Where does the kangaroo live in what natural area. Kangaroo is a peculiar Australian animal. Lifestyle and behavior
Kangaroo (lat. Macrorus) is the name commonly used for a group of animals that belong to the order of marsupial two-bladed mammals. In a broad sense, this term refers to any member of the Kangaroo family. narrow sense the names are applicable to the largest members of the family, therefore the smallest animals are called - wallaby and wallar.
Description of kangaroo
The word "kangaroo" owes its origin to the names "kanguroo" or "gangurru". That is what they called an animal with interesting structure bodies, Australian Aborigines who spoke the Kuuku-Yimitir language. The kangaroo is currently the unofficial symbol of Australia, depicted on state emblem.
Appearance
Depending on the species characteristics, the body length of representatives of the Kangaroo family can vary in a wide range - from a quarter to one and a half meters, and the weight is 18-100 kg. The currently largest individual of marsupials of this species is represented by a fairly widespread inhabitant of the Australian continent - a large red kangaroo, and the most big weight characteristic of the eastern gray kangaroo. The fur of this marsupial is thick and soft, black, gray and red, or presented in their tint range.
It is interesting! Thanks to special structure body, the animal is able to successfully defend itself with powerful blows with its hind legs, as well as move quickly using a long tail as a rudder.
The kangaroo differs in a rather poorly developed top body, and also has a small head. The muzzle of the animal can be quite long or shortened. Also, the structural features include narrow shoulders, front short and weak paws, which are completely devoid of hair, and also have five fingers with very sharp and relatively long claws. The fingers are characterized by good mobility, therefore they are used by animals for grasping objects and combing wool, as well as in the process of feeding.
The lower body of the kangaroo is very well developed and is represented by fairly powerful hind legs, a long thick tail, strong hips and muscular legs with four fingers. The connection of the second and third fingers is carried out by a special membrane, and the fourth finger is equipped with a strong claw.
Lifestyle and behavior
The marsupial animal prefers a nocturnal lifestyle, therefore, with the onset of twilight, it moves to the pasture. During the daytime, the kangaroo rests in the shade under the trees, in special burrows or grass nests. When danger appears, marsupials transmit alarm signals to other members of the pack with the help of powerful blows of their hind legs on the ground. In order to convey information, sounds are also often used, represented by grunts, sneezes, clicking and hissing.
It is interesting! For marsupials, attachment is strictly to a certain territory, so they prefer not to leave it without special reasons. The exception is the huge red kangaroos, which quite easily cover tens of kilometers in search of more profitable feeding areas.
In areas with favorable living conditions, including a good food base and the absence of any dangers, marsupials are able to form numerous communities consisting of almost a hundred individuals. However, as a rule, such representatives of the order of marsupial two-crested mammals live in fairly small flocks, consisting of a male, as well as several females and kangaroos. The male is very jealously guarded by the pack from the encroachments of any other adult males, resulting in incredibly violent fights.
How long do kangaroos live
The average life expectancy of a kangaroo directly depends on the species characteristics of such an animal, as well as environmental conditions in nature or captivity. The longest-lived species is the Red big kangaroo(Macrorus rufus). Such prominent representatives detachments of marsupial two-incisor mammals are able to live a quarter of a century.
2nd in terms of performance medium duration life species is the Eastern Gray Kangaroo (Macrorus giganteus), which lives in captivity for about two decades, and in the wild - about 8-12 years. Gray western kangaroos (Macrorus fuliginosus) have a similar lifespan.
Types of kangaroo
There are more than five dozen species belonging to the kangaroo family, but at present only species that are large and medium in size are considered to be real kangaroos.
Most known species presented:
- Large red kangaroo (Macrorus rufus)- the longest representative of marsupials in size. Maximum body length adult is two meters, and the tail is a little more than one meter. The body weight of the male reaches 80-85 kg, and the female - 33-35 kg;
- Forest gray kangaroo- the heaviest representative of marsupials. Maximum weight reaches one hundred kilograms with growth in the rack - 170 cm;
- Mountain kangaroo (wallaroo)- a large animal with a squat physique with broad shoulders and short hind legs. There is no hair in the nose area, and the soles of the paws are rough, which greatly facilitates movement in mountainous areas;
- tree kangaroo- currently the only representatives of the Kangaroo family living in trees. The maximum body length of such an animal is slightly more than half a meter. A species feature is the presence of very tenacious claws on the paws and thick brownish fur, which not only facilitates climbing trees, but also masks the animal in the foliage.
It is interesting! Representatives of all species of kangaroos have good hearing, and by “pricking up” their ears like cats, they are able to pick up even too quiet sounds. Despite the fact that such marsupials are completely unable to move backwards, they are excellent swimmers.
Wallabies are among the smallest kangaroo species. The maximum length of an adult, as a rule, does not exceed half a meter, and the minimum weight of a female wallaby is only one kilogram. Appearance such animals are similar to an ordinary rat, which has a naked and long tail.
Range, habitats
The main habitat of the kangaroo is represented by the territory of Australia and Tasmania, New Guinea and the Bismarck archipelago. Marsupials were also introduced to New Zealand. Kangaroos quite often settle close to people's homes. Such marsupials can easily be found on the outskirts of not too large and densely populated cities, as well as near farms.
As observations show, a significant part of the species are terrestrial animals living in flat areas overgrown with dense herbage and shrubs. All tree kangaroos are perfectly adapted to moving through trees, and mountain wallabies (Petrogale) live directly in rocky areas.
Kangaroo diet
Kangaroos feed mainly on plant foods. Their main daily diet includes a variety of plants, including grass, clover and alfalfa, flowering legumes, foliage of eucalyptus and acacia, creepers and ferns. Marsupials also eat roots and tubers of plants, fruits and berries. For some species, eating worms or insects is habitual.
According to scientists, adult male kangaroos feed about one hour longer than females.. Nevertheless, it is the diet of females that is represented by the highest protein food, which has a positive effect on the quality characteristics of the milk produced for feeding the cub.
It is interesting! Marsupials are resourceful, therefore they are able to adapt very well to many adverse conditions. external conditions, including the absence of habitual food. In this case, animals can quite easily switch to other types of food, including plants that are not used for food even by unscrupulous and unpretentious representatives of the fauna.
natural enemies
In natural natural conditions adult kangaroos feed once a day, in the evening, immediately after sunset, which significantly reduces the risk of a sudden meeting with many natural enemies. Damage to the marsupial population is caused by wild, as well as foxes and some large predatory birds.
Probably not enough words to describe all the diversity of the animal world of our planet. Almost every country and every region has its own unique endemic animals that are found only in a particular area. A prime example such creatures is the kangaroo.
And if you ask any person the question “where do kangaroos live”, he will answer without a doubt: in Australia. Of course, he will be right, because a significant part of kangaroos lives on this continent, and handsome marsupial is also national symbol the most unique and little-studied state.
However, if you dig wider, then the animal kangaroo can live:
- in New Zealand;
- in New Guinea;
- on the islands of the Bismarck archipelago;
- in Tasmania.
It should be noted that in nature there are more than 50 varieties of such animals with their own characteristics and interesting facts. Meet giant individuals red and gray color , there are also small kangaroo rats, which also belong to marsupials, there are also wallabies - medium-sized individuals, and many others.
Where do kangaroos live: animal description and lifestyle
Main characteristics
Kangaroo belongs to the infraclass of marsupials and is a fairly large animal 100-170 centimeters high and weighing 20-40 kilograms. Such characteristics define males, because. females are slightly smaller and lighter. The main feature of the animals is the light gray or reddish-red color of the coat, bare black nose and long ears, which allow you to successfully capture the most insignificant sounds and determine the approach of the enemy.
