Red squirrel and male kangaroo. The hard life of the big red kangaroo

The red kangaroo (lat. Macropus rufus) is the undisputed symbol of Australia. It is the largest representative of the order of Marsupials (Marsupialia) and the family of Kangaroos (Macropodidae) on our planet.

It is perfectly adapted to life in the savannahs of the Australian continent, parched by the hot sun. Without a true placenta, this mammal cannot bear its cubs for a long time, so until a certain age they develop in a special deep skin fold on the mother’s abdomen, which is commonly called the bursa.

Behavior

In southern Australia, the red kangaroo lives mainly in barren lands overgrown with halophytes (plants that grow in saline soils) and rare acacia bushes.

Further to the north, inland plains begin with a predominance of dry steppes, savannas with eucalyptus open forests and thickets of dwarf acacia. In the center of the continent lie deserts with sparse thorny bushes. In these deserts, kangaroos feel great, traveling tens of kilometers during the day in search of plant food.

Their numbers in a given territory depend entirely on the availability of food in the area. at the moment. At the same time, fertile areas rich in plant food east coast And tropical forests in the north of this marsupial mammal not attractive at all.

The red kangaroo, despite its impressive size, has a rather peaceful character.

During the rainy season, animals roam in small groups of no more than 10 individuals. They usually consist of one male and several females with cubs.

Having matured, young kangaroos gather in new groups, and old ones live out their lives independently. When the rainy season ends and food becomes scarce, the animals gather in large herds and all go together in search of new pastures and watering places. They are able to go without water for several days, and when they sense a source underground, they deftly dig holes up to 1 m deep.

During the day, kangaroos rest, but do not sleep, but carefully doze, listening to the slightest rustle. When the heat subsides a little, they begin to graze, usually devoting 8-10 hours a day to this activity. They graze mainly at night, gathering in large herds to make it easier to fight off possible attacks by predators. They are often attacked by wild dingoes.

Having been attacked by them, the kangaroos use original method protection, rushing to the nearest watering hole. Running into the water, they try to drown their angry enemies.

The diet is based on various herbs and shrub foliage. Females try to choose food with a high protein content, while males are generally unpretentious to food. The marsupial chews each portion of food thoroughly, using 16 molars, which are renewed 4 times during life. Red kangaroos use their incisors to bite grass. Their stomach is very spacious. The cells of its inner lining secrete a special mucus in which bacteria live that can easily break down cellulose.

The hind limbs of a kangaroo always move synchronously. To maintain balance during leisurely movement, the animal always rests on its front paws and tail. It usually moves using 2-meter jumps at speeds of up to 20 km/h. In case of danger, it develops speeds of up to 40 km/h, making giant leaps up to 9 m in length and 3 m in height.

Reproduction

When conditions are favorable, kangaroos reproduce all year round. In the fight for the female, the males arrange boxing matches among themselves, beating the enemy with their front paws until he leaves the battlefield in disgrace. Sometimes powerful blows from the hind legs are used, which can cause serious injuries.

The fertilized egg develops in the uterus for 33 days, after which an underdeveloped baby is born, 2.5-3 cm long and weighing about 1 g. Along the path in the fur licked by the mother, it crawls into the pouch, where it immediately attaches its mouth to one of the four nipples

After 110 days, the baby becomes covered with fur, and after another month he looks out of the pouch for the first time in his life. On the 200th day, he makes his first exit from the mother's pouch, but at the slightest danger they return back. At the age of 8 months, the offspring reaches a weight of 2-4 kg and already spends most of its time outside, constantly being nourished by mother's milk. The grown cub enjoys playing with its mother, imitating its future fights.

Description

Adult male red kangaroos are almost 2 times larger than females. Males with a height of 1.6 m weigh about 66 kg, and females with a height of 1 m rarely exceed a weight of 30 kg. Occasionally, particularly large individuals up to 2 m high are encountered.

The hind legs are well developed and adapted to move in long leaps, sometimes used as a deadly weapon. The relatively small front five-toed paws are armed with claws, which are used in fights, for cleaning fur and grabbing food.

