Where does the kangaroo live in what natural area? Kangaroo is a peculiar Australian animal

How diverse the world is, how many amazing plants and animals live on our planet! And the kangaroo can safely be considered such a bright representative of nature, another of its miracles. Surely everyone knows in which country the kangaroo lives. Of course, in Australia. But many may have a question about where kangaroos live, besides Australia. And they also live in Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago and Tasmania. In total there are more than fifty species of these animals. They all vary in size and weight. There are giant kangaroos: red and gray, there are kangaroo rats, wallabies - medium-sized individuals, and others.

Kangaroo: description of the animal

This animal is a marsupial. The growth of gigantic kangaroos is quite impressive. Males grow from one hundred to one hundred and seventy centimeters in height, and weigh from twenty to forty kilograms. Females are slightly smaller, their height is from seventy-five centimeters to one meter, their weight is from eighteen to twenty-two kilograms. The coat color ranges from light gray to reddish red. All kangaroos have a naked black nose and long ears. Thanks to such ears, the animal can pick up even the faintest sounds, which allows it to hear the approach of an enemy in time.

Kangaroos have very long hind legs and a tail, thanks to which the animal maintains balance while moving. And they move exclusively by jumping. Thanks to its powerful hind legs, the animal reaches speeds of up to 60 km/h when running, and up to 90 km/h when running away from a predator. But at this speed the animal can only run for a short time. Its front legs are short, with very long claws, with which they defend themselves from predators and dig holes in search of water. And thanks to their claws, males sort things out with each other.

The question arises: how long do kangaroos live? And they live for about eighteen years. They reach sexual maturity at about two years of age. Animals can mate throughout the year. The female's pregnancy lasts thirty-two days. A baby kangaroo is called a joey. He is born blind and without fur, and also absolutely tiny - two and a half centimeters. Immediately after birth, the cub crawls to its mother's pouch, where it stays for up to six months. Having reached the age of six months, the baby begins to take his first steps, but still returns to the pouch. There he lives for up to nine months. It should be noted that only females have a pouch. It has four nipples. The female simultaneously produces several types of milk for different ages of her cub. The fact is that she, having still quite little cub, may be pregnant. And the bag can contain several cubs of different ages at once. The female kangaroo can regulate the size of her bag - making it larger or smaller. Joey is growing and therefore needs more space, but when the mother moves, the walls of the pouch are compressed so that the baby does not jump out.

Animal lifestyle. Where do kangaroos live in Australia?

Animals live in rocky areas of the continent. There they feel more secure. Kangaroos are social animals. The family consists of a male and several females. When the cub reaches sexual maturity, he leaves the family and creates his own. These animals feed exclusively on plant foods. During drought, they can independently obtain water by digging deep (up to one meter deep) holes. They can also receive necessary water from food. Animals lead night look life. It is at dusk that they go out to pastures to eat lush grass, and during the day they rest in the shade of trees, hiding from the scorching sun. If an animal hears an enemy approaching, it immediately begins to loudly knock with its hind legs, warning its relatives of the danger. From time immemorial, on the continent where kangaroos live, there were no predators, and the animals felt absolutely safe.

But with the arrival of Europeans on the island, a threat loomed over the kangaroos. Some brought dogs went wild - they began to be called And now they have become the main enemies of the kangaroo. When attacked by a predator, the animal tries to lure it into the water and drown it. If there is no body of water nearby, then the kangaroo runs to the nearest tree, rests its back against it and delivers a crushing blow with its hind legs. And the paws are really strong. A kangaroo can easily jump over a three-meter fence. Where the kangaroo lives, others large predators No. But animals may be subject to another misfortune. Very dangerous for kangaroos are midges, which clog the eyes, causing severe inflammation. The animal may go blind!

Kangaroos trust people and are practically not afraid of them. Very often these animals can be found in the park or forest. If you go to where kangaroos live and you are lucky enough to meet them, then there is a high probability that the animal will even allow itself to be photographed.

History of the name of the animal

The animal received such an eccentric name - “kangaroo” - thanks to the discoverers of a continent unknown at that time. When the Europeans saw these amazing animals, they asked the aborigines: “Who is this?” To which the locals responded, “Ken Gu Ru,” which translates to “we don’t understand.” The sailors thought that this was the name of the animal. That’s how the name “kangaroo” stuck to him.

Kangaroo Island

Near Australia there is an island where kangaroos live. This territory has not yet been fully developed by humans, so animals feel very good here. Animal world presented in this area in its original form. The number of kangaroos on the island is very large.

