Kangaroo

Kangaroo
Scientific classification
Kingdom Information
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum Information
Phylum	Chordata
Class Information
Class	Mammalia
Sub-class	Marsupialia
Order Information
Order	Diprotodontia
Sub-order	Macropodiformes
Family Information
Family	Macropodidae
Genus Information
Genus	Macropus
Population statistics

Kangaroos are the largest marsupials alive today. Excluding specimens sent overseas, they are only found on the continent of Australia apart from some species in some areas of Papua New Guinea^[1]. There are at least sixty-nine species of kangaroo ^[2], which include wallabies and tree-kangaroos.

Kangaroos have large ears on top of their small heads, a long snout, and short arms with clawed fingers. Their legs are strong, powerful, and are made for leaping. Their feet have four toes at the end of elongated metatarsi that they rest on when standing. They also have a powerful, thick tail that is used as support when standing, a third-leg when walking slowly, and for counterbalance while leaping. Like all Marsupials, female kangaroos have a pouch on their stomachs in which they carry their young.

Diet

Kangaroos are herbivores, eating grass, roots, and shrubs. They have a chambered stomach similar to sheep and cattle. They are able to regurgitate their food, chew it again as cud, and then swallow it for digestion.

Social Order

Kangaroos travel in mobs of about ten or more males and females. The leader of the mob, called a "boomer", is a male determined by age and size. The boomer has access to females in his mob for mating and will wander around the mob intimidating any other males who try to mate with his harem.

Reproduction

Female kangaroos usually only have one baby kangaroo (called a "joey") at a time. The newborn joey weighs as little as 0.03 ounces when first born, after which it crawls into its mothers pouch where it will nurse, grow, and develop. Red Kangaroo joeys will stay in their mothers pouch for about eight months and Grey Kangaroo joeys stay in there for about one year.

Evolution

The evolutionary view is that kangaroos and other marsupials evolved from a common marsupial ancestor which lived hundreds of millions of years ago.^[3]

Dreamtime

Some Australian Aborigines believe that kangaroos were sung into existence by their ancestors during the Dreamtime.^[4]

• Kangaroo facts
• Answers About Kangaroos
• How did animals get from the Ark to places such as Australia?