Kangaroo is a marsupial animal, there are about sixty of them. different types. This is one of the most amazing mammals living on the planet.

There are terrestrial species - some live on plains overgrown with shrubs and grass, others in rocky areas, and some species can climb trees. They are extremely shy and cautious, usually kept in groups.

Cubs are born very quickly - only 30-40 days, kangaroos are born very small - the length of the newborn cub is no more than 3 cm.

These animals have striking differences from representatives of other fauna. the globe. For example, they can move exclusively forward - a huge tail prevents them from moving backward and unusual structure hind legs.

Individuals of one of the species reach a weight of 90 kg, while representatives of another species do not exceed a weight of 1 kg. The kangaroo has two types of milk for feeding the cubs - there are always two of them in the animal's bag, one of which has almost grown up, and the second is a newborn. The photo shows two babies of different sizes peeking out of a kangaroo bag.

Kangaroos are very smart animals - the inhabitants of those places where these mammals live, have repeatedly observed how, fleeing from a chase, a kangaroo lures the enemy into a pond, and then tries to drown.

Dingoes - wild dogs hunting kangaroos, have been subjected to such a fate more than once.

Images of a kangaroo and an emu adorn the Australian national emblem.

Where does the kangaroo live

Habitats, as a rule, are arid territories of the planet - these animals inhabit Australia, New Guinea, are found on the Bismarck Islands, in Tasmania, are found in England and Germany.

Kangaroos have adapted to live even in cold climates - they also live in countries where snow drifts in winter sometimes reach the waist.

Description of the body structure of a kangaroo

This animal has unusually long and strong hind legs, they allow it to jump in length over a distance of up to 12 m and reach a speed of about 60 km / h, but the kangaroo will not be able to move at a frantic pace for more than 10 minutes.

The kangaroo balances with the help of a huge, powerful tail - thanks to it, the beast can maintain balance in almost any situation.

The shape of the head of a kangaroo is a bit like the head of a deer; compared to the body, it seems very small.

The shoulders of the animal are disproportionately narrow, the forelimbs are short, they are not covered with fur, on each paw there are five very mobile fingers pumped with claws - they are necessary to hold food and comb out the hair.

The lower part of the body is much more developed than the upper. Thanks to the powerful tail, the animals sit - when relying on the tail, their lower limbs rest.

There are four fingers on the lower paws, while the second and third are connected by a membrane, and on the fourth there grows a well-developed razor-sharp claw.

Kangaroo fur is thick, short, it saves from the heat in the summer, warms in the cold season. The color is not very bright - from gray to ash-brown, some species have red or brown hair.

The growth of a kangaroo depends on the species - the length of the body can be 1.5 m, and there are individuals the size of only a rat - these are representatives of the rat family - the so-called kangaroo rats.

The animal moves only on its hind legs and only by jumping - it cannot move its legs in turn one after another. And in order to eat food located not on a tree, but on the ground, it brings the body to a position almost parallel to the ground.

Habits and lifestyle

These mammals live in herds, the livestock of a group of kangaroos can number up to 25 animals. But two species - rats and wallabies - lead a solitary lifestyle.

Smaller species are active at night, representatives large species- active at any time of the day, but still graze at night - when it becomes cool.

There is no head of the herd, since these animals are primitive, with a poorly developed brain, although they have a well-developed self-preservation instinct. As soon as one of the relatives warns of danger, the herd rushes to their heels.

Kangaroos signal with a cry similar to a hoarse cough, they have excellent hearing, so these animals hear signals even at a very long distance.

Kangaroos live in open spaces, digging holes is characteristic only of representatives of the rat species, therefore, in nature, kangaroos have many enemies.

While in their homeland - in Australia - predators brought by a man did not start up, only dingoes and marsupial wolves hunted kangaroos, and for small species they were dangerous marsupial martens, predatory birds and snakes.

As a rule, kangaroos do not attack the pursuer, but save themselves by flight. If the enemy drives the animal into a corner, then the kangaroos are able to give a powerful rebuff in an unusual way - hugging the enemy with their upper paws, the lower kangaroo strikes.

A kangaroo dingo can be killed with a couple of blows, and a person who falls into the clutches of an angry animal will end up in the hospital with multiple fractures.

It is not uncommon for kangaroos to live not far from people - a herd can be found on the outskirts of towns, near rural farms.

Kangaroo is a non-domesticated mammal, but the proximity of a person does not frighten him. They are accustomed to being fed, letting a person close, but they practically do not allow themselves to be stroked and can go on the attack.

What do kangaroos eat

These are ruminants, they chew food twice, after swallowing, they belch out part of the portion and chew it again. In the stomach of a kangaroo, special bacteria are produced that help digest tough plants.

Tree-dwelling species eat fruits and foliage, while the rat subspecies feeds on roots and insects.

Kangaroos can not drink for a long time, so they consume little water.

Reproduction and longevity

Kangaroo is missing seasonal period breeding, they mate throughout the year. Males are characterized by mating battles, the winner fertilizes the female, and after 30-40 days cubs are born - always no more than two, the body length of a newborn kangaroo is 2-3 cm.

Kangaroo females have an amazing ability - while the older cub is fed with milk, the female can delay the birth of the next one.

In fact, the cub of this animal is an underdeveloped embryo, but immediately after birth, it is able to independently move into the bag, where it will grow and feed for two months.

The bag reliably covers the cub - by contraction of the muscles, the female can close and slightly open the marsupial compartment on the belly. IN wild nature average duration The life of a kangaroo, depending on the species, is 10-15 years, and in captivity, some individuals lived up to 25-30.

Despite the fact that the brain of these mammals is poorly developed, like any other living creature on the planet, kangaroos are characterized by a certain ingenuity and a well-developed self-preservation instinct.

Unfortunately, these interesting and unusual animals have not escaped participation in the food chain of the globe. Their meat is edible and has been eaten by Australian Aborigines for centuries.

And some Australian scientists even believe that kangaroo meat is less harmful than lamb and beef. Since 1994, its export has been established to Europe.

Photo kangaroo

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.

Kangaroos are called marsupial mammals from the group 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. They call the largest representatives of 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 in both arid regions and tropical forests in Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, on the Bismarck Islands. IN late XIX- the beginning of the 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.

And here Bottom part the body is developed: 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, 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 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).

Nutrition

Marsupials feed on leaves of trees and shrubs, bark, roots, shoots, some species hunt insects and worms. They either dig out food or cut it with their teeth, while it is worth noting that they usually have upper fangs either not at all, or they are poorly developed, but there are two large incisors on the lower jaw (another interesting fact is that, unlike most mammals, their 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 in 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 tear himself away from it for two and a half months (at the 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 at big kangaroo few enemies: kangaroo meat attracts only foxes, dingoes and birds of prey(and 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 containing great amount proteins 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.

Bulldozer - Apr 24th, 2015

Kangaroos got their name from 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.

Animal kangaroo is a marsupial mammal. There are about seventy varieties of kangaroos, from very tiny 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. They eat plant foods, mostly grass. They stand upright on their hind legs, leaning on a powerful tail. They also move on their hind legs, performing jumps up to 10 m. short distances can also develop a decent one - up to 60 km per hour. They are nocturnal to escape the heat of the day.
Kangaroos are common in Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, introduced to 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, less often three very small cubs are born. Giant kangaroos have newborns up to three centimeters in size. Then the babies live in their mother's bag 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 box incomparably with both front and hind legs. It’s hard for a person to deal with them, so such “fights” have great popularity at the audience.

Wild Australia Red Kangaroo Desert

Video: Fights without rules. Kangaroo vs kickboxer!

One of Australia's most recognizable and popular animals. Still, because his image is present even on state emblem Green Continent! For every Australian, the kangaroo is a symbol of progress, non-stop forward movement, and all because this animal is physically unable to either jump or back away.

Debunking the myth

Despite the fact that the kangaroo appeared before scientific world hundred s extra years back and has been exposed ever since scrutiny biologists, this beast still remains a mystery to scientists. Even the name itself - kangaroo - for a long time baffled everyone.

The most popular version of the origin of this name was a mythical story (precisely mythical) that “kangaroo” is translated from the local dialect as “I don’t understand”. Allegedly, this is how the natives answered the questions of the curious Captain Cook, who poked his finger at a jumping marsupial animal unknown to Europeans.

Western gray kangaroo (female with calf in a pouch on her belly)

And now let's say that they point the finger at something and say any (from your point of view) nonsense with an interrogative intonation. You will probably guess what your opponent is interested in - so let's not consider the Australian aborigines stupider than themselves, they probably understood everything.

So the version sounds much more plausible that “kangaroo” (kangaroo in one of the local dialects) actually translates as “big jumper” and it was not Captain Cook who first heard this word, but a completely different English navigator, William Dampier, about which and left relevant notes. And if you stick to the first version, then all the animals and plants of Australia would have received the name "kangaroo" from Europeans.