Wallaby

Wallaby is a marsupial belonging to the Kangaroo family. It represents exact copy a gigantic kangaroo, only in a reduced form. These animals reach seventy centimeters in height and weigh up to twenty kilograms. There are up to fifteen species of this animal, some are on the verge of extinction - such as striped wallabies. Almost nothing remains of the once abundant species. They are found only on two islands located off the west coast of Australia. There are mountain wallabies, and there are swamp wallabies. They do not differ in appearance and habits - only in their habitat.

Where do wallabies live?

Mountain wallabies live in bushland and are found throughout Australia. Like their brothers, giant kangaroos lead a predominantly nocturnal lifestyle. They feed on lush grass, tree bark and young shoots. Swamp wallabies live on wet plains.

The amazing thing is that wallabies can be kept in quality pet. They are easily tamed. But to do this, you need to take an animal that has not yet been weaned off milk and feed it yourself from a bottle. Otherwise, the animal will be very difficult to tame.

Kangaroo rat

The second name of the animal is musk kangaroo. This animal is small in size. Its body reaches a length of forty centimeters, a third is the tail. It is covered with dark thick fur, on which red specks can be seen. The fur on the hind legs is dark brown, but the feet are completely bare. In appearance, the animals are very similar to ordinary kangaroos. The animals live in hard-to-reach thickets along river banks. These animals lead a diurnal lifestyle, lazily digging through plant waste in search of insects, earthworms and plant tubers. They also eat grass, tree bark and palm tree fruits. Females carry their young in a pouch.

Brush-tailed kangaroo

This marsupial is the size of a rabbit. Its fur is quite long, the upper part is dark in color with black speckles, and the fur on its belly is off-white. This species of kangaroo gets its name from the ridge of shaggy black hair on part of its tail. Its body length is sixty-seven centimeters, of which thirty-one is the tail. The animal digs holes in the ground, which it lines with grass and branches, creating a kind of nest. The brush-tailed kangaroo chooses a place for its bed in dense thickets of grass, so it is very difficult to see it in the wild. They lie in nests and come out to feed at night. The animals feed on grass and plant roots, which they very deftly dig out of the ground.

Australia is the country where kangaroos live - amazing place. And if you have the opportunity to visit this wonderful continent, go. At least to see the wonderful kangaroos with your own eyes.

A kangaroo is an animal that has two long hind legs and two short front legs. The tail of the animal, like the ears, is long. Thanks to its ears, a kangaroo can hear faint sounds, which is important in the wild.

The animal received the name “marsupial” because on its stomach there is a pouch for the young, which in its appearance resembles a bag. Little kangaroos are in this bag even before they are born, and then spend all their time, some can stay there for up to 250 days.

Kangaroos are animals that live in Australia. They are not very afraid of people; you can meet this funny animal in crowded places and in the forest. In nature, there are 3 types of kangaroos: western gray, eastern gray and western red. Other species (wallabies, quokas, kangaroo rats) are relatives of the marsupial.

Kangaroo Island is located in South Australia, one of the most big islands on the mainland. The island received this name because there are a lot of kangaroos on its territory. It was discovered in 1802 by a sailor from England, Matthew Flinders.

Nowadays, on the island, in addition to kangaroos, you can see a wide variety of wild animals and birds. Kangaroo Island has not yet been fully developed by humans, which is why representatives of the animal and plant world are still found here in their primitive form.

Video: The Ubiquitous Kangaroos is a very interesting film.

Video about Kangaroo Island: Kangaroo Island, Australia – Lonely Planet travel video.

Boxing or kangaroo against man. Everything happened in a circus and no one was hurt; kangaroos generally love boxing. If you don't believe me, watch the previous video:

Kangaroo (Macropodinae) - subfamily marsupial mammals. Body length is from 30 to 160 cm, tail - from 30 to 110 cm, kangaroos weigh from 2 to 70 kg. 11 genera, uniting about 40 species. Distributed in Australia, on the islands New Guinea, Tasmania, on the Bismarck Archipelago. Most species are terrestrial forms; They live on plains overgrown with thick tall grass and bushes. Some are adapted to climbing trees, others live in rocky places.

Crepuscular Animals; They usually stay in groups and are very careful. They are herbivorous, but some eat worms and insects. They reproduce once a year. Pregnancy is very short - 30-40 days. They give birth to 1-2 underdeveloped cubs (a giant kangaroo has a baby body length of about 3 cm) and carry them in a pouch for 6-8 months. During the first months, the cub is tightly attached to the nipple with his mouth and milk is periodically injected into his mouth.

The number of kangaroos varies greatly. Large species are greatly exterminated, some small ones are numerous. In high concentrations, kangaroos can harm pastures; some species destroy agricultural crops. Fishing object (use valuable fur and meat). Kangaroos are captured for zoos, where they reproduce well.

The kangaroo was first described by James Cook. There is a very widespread legend on this score, according to which, when asked by a researcher: “What kind of animal is this?”, the leader of a local tribe replied: “I don’t understand,” which for Cook sounded like “kangaroo.” However, there is another version of how the legendary Australian jumper got his name - it is believed that the word “gangurru” means the animal itself in the language of the aborigines of northeastern Australia.

There are many varieties of kangaroos in the world. It is customary to distinguish about 60 species of these animals. Most big kangaroo- Red or Gray, can weigh up to 90 kg (the male is always larger than the female, so it makes sense to determine the maximum weight based on it), the smallest is about 1 kg (female).

Kangaroo is the only one large animal moving by jumping. In this he is helped by strong muscular legs with elastic Achilles tendons, which act like springs during a jump, and a long, powerful tail, adapted to maintain balance during a jumping movement. A kangaroo makes standard jumps within 12 meters in length and 3 meters in height. By completely transferring the weight of its body onto its tail, the kangaroo can fight its opponent with the help of its freed hind legs.

Kangaroos live in the Australian bush. They can also be seen on beaches or in the mountains. Kangaroos are generally very common in the wild. During the day they like to rest in shady places and be active at night. This habit, by the way, often causes accidents on Australian country roads, where kangaroos blinded by bright headlights can easily collide with a passing car. Special view tree kangaroos have also adapted to climbing trees.

Kangaroos can reach great speed. So the largest Red kangaroos, usually moving at a speed of 20 km/h, can, if necessary, overcome short distances at a speed of 70 km/h.

Kangaroos don't live long. Around 9-18 years old though known cases, when some animals lived up to 30 years.

All kangaroos have pouches. No, only females have pouches. Male kangaroos do not have a pouch.

Kangaroos can only move forward. Their large tail prevents them from moving backwards. unusual shape hind legs.

Kangaroos live in herds. If you can call it that, a small group of a male and several females.

Kangaroo is a herbivore animal. They mainly feed on leaves, grass and young roots, which they dig with their hand-like front paws. Musk rat kangaroos They also eat insects and worms.

Kangaroos are very shy. They try not to approach the person themselves, and not to let him get close to them. Animals fed by tourists can be called less shy, and the friendliest on this list are those living in special reserves wildlife.

Female kangaroos are constantly pregnant. Direct pregnancy in a kangaroo lasts about one month, after which the baby kangaroo remains in the pouch for about 9 months, occasionally getting out.

Kangaroos give birth a few weeks after conception. This is done by a female kangaroo in a sitting position, sticking her tail between her legs. The cub is born very small (no more than 25 grams) and gains further strength in the mother’s pouch, where it crawls immediately after birth. There he finds extremely nutritious and, which is very important for his still unformed immune system, antibacterial milk.

Female kangaroos can produce two types of milk. This happens because there can be two babies in a kangaroo’s pouch: one is a newborn, the second is almost an adult.

A baby kangaroo that gets out of its pouch may die. In fact, this only applies to the smallest, unformed kangaroo chicks, who cannot live outside the protective and nurturing environment of the mother’s body. Baby kangaroos at the age of several months can leave the rescue pouch for a short time.

Kangaroos do not hibernate. Pure truth.

Kangaroo meat can be eaten. It is believed that kangaroos served as the main source of meat for the aborigines of Australia over the past 60 thousand years. Currently, a number of Australian scientists, citing the small amount of harmful gases emitted by kangaroos during their life, propose replacing them in the food chain with the familiar, but extremely harmful, cows and sheep. Actually, the kangaroo meat industry in modern history dates back to 1994, when active supplies of kangaroo meat entered the European market from Australia.

Kangaroos are dangerous to humans. In general, kangaroos are quite timid and try not to approach humans even at close range, but several years ago cases were recorded when brutal kangaroos drowned dogs and attacked people, mainly women. The most common cause of animal anger is simple hunger in the arid regions of Australia.

A little history

Kangaroos live in only one country in the world, Australia. These animals are so unique and mysterious that their discovery and name have several different versions.

Today, almost everyone knows the name of the animal, with long tail and a pocket on the stomach. But the first Europeans who entered the territory of the remote continent were very surprised by the appearance of this animal. Trying to find out from the natives what kind of creatures they were, they only received “kangaroo” in response. This name stuck, and this is how those first travelers introduced this animal to the old world. However, the answer of the aborigines did not mean the name of these animals at all. According to one version, the word “kangaroo,” or rather a combination of words, meant “I don’t understand.” According to another version, this word meant another marsupial animal - a wallaby.

It is impossible to say for sure who was the first European to see this interesting animal. But it is generally accepted that this word was brought to Europe by the famous navigator James Cook.
However, there is a version that a century and a half before Cook told the whole world about this animal in 1770, a kangaroo was seen by the Dutch traveler Frans Pelsaert, who, due to various unforeseen circumstances, was forced to stay in Australia long time and even, according to some sources, tried to use kangaroos in domestic animal husbandry.

Varieties

To date, scientists have established that there are about 50 species of kangaroos. They can all be divided into three groups: the smallest are kangaroo rats, the medium ones are wallabies and the most famous are giant kangaroos. This animal is so popular that it is a symbol of Australia. The kangaroo, along with the ostrich, is depicted on the national coat of arms.

Giant kangaroos, in turn, are also divided into three species. The largest of them are gray kangaroos. They are also called forest species due to their respective habitat. These kangaroos are the friendliest and most trusting of the entire family. These animals can reach three meters in length.

Red kangaroos, also known as steppe kangaroos, are slightly smaller in size than their gray counterparts. However, this type of kangaroo is the most common. They can easily be found on the outskirts of almost any Australian city.

The smallest representatives among this species are mountain kangaroos. They are also called wallaroo. People learned about them later than everyone else, since they live in remote mountainous areas and their numbers are small. These kangaroos have the most harmful character. It can be quite difficult to tame them.

Offspring

Surprising is the fact that the cubs of these rather large animals are born very small. Their size is several tens of millimeters. In relation to the size of the mother, the cubs of these animals are the smallest among mammals.

For a long time A mystery for scientists was the answer to the question of how little kangaroos end up in their mother’s pouch. It was assumed that the mother lifts the baby with her teeth and, straightening the pouch with her forelimbs, places it there. There was also a hypothesis according to which the baby is born already in the pouch. However, it was later found that immediately after birth, the tiny cub independently climbs into the mother's pouch.

This fact was established during detailed observation of kangaroos in captivity and, in particular, the progress of pregnancy. By the way, it lasts one month. Immediately before giving birth, the female sits down and begins to lick the belly and the pouch itself. Almost immediately after birth, the tiny cub climbs up its mother's fur on its own to get into the pouch, where it will spend the next eight months.

The pouch itself is the prerogative of females; male kangaroos do not have one. The bag contains four nipples, to one of which the newborn is attached. By the way, each nipple nourishes the baby different milks, depending on his age. A female kangaroo can also support two babies at the same time. of different ages different milk.

All this long time, while the cub is in the pouch, the mother looks after it and makes sure that it does not get out of there ahead of time. To do this, she contracts the muscles at the top of the bag. When the baby gets out, he still periodically climbs into a warm and safe bag for some time.

Movement

Kangaroos are distinguished by their movement, namely by jumping. At average speed moving at 20 km/h, the kangaroo jumps 2-3 meters in length. In general, they can move at a speed of 60 km/h. As for high jumps, an adult male can easily jump over a two-meter obstacle.

Nutrition

Kangaroos feed mainly on grass. They feed in different times days, depending on the temperature. In hot weather, they can spend the whole day in the shade, and only go out for food at night. Kangaroos are very undemanding when it comes to water. They can live without it for a whole month. Wallaroos may be cut off from water for an even longer period of time. In extreme cases, they strip the bark from trees and quench their thirst with the secreted plant juice.

Enemies

In the wild, kangaroos conflict with small midges, indigos, foxes and birds. Midges lie in wait for them in watering places and accumulate in large quantities in the area of ​​the kangaroo's eyes. Very often, due to their bites, kangaroos go blind. The rest of the ill-wishers pose a danger to the little kangaroos.
Kangaroos skillfully defend themselves from enemies. They can strike with both front and hind limbs. Moreover, the hind legs are not only very strong, but also pose a serious threat due to their sharp claws. They strike with the hind limbs of the kangaroo resting on the tail. Its size and flat vertebrae allow this to be done without difficulty.

Today you can watch these amazing animals almost everywhere in zoos. Moreover, there they are so tamed that they are even allowed to be fed to visitors, but only with special food.

Kangaroo (lat. Macropus) is the name commonly used for a group of animals that belong to the order of marsupial two-incisor mammals. In a broad sense, this term refers to any representatives of the Kangaroo family. The narrow meaning of the name applies to the largest representatives of the family, which is why the smallest animals are called wallabies and wallaroos.