Also, the animal has long hind legs and a flexible tail, which allows you to maintain balance when making complex and long jumps. During the movement, the animal can develop an incredible speed, which often reaches 60 kilometers per hour. If the kangaroo notices danger, it can accelerate up to 90 kilometers per hour. Naturally, he can only run at that speed for a few minutes. The front legs are much shorter than the hind legs and have sharp claws. The animal uses its claws to protect itself from predators and search for water in dry ground. Also, the claws serve as an indispensable tool in clarifying the relationship with each other.
How many live?
The life expectancy of a kangaroo often reaches 18 years. Puberty ends at the age of two, and the mating procedure can last a whole year. A pregnant female carries a cub for 32 days, after which a small kangaroo is born. His locals called joey. The baby is born completely blind and without fur. At the same time, its dimensions are incredibly tiny - 2.5 centimeters. In the first days after birth, a tiny creature climbs into the mother's bag and continues to be there for up to six months. When he turns six months old, he begins to take the first independent steps, after which he still returns to the bag.
The child is finally released at the age of nine months. It should be taken into account the fact that only females have a bag, because. it contains nipples for feeding offspring with milk.
When feeding the animal can produce several types of milk. This is due to the fact that the female can become pregnant again, even if she is already in the bag. little cub. As a result, often several babies can be in the bag of such an animal at the same time. different ages. The size of the kangaroo bag is determined independently, depending on the size and number of cubs. When joey starts to grow, mom expands the bag, and when she is about to go on a long journey, she tightens it so that it does not pop out during the move.
Where do kangaroos live and what do they eat?
Kangaroos can live in four main regions:
- Australia;
- New Zealand;
- New Guinea;
- Tasmania;
Less often they can be found on the territory of the Bismarck archipelago.
In most cases, kangaroos are found in the rocky part of Australia, where they feel protected. The animal is considered social, so it leads a pack lifestyle in families of a male and several females. Upon reaching sexual maturity, the animal leaves the family and begins to create its own. The diet of the kangaroo is exclusively plant food. If an intense drought occurs in the region, then the animal begins to dig holes with its claws. Sometimes the recesses reach a meter in depth. In addition, kangaroos are able to extract liquid from food.
Lifestyle features
As for the lifestyle, these marsupials have it almost nocturnal. At dusk, the animals go out to pastures and feed on lush grass. It is very difficult to live in Australia during the daytime, which associated with unbearable temperatures air and the scorching sun, so the kangaroo hides in the shade of trees.
If the kangaroo notices danger or the approach of predators, it will immediately begin to kick the ground, notifying neighbors of a possible threat. For centuries, the animal could live peacefully on the continent and not be afraid of predators. But when the first European colonizers appeared in Australia, the situation changed significantly.
It is known that it was they who brought dingo dogs to this continent, which became wild and became the main enemies of marsupials. If the kangaroo is in danger, it starts to drive the dog to the nearest body of water and is about to drown him. If there is no access to the reservoir, the animal can run to the nearest tree and with a powerful blow from its hind legs attack the predator. But dingo dogs are not the only problem for these animals. Australia is home to an incalculable number of dangerous midges that clog the eyes and cause inflammation that can deprive the animal of sight.
Kangaroo gets along well with people and is practically not afraid of contact with them. Currently, the animal can be found in an ordinary city park or in the forest. If you manage to meet a kangaroo in wild nature maybe he will let you take a picture with him and feed him by hand.
By the way, near the Australian continent there is one unique island dubbed Kangaroo Island. The fact is that there are a lot of these animals, and they are presented in their original form. People have little mastered the territory, so the number of marsupials reaches a record high.
Ecology
Main:
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 and chew them repeatedly before finally swallowing them. Also, kangaroos have special teeth: molars regularly fall out, and new ones grow in their place.
Kangaroos reach a length of 1 to 3 meters and can weigh from 18 to 100 kilograms, depending on the species. Eastern gray kangaroo - the heaviest among marsupials in the world, and big red kangaroo - the largest in size.