The fur is very thick. In males it is colored a bright reddish-red color, and in females it is gray-blue. The long, muscular tail serves as a balancer during jumping and additional support when resting. The nose is wide open like a dog's. Black, brown or white markings are clearly visible near the nostrils. The shape and size of the ears gives them a resemblance to a horse's.

There are no fangs. There are three pairs of constantly growing incisors in the upper jaw, and one pair in the lower jaw.

Red kangaroos live in wildlife on average 6-8 years, in captivity with good care they live up to 20 years. Local residents willingly hunt them for meat and skins. The population size is currently about 10 million individuals.

The large red kangaroo is without a doubt Australia's most famous resident.

And although almost 250 years have passed since James Cook's voyage, when Europeans first saw this unusual animal, the kangaroo has been and remains the most popular animal of the Green Continent.

Moreover, it has become a symbol of Australia and its image is on the country’s coat of arms. And this is not surprising, because only Australia is home to this strange-at-first-glance animal.

There are several dozen species, they even make up an entire family of kangaroos, but it is the gigantic red kangaroo that is the largest among them and in the entire class of marsupials.

This unusual animal attracts not only its appearance, but also its behavior and habits. This large animal, almost two meters tall, differs in many ways from ordinary animals living on other continents.

Here are the main differences:

The usual posture of a kangaroo, unlike all animals, is not a horizontal, but a vertical position of the body. This is a kind of enlarged copy of our jerboa.
The structure of the body is also special, in that the kangaroo has a very developed lower body, especially long muscular hind legs. The front paws are capable of performing grasping actions.
The kangaroo's method of movement is also unique. They move using only their hind legs in leaps and bounds, pushing off with both legs at the same time. With this seemingly inconvenient method, they can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h.
Very great muscular strength. With an adult kangaroo weighing about 80 kg, its jumps can reach eight meters in length and three in height. The blow of the hind leg is so strong that it can kill an animal or a person.
A long, strong tail, which the kangaroo uses as a third support for taking a vertical stance, as well as when jumping.
Because of special structure bodies, despite the powerful hind legs, kangaroos do not know how to move backwards and move only forward.
Kangaroos swim well. Moreover, while swimming, their hind legs work alternately, like all animals.
The red kangaroo is a marsupial animal. When producing offspring, the cubs are born underdeveloped and they go through the main stages of development while in a special device of the female kangaroo, which is a kind of bag formed by a fold of skin on her abdomen. They remain in this state for more than six months until they become able to eat and move independently.
A female kangaroo is capable of delaying pregnancy, and moreover, selecting the sex of the future baby.

It is not possible to adopt kangaroos as a pet due to their mode of movement. However, from the very beginning of man's acquaintance with kangaroos, people used them for their own purposes: kangaroo meat for food, and fur for making clothes. Kangaroo meat is very nutritious, it is considered healthier than beef or lamb, and for lately it has become very popular, especially in high-end restaurants.

Since Australia is one of the countries where large-scale livestock is raised, there is a problem with the fact that ruminant manure releases methane and nitric oxide in quantities that can be the culprit. global warming. There is no such problem with kangaroos, since they emit several times less methane. In this regard, scientists are considering the issue of replacing cattle breeding with kangaroos. For this purpose, special kangaroo farms have already begun to be created. The kangaroo meat produced on these farms is in high demand in many countries around the world.

Large red kangaroos are considered very valuable species In almost all zoos in the world, there are always a lot of visitors near their enclosures. Moreover, thanks to his, enough high intelligence, these animals are quite easy to train and are therefore used in many circuses, where they perform rather complex circus acts. And the circus act “kangaroo boxing” is generally considered unique.

The only enemies of the big red kangaroo are crocodiles, pythons, dingoes and humans. Kangaroos deal with dingoes by luring them into the water, where they drown them. They are carried away by their feet from pythons and crocodiles. A person without a weapon can easily lose in a fight with a large red kangaroo; against a person with a weapon, kangaroos are powerless.

Kangaroo hunting in Australia has been an issue for many years. The fact that kangaroos have always been hunted is no secret. These were local aborigines, and the first settlers and farmers defending their plantations from the attacks of these voracious animals. Such shootings are still practiced today, in regions where flocks of kangaroos run rampant, causing great damage. agriculture, but more often they are caught and moved to nature reserves.

