unique abilities

Kangaroos can reach running speed up to 60 km/h, and gray kangaroos, running away from hunters or cars, can reach speeds of 65 km / h.

Kangaroo is the only large animal in nature that moves with jumps that can reach a length up to 12 meters and up to 3 meters in height. When jumping, animals sweat profusely. This maintains a stable body temperature, and when they stop breathing, it reaches 300 breaths per minute.


The kangaroo has sharp eyesight and hearing. With their ears that can rotate 360 ​​degrees, they pick up any sound.

When fighting with an enemy, the kangaroo transfers the weight of its body to the tail and strikes with its hind legs. Its hind paws can easily break the skull, and its claws can rip the skin.

Nutrition Features

Kangaroos are herbivores. They search for food in the evening, when the heat subsides and can go long distances for it. Their diet includes leaves, grass, fruits, and young roots, which they dig with their front paws.


Large red kangaroos can eat dry, tough and even prickly grass, which they eat in a day in a volume comparable to a portion of a ram. Rat kangaroos also eat insects and worms.

All species of these animals are adapted to do without water for a very long time, and when they are thirsty, they can, in search of it, dig a well up to a meter deep with their paws or peel off the bark of trees and lick the juice from them.

Reproduction and rearing of offspring

Kangaroos mate for a year, so females are constantly pregnant. Their pregnancy lasts 1 month. If there is already a cub in the bag, the female can stop the development of the fetus. Delaying the birth of a cub can keep it alive during a drought when there is not enough food.

• A cub is born no larger than a bee (2 cm) and weighs less than a gram. The newborn immediately crawls to his mother in a bag in which he immediately clings to the nipple.
• The female feeds the cubs with milk, which she produces 4 types of milk. If she has two babies at the same time, then the older one receives more fat milk from one nipple, and the younger female feeds less fat milk with antibodies from the other nipple.
• If there is not enough food or the cub is sick, the mother can throw it out of the bag.
• In the mother's pouch, the cub grows from 120 to 400 days, and a few weeks before leaving it, it begins to protrude from it.
• Being in the pouch at an older age, they continue to defecate in it, so the females have to constantly clean the pouch. They leave the pouch for good at 10 months, but stay with their mother until 18 months.

Population ecology

Kangaroos live in Australia, on the Bismarck Archipelago, on the islands of Tasmania and New Guinea. Habitats depend on the type of kangaroo. For the most part they live in a plain where bushes and dense grass grow. They can also be found on the beach. Mountain kangaroos live in the highlands, Walabi - in the shroud. Tree kangaroos climb trees.


Kangaroos - keep in groups and become active with the onset of dusk, and during the day they usually rest in the shade. by the most worst enemies kangaroos are sandy flies. After the rains have passed, their countless numbers concentrate near the reservoirs where the kangaroos come to drink. Flocks of flies swoop down on animals and sting their eyes. It happens that these kangaroo bites even go blind.

Kangaroo and man

There are currently 23 million people living in Australia, and kangaroos on the continent are 2.5 times larger. Having gathered in a group, kangaroos can raid pastures or fields and destroy crops.


For humans, kangaroos are often hunted because of their fur and meat. In Australia, kangaroo meat has been legal since 1980.

At night in Australia, kangaroos often run out onto the road at night and collide with passing cars, creating emergencies.

Until 1887, all athletes started standing up, and the American sprinter Charles Sherrill, at the start of the race, made a stance, as do kangaroos, crouching to the ground. He started early and won the race. Since then in athletics began to use a low start.

• By official statistics lives in Australia over 50 million kangaroos.
• Kangaroos live an average of 12 years in the wild and up to 25 years in captivity.
• Young females give birth first to female cubs, and then to male ones.
• Kangaroos can reverse, but only jump forward.
• Kangaroos breed well in zoos.

Finally, look interesting video about these amazing animals: