Where does the mainland kangaroo live? Kangaroos are the best jumpers on the planet
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 maintain balance.
Therefore, it is impossible to catch up with the animal, especially since during its flight it is capable of anything: once a large red kangaroo, fleeing from farmers, jumped over a three-meter fence. If someone who wants to taste 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.
Kangaroos are called marsupial mammals from the order of two-incisors (they have two large incisors on the lower jaw). This word is used in two meanings:
- It is applied in a broad aspect to all representatives of the kangaroo family, which ranges from 46 to 55 species. Includes a family of herbivores that move by jumping, have undeveloped front legs and, conversely, extremely developed hind legs, and also have a strong tail that helps maintain balance while moving. Because of this structure, the body of animals is in vertical position, while leaning on the tail and hind legs. Thus, three species are distinguished: kangaroo rats - the smallest individuals; wallabies are medium in size, outwardly resembling a smaller copy of large animals; Large kangaroos are marsupials of Australia.
- They call the largest representatives of marsupials from the long-legged family, which are the unofficial symbol of Australia: they can be seen on the coat of arms and coins.
Representatives of the family live both in arid regions and tropical forests on the territory of Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, on the Bismarck Islands. IN late XIX- beginning of the 20th century They took root well on the territory of Germany and England, reproduced successfully and even tolerated snowy winters well, but they were powerless against poachers, who completely exterminated them.
Description
Depending on the species, representatives of the family have a length from 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 the resident of the Australian continent - the great red kangaroo, and the heaviest is the eastern gray kangaroo. The fur of marsupials is soft, thick, and can be gray, black, red and their shades.
The kangaroo is an interesting animal because it top part poorly developed. The head is small, the muzzle can be either long or short. 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, and combing fur.
But the lower part of the body is developed: the hind legs, a long thick tail, the hips are very strong, the foot has four toes, while the second and third are connected by a membrane, the fourth has a strong claw.
This structure makes it possible to successfully defend itself using powerful blows with its hind legs, and move quickly (in this case, the tail replaces the marsupial’s steering wheel). These animals are unable to move backwards; their tail and the shape of their hind legs do not allow them to do so.
Lifestyle
Marsupials prefer to lead night image life, appearing in the 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 wants to taste kangaroo meat), the message about this is immediately transmitted to the rest of the pack by striking the ground with its hind legs. They often use sounds to convey information - grunting, sneezing, clicking, hissing.
If the area has favorable living conditions (abundance of food, absence of 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 kangaroo chicks growing in the pouch. At the same time, the male very jealously protects 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 travel several tens of kilometers in search of the best feeding areas).
Despite the fact that marsupials are not particularly smart, they are very resourceful and know how to adapt well: if their usual food is no longer enough, they switch to other foods, eating plants that even animals that are not picky about food (for example, dry, hard food) do not eat. and even prickly grass).
Nutrition
Eating marsupials with leaves trees and shrubs, bark, roots, shoots; some species hunt for insects and worms. They either dig up food or cut it off with their teeth, and it is worth noting that they usually either do not have upper fangs at all, or they are poorly developed, but they have 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 easily go for several days and even months without water (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 (at the same time helping other animals suffering from lack of water). During this time, they try not to waste energy: during the dry months, they move less and spend more time in the shade.
Reproduction
The ability to reproduce begins as early as one and a half to two years (they live from 9 to 18 years; cases have been recorded where individual specimens lived to be thirty). At the same time, males fight so fiercely for the female that the collision often ends in severe injuries.
A female usually gives birth to only one baby kangaroo, less often twins. Before the baby is born, the mother carefully licks the pouch (a fold of skin on the abdomen intended for the development of a baby kangaroo) and makes it clean.
Pregnancy lasts from one to one and a half months, so the baby 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 it is born, it immediately clings to its mother’s fur and crawls into the pouch, in which it spends about eleven months.
In the bag, he immediately grabs one of the four nipples and does not tear himself away from it for two and a half months (at initial stage He is not yet able to suck milk; the liquid is released on its own under the influence of a special muscle). By this time, the baby is developing, growing up, gaining sight, growing fur and begins to leave the shelter for a short time, while he is very alert and jumps back at the slightest sound.