Male red kangaroos are strong animals with muscular limbs, and their height can exceed the height of a person and reach up to 2 meters. In case of aggression, they can inflict fatal wounds on a person. The tactics of the attack are the same as when attacking people, and when fighting with their own kind - standing on its tail, the kangaroo inflicts strong blows with its powerful hind legs. Gray kangaroos are no less aggressive, although they smaller size(height up to 1.3 meters).


Another one interesting riddle- attitude of kangaroo to water. These animals quite consciously drink very little. Even in extreme heat, in the presence of water, kangaroos stay away from sources and would rather strip the bark from trees and lick the juice than quench their thirst with water.

Some scientists explain this by saying that water reduces the nutritional value of already meager food, so kangaroos prefer not to dilute useful substances in their body in vain.

funny quokka

There are quite a lot of different types of kangaroos - more than fifty, ranging from the smallest, kangaroo rats, to huge, red kangaroos, whose growth can reach two meters.

Large rat kangaroo, or red kangaroo rat (Aepyprymnus rufescens)


Kangaroo rats are the least we associate with the classic kangaroo. They are more like rabbits, and lead a rabbit-like life: they burrow themselves in the grass thickets in search of food, dig holes or settle in ready-made dwellings. Calling them kangaroos just doesn’t turn the tongue, but since zoologists have decided so, we won’t argue.

Quokkas look much more amusing - tailless, but already similar to real kangaroo animals, although the resemblance to mice is still clearly visible in the appearance of the quokka.

Quokkas are perhaps one of the most defenseless types of kangaroos; they prefer to live in small areas more or less isolated from the outside world.

Who draws crop circles?

Those kangaroos that we are used to seeing in photographs, television screens and in zoos are actually called wallabies. Wallabies are medium-sized kangaroos and they are the most adapted to life in captivity. One of the subspecies - rocky wallaby - has interesting feature: the feet of its hind legs are covered with thick and very hard fur, which allows it to climb up the rocks.

Brush-tailed rock wallaby (Petrogale penicillata)


Thanks to this fur, the rock wallaby is able to jump on wet and slippery stones, and, if necessary, on sloping tree branches. By the way, wallabies are involved in this mysterious phenomenon like crop circles.

According to the governor of the island of Tasmania, these animals have been seen more than once in the areas of cultivation (exclusively for medical purposes) of opium poppy. Having eaten poppy seeds, wallabies for some reason begin to jump in a circle, and thus “draw” those same mysterious circles.

Interestingly, female wallabies are capable of producing two types of breast milk. From one nipple, a cub is fed, which was born quite recently, and from the other, an older offspring that has already left the bag, but occasionally appears to feed. Milk for him contains a slightly different composition of nutrients.

White-breasted wallaby (Macropus parma)


And now wallabies in the wild can now be found not only in Australia, but also in England, Scotland, and France. For example, a group of about thirty wallabies live literally 50 kilometers from Paris. These European colonies of Australian "natives" came about after one or more pairs of kangaroos escaped zoos.

Over rocks and trees

A species close to the wallaby, also of medium size, is the tree kangaroo. On all fingers of these animals there are long hooked claws, with the help of which they quickly climb trees, and sometimes even jump from branch to branch, not at all like decent kangaroos, but rather like monkeys.

Tree kangaroo (genus Dendrolagus)


To the ground tree kangaroos descend with their tail down, so we can say that some species of kangaroos are still able to move backward.

So, what about the big "real" kangaroos? Their scientists have three types. Gray, or forest kangaroo lives, as the name suggests, in forest areas; red, slightly larger - prefers flat places, and, finally, wallar - a gloomy inhabitant of the mountains.

Mountain Kangaroo or Wallaroo (Macropus robustus)

Unlike other types of kangaroos that try to run away in case of danger, wallaroo, especially if it is a seasoned male, is extremely pugnacious and likes to attack first. True, again, unlike other kangaroos, wallaroos only scratch and bite, and never use their hind legs in battle, and it is precisely a blow with their hind legs that is often fatal to the enemy.

Australians often keep kangaroos (of course, small ones) as pets. Usually these are kangaroos whose mother died. For the cub, they sew a bag similar in size to a kangaroo bag, hang it in a cozy place and place the kangaroo there along with a bottle of milk, on which a nipple is put on.

After a while, the baby gets used to the bag and can climb into it and crawl out on its own. The most common name in Australia for such a pet is Joey, which means "kangaroo".

Konstantin FEDOROV