Description of kangaroo

The word “kangaroo” owes its origin to the names “kanguroo” or “gangurru”. This is the name given to an animal with interesting structure bodies, aborigines of Australia who spoke the Kuuku-Yimithiri language. Currently, the kangaroo is an unofficial symbol of Australia, depicted on the state coat of arms.

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 marsupial animals of this species is represented by a fairly widespread inhabitant of the Australian continent - the red large kangaroo, and the most heavy weight characteristic of the eastern gray kangaroo. The fur of this marsupial is thick and soft, black, gray and red in color or presented in their shades.

This is interesting! Thanks to special structure body, the animal is able to successfully defend itself with powerful blows with its hind legs, and also move quickly, using its long tail as a rudder.

The kangaroo has a rather poorly developed upper body and also has a small head. The animal's muzzle can be quite long or short. Also, structural features include narrow shoulders, short and weak front 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, so they are used by animals for grasping objects and combing fur, as well as during feeding.

The lower part of the kangaroo's body is very well developed and is represented by fairly powerful hind legs, a long thick tail, strong thighs and muscular legs with four toes. 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 prefers a nocturnal lifestyle, so at dusk it moves to pasture. During the daytime, the kangaroo rests in the shade under trees, in special burrows or grass nests. When danger appears, marsupials transmit alarm signals to other members of the pack using powerful strikes of their hind legs on the surface of the ground. Sounds such as grunting, sneezing, clicking and hissing are also often used to convey information.

This is interesting! Marsupials are characterized by attachment strictly to certain territory, so they prefer not to leave it without special reasons. The exception is the huge red kangaroos, which quite easily travel tens of kilometers in search of more profitable feeding areas.

In areas with favorable living conditions, including a good food supply 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-incisor mammals live in fairly small flocks, consisting of a male, as well as several females and kangaroos. The male very jealously protects the flock from the encroachments of any other adult males, as a result of which incredibly cruel fights occur.

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 living species is the red kangaroo (Macropus rufus).. Such bright representatives of the order of marsupial two-incisor mammals are capable of living for a quarter of a century.

Second in terms of performance average duration life species is the Eastern Gray Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), which lives in captivity for about two decades, and in the wild for about 8-12 years. Western gray kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) also have a similar life expectancy.

Species of kangaroo

There are more than five dozen species belonging to the kangaroo family, but only species that are large and medium in size are currently considered to be true kangaroos.

The most known species presented:

• Large red kangaroo (Macropus rufus)- the longest representative of marsupials in size. Maximum length The body of an adult is two meters, and the tail is slightly more than one meter. The male's body weight reaches 80-85 kg, and the female's - 33-35 kg;
• Forest gray kangaroo- the heaviest representative of marsupials. Weight Limit reaches one hundred kilograms with a standing height of 170 cm;
• Mountain kangaroo (wallaroo)- a large animal with a squat build with broad shoulders and short hind legs. There is no fur in the nose area, and the soles of the paws are rough, which greatly facilitates movement in mountainous areas;
• Tree kangaroos- 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. The specific feature is the presence of very tenacious claws on the paws and thick brownish fur, which not only makes it easier to climb trees, but also camouflages the animal in the foliage.

This is interesting! Representatives of all types of kangaroos have good hearing, and when “pricked up” like cats’ ears, they are able to pick up even very quiet sounds. Despite the fact that such marsupials cannot move backwards at all, they are excellent swimmers.

Wallabies are the smallest kangaroo species. The maximum length of an adult individual, 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 hairless and long tail.

Range, habitats

The main habitat of kangaroos 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 that live on flat areas overgrown with dense grass and shrubs. All tree kangaroos are perfectly adapted to move 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, eucalyptus and acacia foliage, vines and ferns. Marsupials also eat plant roots and tubers, fruits and berries. For some species, eating worms or insects is common.

Scientists have observed that adult male kangaroos feed about one hour longer than females.. However, it is the diet of females that contains the most high-protein foods, which has a positive effect on the quality characteristics of the milk produced for feeding the baby.

This is interesting! Marsupials are resourceful, so they can adapt very well to many unfavorable conditions. external conditions, including the lack of usual food. In this case, animals can quite easily switch to other types of food, including plants that are not used for food even by indiscriminate and unpretentious representatives of the fauna.

Natural enemies

In natural natural conditions adult kangaroos feed once during the day, in the evening hours, immediately after sunset, which significantly reduces the risk sudden meeting with many natural enemies. Damage to the marsupial population is caused by wild animals, as well as foxes and some large birds of prey.