After the baby kangaroo begins to leave the pouch for a long time (between 6 and 11 months of age), the mother gives birth to the next baby. Interestingly, the female is able to delay the birth of a baby kangaroo until the previous baby leaves the pouch (it is either too small, or there are unfavorable conditions) weather eg drought). And then, in case of danger, he will remain in 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 full fat milk, from another - the newborn eats milk with less fat content.
Relationships with people
In nature big kangaroo There are few enemies: kangaroo meat only attracts 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 damaging crops in 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 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. Clothes, shoes and other products are made from animal skins. Animals are often hunted for sport, so many species are found only in uninhabited areas
Bulldozer - Apr 24th, 2015
Kangaroos got their name due to a misunderstanding. In the Australian Aboriginal language, the word “ken-gu-ru” means “I don’t understand,” and the Europeans decided that this was the name of this strange animal.
The kangaroo animal is marsupial mammal. There are about seventy varieties of kangaroos, from very miniature to giants (weighing from 500 g to 90 kg). The largest is the red kangaroo. Kangaroos live on the plains; they are terrestrial animals, but there are also those who can climb trees. Eating plant foods, mostly grass. Stand upright on hind legs, leaning on a powerful tail. They also move on their hind legs, performing jumps of up to 10 m. They can also develop decent speed over short distances - up to 60 km per hour. They lead a nocturnal lifestyle, escaping the heat of the day.
Kangaroos are widespread in Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, and were introduced into New Zealand. Kangaroos have become a symbol of Australia - they are depicted on its coat of arms.
Photo: amazing kangaroos.
Female kangaroos give birth once a year. Pregnancy is short, only a month. One or two, rarely three very small cubs are born. The giant kangaroo has newborns measuring up to three centimeters. Then the babies live in their mother’s pouch for another six to eight months.
Kangaroos easily adapt to life in captivity, some are even bred on farms. They are also used as circus performers. Kangaroos are amazing at boxing with both their front and back paws. It is difficult for a person to cope with them, which is why such “fights” are very popular among spectators.
Wild Australia Desert Red Kangaroos
Video: Fights without rules. Kangaroo vs kickboxer!
Ecology
Basics:
Kangaroos are herbivorous mammals that eat a huge amount of different greens, including grass, shoots, leaves of trees and shrubs. Animals take most of their moisture from food, so they can for a long time don't drink water at all.
Like cows, kangaroos have a stomach with several chambers, which allows them to digest food well. They regurgitate grass and leaves, chewing them repeatedly before finally swallowing them. Kangaroos also 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.
A kangaroo's hind legs and feet are much stronger and longer than its front legs. They have muscular long tails, very thick at the base, which allow them to maintain balance and guide 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 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 engage in fights for dominant status.
If a kangaroo senses danger, it warns the entire flock with loud kicks of its legs on the ground. They can also publish different sounds, such as grunting, sneezing, hissing and clicking.
Kangaroos belong to the infraclass marsupials. These animals are distinguished by the fact that they give birth to their young underdeveloped, but they continue to develop in a special fold of skin on the mother’s abdomen - the bursa.
A female kangaroo gives birth once a year after only a month of pregnancy. At birth, the baby 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 its mother's pouch, where it continues to develop for another 120 to 400 days. The grown cubs stick their snouts out of the pouch and begin exploring their surroundings several weeks before they leave the pouch.
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-desert areas, where they feed on scarce local greenery. Due to drought, the kangaroo population is declining because there is less food available.
The western gray kangaroo lives in forests, woodlands, bushland, grasslands of eastern Australia and on the island of Tasmania.
Antelope kangaroo lives in monsoon tropical woodlands in the northern part of the continent.
Security status: causing the lowest risk of extinction
The main kangaroo species are not at serious risk of extinction, but populations are declining due to development Agriculture, habitat loss, fires and hunting. Australian law protects the eastern and western gray kangaroos. They can be hunted with special permission for the purpose of obtaining skin and meat.
The Latin name for the kangaroo family is Macropodidae– means "big foot"
Word "kangaroo" It was first recorded by British traveler and explorer James Cook after hearing the name of the animal from local residents.