But poaching of kangaroos has not been completely eliminated. Many travel companies They organize special safaris, which attract hunters from many countries, including Russia. During jeep races, dozens of kangaroos are shot of different ages. And although this type of hunting is prohibited, it unfortunately still exists. For a small amount you will be provided with a car, weapons, and experienced rangers to accompany you. During such a hunt, it is the red kangaroos that live in open areas that suffer.

Such an unusual animal as the kangaroo, in order not to disappear as a species, requires certain protection from mass extermination. To achieve this, the Australian government has created several national parks, in whose territories hunting for kangaroos is prohibited and they live there quietly without threat from people. And the kangaroos treat the staff of these reserves with trust, knowing that these people will never bring them harm, and if something happens, on the contrary, they will come to the rescue.

Large red kangaroos are large animals, long ago and well known to man. They live in much of the arid interior of Australia. This extensive area includes forest and tree-shrub habitats, grasslands and deserts. It is the red kangaroos, along with other representatives of the genus Macropus, that are the very “kangaroos” that we usually imagine when mentioning the Australian fauna, those kangaroos that are depicted on the coat of arms of Australia.

Great red kangaroos live in much of central Australia where rainfall averages less than 500 millimeters. They prefer to live in open, lowland habitats without trees or bushes, but are less common in regions where there is shade and shelter under sparse trees.

Large red kangaroos weigh up to a maximum of 90 kg. The body length of males ranges from 1300 to 1600 mm and for females from 850 to 1050 mm. The tail length ranges from 1,000 to 1,200 mm for males and from 650 to 850 mm for females. Standing, they can reach 1.8 meters in height, weighing up to 90 kg. The coat color is usually reddish-brown in males and bluish-gray in females, although these colors may vary in some areas of its range. Large red kangaroos are strongly built, with large, well-developed muscles, powerful tail and hind limbs.

The tail of the red kangaroo is strong enough to support the kangaroo's heavy body, and acts as a balance when jumping, and also uses two tripod-shaped legs when resting. The second and third toes of red kangaroos fuse to form a grooming claw. Their shortened upper limbs have evolved into clawed paws, which they use with great dexterity for feeding, grooming, and self-defense. Females have a forward-facing pouch with 4 mammary nipples.

Given favorable conditions, a mother red kangaroo produces and raises an average of three young every two years. The breeding season is not pronounced and therefore the large red kangaroo can breed all year round. After an average of 33 days of pregnancy, the female gives birth to one, maximum two cubs. Weaning time is on average 12 months. The age of sexual or reproductive maturity in females is from 15 to 20 months, in males - from 20 to 24 months.

IN mating season Male great red kangaroos compete for the opportunity to mate with multiple females. Males will try to monopolize access to several samuas and will actively threaten other males. This competition sometimes leads to "boxing" matches, where males hit each other with their front paws and kick each other. There is no permanent association of males and females. The mating system of red kangaroos is polygynous.

A large red kangaroo has short period pregnancy. The young are born 33 days after mating, and mating may occur again on or the day after birth. As a result of mating in the postpartum period, the fertilized egg develops only to the blastocyst stage, and then goes through a period of embryonic diapause. Development resumes when the previous young, which are still feeding on milk from the pouch, reach an average of 204 days, or sooner if it dies or is removed. Newborn baby kangaroos, when born, are on average just 2.5 centimeters long and weigh 0.75 grams. After birth, the baby crawls through the mother's fur into her pouch and immediately attaches itself to the nipple. During this period, lactation and suckling is a stimulus that prevents the onset of rapid development of the egg. At favorable conditions, a mother red kangaroo produces and raises an average of three young every two years. In this case, often in individual females, at the same time there is a young kangaroo outside the pouch, another one is feeding in the pouch, and there are blastocysts awaiting implantation. Compared to the length of the gestation period, the lactation period is longer; in large red kangaroos it lasts about a year.

An adult female great red kangaroo that is properly nourished and has no young in her pouch is ready to breed at around day 35, while males are potentially ready to mate throughout the year.