The hind legs and feet of the kangaroo are much stronger and longer than the front legs. They have muscular long tails, very thick at the base, which allow you to maintain balance and direct movements during jumps.
If we talk about jumping, then the kangaroo is the only large animal that jumps while moving. Males can jump up to 3 meters in height and up to 9 meters in length, and during jumps they reach speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour.
Kangaroos are very social animals. They often live in groups - flocks, which consist of 10 to 100 individuals. Males fight for dominance.
If the kangaroo senses danger, it warns the whole flock with loud kicks on the ground. They can also make different sounds like grunting, sneezing, hissing and clicking.
Kangaroos belong to the infraclass marsupials. These animals differ in that they give birth to cubs underdeveloped, but they continue to develop in a special skin fold on the mother's abdomen - a bag.
The female kangaroo gives birth once a year after only a month of pregnancy. The cub at birth reaches a size of 5 to 2.5 millimeters - from the size of a grain of rice to the size of a bee.
The tiny and blind cub immediately crawls into the mother's pouch, where it continues to develop for another 120 to 400 days. Grown up cubs stick out their snouts from the bag and begin to inspect the surroundings a few weeks before they leave the bag.
Habitats:
The Kangaroo is native to Australia. They have adapted well to life in the most different conditions, they are often seen in public parks, gardens and even golf courses.
Red kangaroos live in dry and semi-arid areas where they feed on the scarce local greens. Because of the drought, the kangaroo population is declining because the amount of food is decreasing.
The western gray kangaroo lives in forests, woodlands, bushy areas, grasslands in eastern Australia and on the island of Tasmania.
Antelope kangaroo lives in the monsoon tropical woodland in the northern part of the continent.
Guard status: causing the least risk of extinction
The main kangaroo species do not have a serious risk of extinction, however, populations are declining due to development Agriculture, loss of habitat, fires and hunting. Australian law protects the eastern and western gray kangaroo. They can be hunted with a special permit for leather and meat.
Latin name for the kangaroo family macropodidae- means "big foot"
Word "kangaroo" first recorded by the British traveler and explorer James Cook, having heard the name of the animal from the locals.
A female kangaroo can become pregnant immediately after giving birth. The younger brother or sister also climbs into the bag. Both cubs, older and younger, feed different types milk produced by the mother.
The babies do not leave the pouch until a certain age, and they have to defecate and urinate into the pouch. When they are small, there are no particular problems, but when they grow up, some of the secretions are absorbed. Females have to clean their bags regularly.
Kangaroos have good hearing and, like cats, they prick up their ears and pick up the quietest sounds.
Kangaroos cannot walk backwards, but they are excellent swimmers.
The faster kangaroos jump, the less energy they use.
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 with unusual creature, perceiving him 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 heaviest among marsupials. Its weight can reach up to 100 kilograms. The growth of the animal in a stand on its hind legs is on average 1.7 meters.
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.
Smaller kangaroos - wallaby, reach only 50 centimeters in length, and the smallest weight of a female can be 1 kilogram. Outwardly, they resemble a rat with a long bare tail.
All types of kangaroos are endowed with common features. Their hind legs and feet are much longer and stronger than their front legs. All species have long, muscular tails that are very thick at the base, which allows them to balance and direct movement during the jump.
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 one in nature large animal, which moves in leaps 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. 
Kangaroo different 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. The worst enemies of 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 in full height, and the American sprinter Charles Sherrill, at the start of the race, made a stance, as kangaroos do, crouching to the ground. He started early and won the race. Since then in athletics began to use a low start.
- According to official statistics in Australia lives 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.
- Kangaroo can give reverse, but only jump forward.
- Kangaroos breed well in zoos.
Finally, look interesting video about these amazing animals:
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 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. They can also develop decent speed over short distances - up to 60 km per hour. Lead night image life, escaping 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” are very popular with the audience.
Wild Australia Red Kangaroo Desert
Video: Fights without rules. Kangaroo vs kickboxer!