A female kangaroo can become pregnant immediately after giving birth to her baby. Younger brother or the sister also gets into the bag. Both cubs, the eldest and the youngest, feed different types milk that the mother produces.
The young do not leave the pouch until a certain age and have to defecate and urinate in 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 pouches regularly.
Kangaroos have good hearing, and, like cats, they “prick up” their ears and pick up the quietest sounds.
Kangaroos cannot move backwards, but they are excellent swimmers.
The faster kangaroos jump, the less energy they expend.
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) captured the imagination of Europeans, who had never met such unique 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 on this matter. According to one of them, when the team of the English navigator James Cook went deep into the Australian continent and met kangaroos, the British asked the local aborigines what they were. strange creatures, to which the answer was “kangaroo”, which in their language meant “keng” - jumping “uru” - four-legged.
According to another version, “kangaroo” in the native language simply meant “I don’t understand.” According to the third, the natives simply repeated after the British the phrase “can you tell me” (can you tell me), which in their performance was transformed into “kangaroo”.
Be that as it may, linguists have established that the word “kangaroo” first appeared in the language of the Australian tribe Guugu-Yimithirr, as the aborigines 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 Two-incisor marsupials and the family Kangarooidae. Their close relatives are also kangaroo rats or potoroos, which may be discussed in a separate article on our website.
The kangaroo family includes 11 genera and 62 species, including rare and endangered ones. Small species of kangaroo are also sometimes called 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. Moreover, the tail of these animals can be an additional 27-51 cm.
Interestingly, male kangaroos are many times larger than females, whose growth stops after puberty, while males continue to grow. It is not uncommon for a female gray or red kangaroo, who is participating in reproduction 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 heads are small, but with big ears and no less large almond-shaped eyes. Kangaroos' eyes have eyelashes that protect their corneas from dust. The kangaroo's nose is black.
The lower jaw of a kangaroo has an unusual structure; its rear ends are curved inward. How many teeth does a kangaroo have? Depending on the species, the number of teeth ranges from 32 to 34. Moreover, kangaroo teeth are devoid of roots and are perfectly adapted for rough plant food.
The front legs of a kangaroo seem to be not fully developed, but the hind legs are very strong, it is thanks to them that the kangaroo makes its signature jumps. But fat and a long tail The kangaroo's body is not just for beauty; thanks to it, these creatures balance when jumping, and it is also a support during sitting and fighting. The length of a kangaroo's tail, depending on the species, can be from 14 to 107 cm.
When resting or moving, the animal's body weight is distributed over its long narrow feet, creating the effect of plantigrade walking. But when kangaroos jump, they use only two toes on each foot - the 4th and 5th. And the 2nd and 3rd fingers are one process with two claws; kangaroos use them to clean their fur. The first toe of their foot, alas, is completely lost.
The small front paws of a kangaroo have five movable toes on a wide and short hand. At the ends of these fingers there are sharp claws, which serve kangaroos for a variety of purposes: they use them to take food, scratch fur, grab enemies in self-defense, dig holes, etc. large views Kangaroos also use their front paws for thermoregulation by licking them with inside, after which the saliva evaporates, and thus cools the blood in the network of superficial vessels.
Large kangaroos move by jumping using their strong hind legs, but jumping is not the only way these animals move. In addition to jumping, kangaroos can also walk slowly using all four limbs, which move in pairs rather than alternately. How fast can kangaroos reach? 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.
Interesting fact: kangaroos are not only excellent runners and sprinters, 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 vertically and supported by the tail. Or they lie on their side, leaning on their forelimbs.
All kangaroos have soft, thick, but short fur. Kangaroos have fur of 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, and the belly, on the contrary, is lighter. Rock and tree kangaroos sometimes have longitudinal or transverse stripes on their tails. And in some species of kangaroos, males are brighter colored than females, but this sexual dimorphism is not absolute.
Albino kangaroos are very rarely found in nature.