Newborn babies of the great red kangaroo are very tiny, and when they are born they need to make their own way from the birth canal to the pouch and to the nipple, to which they are attached permanently for a period of about 70 days. They are born with good developed language, jaw muscles, nostrils, forelimbs and toes. All other organs and external functions are in their infancy. The female nurses her young for about a year and they spend about 235 days in the pouch.

The lifespan of a large red kangaroo is up to a maximum of 22 years, average duration life in captivity - 16.30 years. The lifespan of red kangaroos is potentially long, although most babies probably do not survive and die in their first year of life.

Behavior. The great red kangaroo is found in small groups, with an average of 10 individuals. These groups consist primarily of females and their offspring, with one or more males. Sometimes large number Red kangaroos gather in areas with excellent and plentiful food, sometimes there are up to 1,500 individuals. The large red kangaroo is mainly crepuscular and night look life, resting in the shade during the day - but, as is known, it also travels during the day. Most of their active period of the day is spent on pasture. Most kangaroo species are relatively sedentary image life while remaining within a relatively well-defined habitat. This also applies to the red kangaroo population, but they may disperse widely in response to unfavorable conditions environment. The large red kangaroo was observed to travel 216 km. The population density is usually within two, with some studies up to 4.18 individuals per square kilometer, i.e., one individual usually accounts for an area of 89 hectares.

The hind legs of the great red kangaroo are powerful, and the tail acts as a balance for the body when bipedally jumping forward. Large red kangaroos can reach speeds of 64 km/h, with jumps of up to 8 meters in length and 3 meters in height, although they are more typical for average speed jumps from 1.2 to 1.9 meters. The large red kangaroo uses its tail as a 5th "leg" when moving, with the forelimbs and tail serving as balance for the animal moving forward on its two hind legs.

Communication and perception. Little information is available about the relationships between different individuals of red kangaroos. Like most mammals, red kangaroos probably make extensive use of chemical sensing and communication. They also have excellent vision and hearing, making extensive use of these important sensory modes.

The great red kangaroo is an exclusively plant eater, preferring green grasses in its diet, including dicotyledonous flowering plants. These herbivores can go without water for long periods of time, consuming moisture stored by succulent plants.

The great size of the great red kangaroo reduces the predation risks they face. A very young baby kangaroo is kept securely in the pouch of its mother, who can use her trusty legs and clawed forefeet to protect herself and the baby from attacks with firm kicks and blows. Very young independent red kangaroos can be hunted by dingoes. People used to hunt kangaroos widely for their meat and pelts, and human hunting is still the main source of predation for the great red kangaroo.

The large red kangaroo plays an important role in the formation plant communities in the ecosystems in which they live by acting as herbivores. Kangaroos are sometimes viewed as pests by livestock owners because they compete for food with livestock. In areas where vegetation is limited, kangaroo feeding can lead to a significant reduction in food supply. A fairly large Australian industry exists around the use of kangaroo skin and meat. The great red kangaroo is also an integral part of the healthy ecosystem in which they live.

The great red kangaroo is not endangered. Almost 3 million square miles of Australia are currently within the boundaries of national parks. All Australian states regulate the hunting of these kangaroos

The red kangaroo lives throughout almost all of Australia. It has a 3-meter body length (of which the tail is about 90 cm long), and weighs up to 90 kg. Females are smaller than males, and their weight is 30 kg. The animal has a powerful body, strong muscular hind legs, a strong and thick tail. Thin but very grasping front legs, which are much shorter than the hind legs.

The front ones have five fingers, the back ones have four, with very sharp long claws. The head is small and elongated towards the nose, with attentive eyes, with large ears that hear everything well. The color is brownish-red or smoky blue, the paws and tail are almost white, and the belly is lighter than the main tone.

They feed on plant foods: grass, leaves, fruits and grains. They are well adapted to drought conditions and can go many days without water.To escape the wild heat, kangaroos often breathe with their mouths open and try to move less.

They lick their paws, which also cools the body. It was noticed by observers that during a long drought, they dig small holes in the sand where they hide from the scorching sun. During the day they hide in the shadows and doze, and at dusk they go out to pastures.