The females of all kangaroos have signature pouches on their bellies in which they carry their young - this is one of the most colorful and unique features these animals. At the top of the kangaroo's pouch there are muscles with which the mother kangaroo can tightly close the pouch when necessary, for example during swimming, so that the little kangaroo does not suffocate.
Kangaroos also have a sound apparatus with which they can make different sounds: hiss, cough, grunt.
How long do kangaroos live?
On average, kangaroos live in natural conditions about 4-6 years. Some large species can live 12-18 years.
What does a kangaroo eat?
All kangaroos are herbivores, although there are a few among them omnivorous species. For example, tree kangaroos can eat bird eggs and small 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 mushrooms, while playing important role in the spread of spores of these same fungi. Small species of kangaroos like to eat grass, leaves, and seeds as food. At the same time, they are more picky in their diet than their larger counterparts - they can spend hours looking for suitable grass, when any vegetation is suitable for undemanding large kangaroos.
It is interesting that kangaroos are not very picky about water, so they can easily do without it for up to a month, being content with moisture from plants and dew.
In zoos, kangaroos are fed grasses, and the basis of their diet in captivity is rolled oats mixed with seeds, nuts and dried fruits. They also enjoy eating various 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: New Guinea, Tasmania, Hawaii and the island of Kawau and some other islands.
Kangaroos also choose different habitats as habitats. climatic zones, from the deserts of central Australia to the humid eucalyptus forests along the outskirts of this continent. Among them we can distinguish tree kangaroos, the only representatives of this family that live in trees; they naturally live exclusively in forests, while, for example, hare and claw-tailed kangaroos, on the contrary, prefer desert and semi-desert areas.
Lifestyle of a kangaroo in the wild
Tree kangaroos, which we mentioned in the last paragraph are closest to common ancestors all kangaroos that in the old days lived in trees, after which, in the process of evolution, all types of kangaroos, with the exception of arboreal ones, 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 start a family, but only until the small kangaroos grow up. Males and females of these kangaroos unite only during 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 join again. It is curious that individuals of a certain age tend to live together, but it also happens the other way around, for example, a female kangaroo, whose baby is preparing to leave the pouch, avoids other kangaroo mothers who are in exactly the same position.
Living in a large herd, it is easier for large kangaroos to resist potential predators, primarily wild dingoes and the marsupial that once lived in Australia (now extinct).
Enemies of kangaroos in nature
Since ancient times, the natural enemies of kangaroos have been Australian predators: the wild dog dingo, the marsupial wolf, various predator birds(they only hunt small kangaroos or small babies of large kangaroos), also large snakes. Although the large kangaroos themselves are capable of standing up for themselves quite well - the impact force of their hind legs is enormous, there have been cases when people fell with a broken skull from their blow (yes, these cute herbivorous kangaroos can be dangerous to humans). Dogs well aware of this danger, dingoes hunt kangaroos exclusively in packs, in order to avoid the deadly blows of the kangaroo paws, dingoes have their own technique - they specially drive the kangaroo into the water, trying to drown it.
But perhaps the most ferocious enemies of these animals are neither wild dingoes nor birds of prey, but ordinary midges, appearing in huge numbers after rains and mercilessly stinging kangaroos in the eyes, so that they sometimes even lose their sight for a while. Sand fleas 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 nasty habit of destroying their crops. Therefore, in Australia, a 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 it is now, and the growth of 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 arboreal ones, has brought a number of their species to the brink of extinction. Also many small Australian kangaroos suffered from being brought to Australia by Europeans at the end of the 19th century for sport hunting. The foxes, finding 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 species of kangaroos, and below we will describe the most interesting of them.
This is the largest representative of the kangaroo family and at the same time the largest marsupial in the world. Lives in arid regions of Australia. It has a red coat color, although among females there are individuals with gray coat. The length of a large red kangaroo can reach 2 meters and weigh 85 kg.
And the big red kangaroo is an excellent “boxer”, pushing the enemy away with its front paws and can hit him with its strong hind limbs. Of course, such a blow does not bode well.
Also known as the forest kangaroo, this name comes from its habit of settling in wooded areas. This is the second largest kangaroo, its body length is 1.8 meters and its weight is 85 kg. In addition to Australia, it also lives in Tasmania and Mary and Fraser Islands. It is this type of kangaroo that holds the record for jumping distance - it is capable of jumping at a distance of up to 12 m. It is also the fastest among kangaroos, it is capable of moving at speeds of up to 64 km per hour. It is gray-brown in color, and its fur-covered muzzle 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. People also call this kangaroo the stinky one for the pungent odor that comes from the males.
He's just an ordinary wallaroo. It differs from its other relatives in its powerful shoulders and shorter hind limbs and massive build. Lives in rocky areas 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, and slightly lighter in females.
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 regular one, with a small tail and small hind limbs. The curve of this kangaroo's mouth resembles a smile, which is why it is also called the "smiling kangaroo". Lives in arid places with herbaceous vegetation.
The wallaby hare is the only species of striped kangaroo. On this moment listed as critically endangered. Striped kangaroos once lived in Australia, but in given time their population 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 is distinguished not only by its striped color, but also by its elongated muzzle with a hairless nasal planum.
Kangaroo breeding
In some species of kangaroos, the mating season occurs at a certain time, but in most representatives of the kangaroo family, mating occurs all year round. Usually, males organize real kangaroo fights without rules for the female. In some ways, their fights are reminiscent of human boxing - leaning on their tails, they stand on their hind legs, trying to grab the opponent with their front legs. To win, you need to knock him to the ground and beat him with his hind legs. It is not surprising that such “duels” often end in severe injuries.
Male kangaroos have the custom of leaving odorous marks from their saliva, and leave them not only on the grass, bushes, trees, but also on ... the female, in such a simple way giving other males a signal that this female belongs to him.
Sexual maturity in female kangaroos occurs after two years, in males a little later, but young males, due to their still small size, have little chance of mating with a female. And the older the male kangaroo, the more he has big sizes, which means more strength and chances to win the fight for females. In some kangaroo species, it even happens that the largest and strongest alpha male performs up to half of all matings in the herd.
The pregnancy of a female kangaroo lasts 4 weeks. Usually one cub is born at a time, 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, which is why 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 attaches 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 its own, its mother feeds it all this time, regulating the flow of milk with the help of muscles. It is interesting that if during this period the cub suddenly breaks away from the nipple, it may even die of starvation. In fact, the mother-kangaroo's pouch serves as a place for the baby's further development, provides it with the necessary temperature and humidity, and helps it grow and get stronger.
Over time, the baby kangaroo grows and becomes able to crawl out of its mother's pouch. However, 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 appears new cub, the previous one will be prohibited from getting into the mother's bag. For some time he will stick only his head in there to suck milk. Curiously, a female kangaroo is capable of feeding both the older and the younger cub at the same time, and giving them different quantities milk from different nipples. Over time, the baby grows up and becomes a full-fledged adult kangaroo.
- Back in the 19th century, people believed that small kangaroos grew 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 low fat content.
- And from kangaroo leather, thick and thin, I sometimes make bags, wallets, and sew jackets.
- A female kangaroo has three vaginas, the middle one is for giving birth to babies, and the two side ones are for mating.
- A kangaroo and an ostrich adorn the coat of arms of the Commonwealth of Australia. And for a reason, they symbolize moving forward, the fact is that neither the ostrich nor the kangaroo, due to their biological characteristics, simply cannot move backwards.
Kangaroo, video
And finally interesting documentary from the BBC - "The Ubiquitous Kangaroos."
Kangaroos are the most famous marsupial animals, 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).
Externally, kangaroos do not resemble any other animal: their head resembles that of a deer, their neck middle length, the body is slender in the front and widens in the back, the limbs are of different sizes - the front ones are relatively small, and the back ones are very long and powerful, the tail is thick and long. The front paws are five-fingered, have well-developed toes, and look more like a primate hand than a dog's paw. Nevertheless, the fingers end in rather large claws.
The front paw of a large gray or forest kangaroo (Macropus giganteus).