The red kangaroo is a cautious and timid animal. In case of danger, it runs away at speeds of up to 50 km/h. But he can't stand it for long high tempo, gets tired quickly. He jumps 10 meters in length, and can even set a record - 12 meters.

They live in herds of 100 or more animals. Of course, the leader is a male and he has several females, the rest are children. If an individual appears on the horizon, then a fight breaks out between two males for the right to have a harem.

The fights are brutal and scary: pushing off with a powerful tail and hind legs, the male lunges with his hind legs at the opponent, and we already know that there are sharp claws there. They still fight with the so-called fist fight. The strongest male wins, and the life of the herd continues. Females have a pouch for bearing offspring. Males do not have a pouch.

The female can bear offspring without interruption. The first cub has matured and is already running nearby, the second is sitting in the pouch, and the third is in the uterus. Pregnancy lasts about a month. As a rule, one, less often two or three cubs are born. If there are two or three of them, then the one who gets to the mother's nipple first survives. The lives of others are unlikely.

There is a pouch on the stomach for bearing offspring. A strong muscle around the entrance of the bursa prevents the baby from falling out. Mom manages her bag herself and clearly knows when to open it and when to close it.The born embryo weighs about 5 grams and is only 25 mm long. The female, 2 hours before giving birth, carefully crawled out of her pouch, preparing a clean place for the cub to grow and exist.

The born baby has the rudiments of the hind legs and tail, the eyes are closed, and there are no ears. Only the front paws with sharp tiny claws and the nose, or rather its nostrils, are developed; by smell it will get into the mother’s pouch through her stomach. The baby has a difficult road ahead.

The baby crawls slowly, clinging to the mother's fur with its paws, and looks more like a caterpillar or worm. His entire journey will take about five minutes. Having reached his destination, a reward awaits him. The cub immediately finds one of the mother's four nipples and grabs it. He doesn’t know how to eat himself; his mother supplies milk herself, by contracting her muscles. Naked, blind cub overcomes the first the hard way immediately after birth for the sake of life.

The baby is warm and comfortable in his mother's bag. Thanks to nutritious fatty milk, it grows quickly. Soon the eyes will open and the ears will form. At the age of five months, a cute and very curious little kangaroo face pokes out of its mother’s pouch. He has already grown a little fur. His grown ears move and catch the sounds of nature.

Another month later he makes his first forays out of “the house”, of course, with his mother’s permission. The cub is strong and weighs 3.5 kg. He carefully looks around, jumps, tries to eat grass, and his mother watches him. Any danger - immediately into the bag. And now he has already grown up well and become stronger; his bag is a bit cramped for him. At this time, the female may have another cub, and the older one leaves the cozy shelter. True, he hasn’t received his mother’s attention and yet for a long time will be by her side.

KEY FACTS
Habitat: remote corners of the Australian bush.
Body length:
males - 1.3-1.6 m
females - 85 cm-1.05 m
Tail length:
males - 1-1.2 m
females - 65-85 cm
Weight:
males average 55 kg (sometimes up to 90 kg)
females average 30 kg

The unusually strong hind legs carry the red kangaroo across the savannah in huge leaps, and the long and thick tail serves as a balancer for the animal.

The red kangaroo, the largest representative of the marsupial order on the planet, adorns the coat of arms of its native Australia.

Apart from Australia, kangaroos and their close relatives wallabies are found only on the islands of Tasmania and New Guinea. These harmless vegetarians occupy the same ecological NICHE as large ungulates - antelopes, buffalos and deer - in other parts of the world. The appearance of the kangaroo is so unique that it cannot be confused with anyone - long and extremely strong hind limbs, short front legs and a long, muscular tail tapered at the end. It serves as additional support for a sitting kangaroo, and when running it functions as a steering wheel and balancer. The two large toes of the animal's four-toed hind paws are armed with long claws, and the two smaller toes are armed with short claws for grooming.

Bizarre appearance

The center of gravity of the kangaroo's body is shifted downwards due to the reinforced massive muscles of the hind limbs.

The largest among marsupials, red kangaroos are found in their native savannah in the western state of New South Wales (Australia).