The hind feet have only four toes ( thumb reduced), with the second and third fingers fused. The kangaroo's body is covered with short, thick hair, which protects the animals well from heat and cold. The color of most species is protective - gray, red, brown, some species may have white stripes. The sizes of kangaroos vary widely: the largest red kangaroos reach a height of 1.5 m and weigh up to 85-90 kg, and the smallest species are only 30 cm long and weigh 1-1.5 kg! All types of kangaroos are conventionally divided into three groups by size: the three largest species are called gigantic kangaroos, the 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 the small rat kangaroos. Due to its tiny size, it can easily be mistaken for a rodent in appearance.
The kangaroo's habitat covers Australia and the adjacent islands - Tasmania, New Guinea, and kangaroos are also acclimatized in New Zealand. Among kangaroos, there are both species with a wide range, living throughout the continent, and endemics, found only in a limited area (for example, in New Guinea). The habitat of these animals is very diverse: most species inhabit open 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 a kangaroo among the rocks is a common sight, for example, mountain views Wallabies can rise to the level of snow.
A kangaroo in a snowdrift is not such a rare occurrence.
But the most unusual are the tree kangaroos that live in dense forests. They spend most of their lives on tree branches and very deftly climb in the crowns, and at times jump over trunks in short jumps. Considering that their tail and hind legs are not at all tenacious, then such balancing is amazing.
Goodfellow's tree kangaroo (Dendrolagus goodfellowi) with baby.
All types of kangaroos move on their hind legs; while grazing, they hold their body horizontally and can rest their front paws on the ground, while alternately pushing off with their hind and forelimbs. In all other cases, they hold the body in an upright position. Interestingly, kangaroos are not able to move their paws sequentially, as other two-legged animals (birds, primates) do and push off the ground with both paws at the same time. For this reason, they cannot move backwards. Actually walking is unknown to these animals; they move only by jumping, and this is a very energy-consuming method of movement! On the one hand, kangaroos have phenomenal jumping ability and are able to make jumps several times greater than their body length, on the other hand, they spend a lot of energy on such movement, so they are not very durable. Large species of kangaroo can maintain a good pace for no more than 10 minutes. However, this time is enough to hide from enemies, because the length of the jump of the largest red kangaroo can reach 9 and even 12 m, and the speed is 50 km/h! Red kangaroos can jump up to 2 m in height.
The jumps of the red kangaroo amaze with their power.
Other species have more modest achievements, but in any case, kangaroos are the fastest animals in their habitat. The secret of such jumping ability lies not so much in the powerful muscles of the paws, but in... the tail. The tail serves as a very effective balancer during jumping and as a fulcrum when sitting, leaning on the tail, these animals relieve the muscles of the hind limbs.
Kangaroos often rest lying on their sides in a sybaritic pose, comically scratching their sides.
Kangaroos are herd animals and live 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 kangaroo herd and in general their social connections are not developed. This behavior is due to the general primitiveness of marsupials and poor development cerebral cortex. Their interaction is limited to monitoring their brothers - as soon as one animal gives an alarm signal, the rest take to their heels. The kangaroo's voice 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 homes, 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 fancy to the rocks.
Kangaroos feed on plant foods, which they can chew twice, regurgitating part of the digested food and chewing it again, like ruminants. The kangaroo's stomach has a complex structure and is populated with bacteria that facilitate the digestion of food. Most species feed exclusively on grass, eating it in large quantities. Tree kangaroos feed on 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, and they can also 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.
Female kangaroo with baby in pouch.
Kangaroos do not have a specific breeding season, but their reproductive processes are very intense. In fact, the female’s body is a “factory” for the production of its own kind. Excited males engage in fights, during which they lock their front paws together and hit each other hard in the stomach with their hind paws. In such a fight, the tail plays an important role, on which the fighters literally rely on their fifth leg.
Male great gray kangaroos in a mating match.
Pregnancy in these animals is very short, for example, female gray giant kangaroos carry a baby 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 (!) reach the mother’s pouch. The female helps him by licking a path in the fur, but the embryo crawls without outside help! To appreciate the scale of this phenomenon, imagine if human children were born 1-2 months after conception and independently found their mother's breasts blindly. Having climbed into the mother's pouch, the baby kangaroo attaches itself to one of the nipples for a long time and spends the first 1-2 months in the pouch.