Above the pelvis, the body gradually narrows, and a disproportionately small and narrow head with a blunt muzzle and long, slightly rounded ears is set on the shoulders. The short, thick fur of the red kangaroo is reddish-brown in males and bluish-gray in females; The fur on the legs and belly is light. In different habitats, males and females seem to change clothes, and ladies flaunt reddish fur coats.

The male is usually twice the size of his mate. The length of its body rarely exceeds 1.7 m, but rising to its full height on its hind legs, the enraged beast turns into a two-meter giant.

Different types of kangaroos have different shapes social behavior. Red kangaroos usually live in groups of up to 10 individuals, which, however, are formed only on short time without establishing any strong connections between individual animals.

Male kangaroos often engage in fights for the female, clutching their front paws and pushing as hard as they can with their hind paws.

The favorite habitat of kangaroos is drier than the savannah, although they invariably stay close to islands of dense vegetation, where they can hide from the heat and enemies. Being nocturnal, they cool weather They often graze in daylight.

If there is plenty of food, a herd of kangaroos usually occupies a small home area, but during drought the animals make long migrations in search of pastures. Kangaroos do not drive strangers away from their territory, but this does not mean that outbursts of aggressiveness cannot be expected from them. Males, for example, fight fiercely with each other for the right to possess females. When starting a fight, they rise to their full height and, clasping their front paws, exchange powerful blows with their hind legs to knock the enemy to the ground.

Nutrition

The red kangaroo is well adapted to a purely vegetarian diet. His stomach has several folded sacs that increase the surface of its internal walls, and the rich microflora breaks down and helps the body absorb plant fiber.

Kangaroos go out to graze shortly before evening twilight and continue feeding until dawn. A grazing kangaroo slowly moves from place to place, nibbling grass and leaning on its thick tail. Nature has endowed him with extremely acute hearing, and, as soon as he hears a suspicious rustle, he runs away, making giant (9-10 m) jumps and reaching speeds of up to 50 km/h.

Red kangaroos do not have a distinct mating season, but the appearance of their offspring is usually timed to coincide with a season of abundant food. Almost any greenery is suitable for them to eat, so under favorable conditions weather conditions they actively mate, and during periods of drought they do not reproduce at all.

The main feature of all marsupials is the absence of a placenta. Having climbed into the mother's pouch, the baby red kangaroo attaches itself to the nipple and does not show its nose from there until 3 months, and then for another 5 months it is limited to only short forays.

After a 33-day pregnancy, the female gives birth to a tiny, underdeveloped baby weighing 0.75 g. As soon as it is born, the baby crawls into the pouch, where it tightly covers the nipple with its mouth. Despite the striking resemblance to the embryo, the cub has a well-developed tongue, nostrils, forelimbs and fingers, which help cling to the mother's fur and stimulate milk production.

In its composition, kangaroo milk is similar to the milk of those animals that feed their offspring during the period hibernation- for example, with a bearish one. However, its consistency is quite liquid - much thinner than that of animals that feed their young once or twice a day.

As a rule, the female gives birth to only one cub (cases of twins are extremely rare). Up to three months, the baby sits in his mother’s pouch and during this time manages to turn into a well-developed kangaroo. Subsequently, the bag serves as a temporary apartment and refuge for him, and by eight months he leaves it forever, although up to a year he can still be fortified from time to time with mother’s milk. Puberty in females it occurs at the age of 15-20 months, and in males a few months later.

At eight months, the cub leaves the pouch, making room for a new embryo.

Under favorable conditions, females mate within two days after birth, but the development of a fertilized egg begins when the previous cub leaves the pouch. The next birth occurs a day or two after the final weaning of the eldest offspring.

Security

By developing wild savannas, man has invaded the traditional patrimony of the kangaroo, and the breeding of livestock has inevitably led to a reduction in their numbers. At first, all these changes did not particularly affect the red kangaroos, which not only did not lay claim to the sheep pastures, but also happily grazed on the grass eaten up by the sheep. However, their rapid reproduction made them serious competitors for livestock, and farmers began to exterminate unwanted neighbors, also receiving considerable income from the sale of skins and fur. In some regions of Australia, red kangaroos are protected by law, and only extremely large populations are subject to commercial shooting.