Where do kangaroos live? Their way of life. How long do kangaroos live? Kangaroo is an amazing marsupial mammal

There is an interesting myth. When the English navigator, discoverer, famous James Cook, for the first time on the ship Endeavor, sailed to the eastern shore of the continent, then new to everyone, and was surprised to discover there many types of previously unknown plants and unusual representatives of the fauna, one of the strange-looking, original animals, the first one that caught his eye was a creature that moved quickly on its hind legs, deftly pushing off the ground with them.

It is not surprising that the discoverer of the continent was interested in the name of the strange jumping creature, which some of his people even thought was an overseas monster, and he received an answer from the native: “Gangurru.” That is why, as the legend says, Cook decided that it was customary to call these animals this way, although the savage only told him that he did not understand him.

Since then, the name has been assigned to this representative of the fauna, strange to Europeans: Kangaroo. And although later linguists doubted the truth of the described historical myth, this does not mean at all that the animal itself is not interesting, and the story about it is not interesting. pure truth. But now the image of this creature adorns the national emblem of Australia, being the personification and symbol of the continent once discovered by Cook.

The kangaroo is an unusual and even in some sense fantastic creature. This is a marsupial, classified as a mammal, and therefore, like all relatives from this class, gives birth to living offspring. It only gives birth to cubs at an unusually early stage and carries them until their final formation in the pouch - a convenient skin pocket located on the belly of these creatures. Marsupials are found only on the American and Australian continents, and the lands of the latter are home to the most of them.

This continent, once discovered by Cook, in general, is famous for its huge number of endemics, that is, specimens of fauna found only in these parts. The representative of the animal kingdom we are considering is one of them. Among other marsupials in this part of the world, we can highlight the wombat as an example - a furry animal that spends its life underground. Koala is another one animal, kangaroo-like in the sense of having a pocket of skin on the abdomen. There are approximately 180 species of marsupials in Australia.

Kangaroos move by jumping

A notable part of the kangaroo's body is their incredibly muscular, powerful hind legs with developed muscles on the hips and four-toed feet. They allow this strange beast to reliably repel its offenders with their blows, and also to move with impressive speed on only two legs, while using its long tail as a rudder, helping to balance and correcting the trajectory of movement.

It is also curious that, unlike the lower part of the body, which is perfectly developed, the upper part seems underdeveloped. The kangaroo's head is small; the muzzle can be shortened, but also long, depending on the variety; shoulders are narrow. Short front legs that are not covered with hair are weak. They are equipped with five fingers ending in rather long, sharp claws.

These fingers of these animals are very developed and mobile; with them such creatures are able to grab surrounding objects, hold food and even comb their own fur. By the way, the fur of such animals is soft and thick, and can be red, gray or black in color in various shades. With its legs, a kangaroo can finish off a person, and its claws allow it to gut not very large animals.

Kinds

The name “kangaroo” is sometimes used to refer to all representatives of the family bearing the name: kangaroos. But more often this word is used to refer to the largest species of this family (they will be described below), and small kangaroos are usually called differently. In fact, the size of the members of different species varies quite significantly.

Kangaroos can measure no more than 25 cm, and can also measure up to one and a half meters or more. The largest red kangaroos are considered the largest, and the record holders for weight are members of the forest gray variety (among those mentioned, individuals weighing 100 kg are noted). These animals are Australian endemics, but they are also found on islands close to the specified mainland: in Tasmania, New Guinea and others. All features of their appearance are clearly visible in the photo there is a kangaroo.

In total, fourteen genera are known in the kangaroo family. Some of them are more widely represented, others less so, but the number of kangaroo species in the overall count is enormous. Let us describe some of them in more detail.

1. Ginger big kangaroo . This variety belongs to the type of gigantic kangaroo; individual specimens have an average mass of 85 kg, as well as an almost meter-long tail. Such animals are found either in the northern part of the continent in tropical forests or along the eastern coast in the south of the mainland, preferring to inhabit the fertile areas of the said area. Jumping on their hind legs, they are able to move many tens of kilometers in an hour. The animals have a wide muzzle, and their ears are pointed and long.

Big red kangaroo

2. Eastern gray kangaroo- the species is very numerous, and the population of its individuals numbers up to two million. Members of this species, which are second in size after their counterparts described above, are closest to humans in habitat, since they prefer to inhabit densely populated areas of Australia. They are found in the south and east of the continent.

Eastern gray kangaroo

3. Wallaby – small kangaroos, forming a group of species. They are no more than 70 cm tall, but they are especially large, while the weight of some may not exceed 7 kg. However, despite their size, these animals jump expertly. The champions of the human race would envy them. Kangaroo jump length of this type can be 10 meters. They are found in the steppes, swamps and mountains of both mainland Australia and nearby islands.

Female wallaby with baby in pouch

4. Kangaroo rat more similar not even to the two animals mentioned in the title, but to rabbits. By the way, such creatures lead a completely appropriate life, living in grassy thickets, looking for and arranging homes there.

Kangaroo rat

5. Quokkas- babies from this family, weighing about 4 kg and the size of a cat, defenseless creatures that have an external resemblance to other kangaroos, but also to mice.

Quokkas

Lifestyle and habitat

These creatures could well serve as a symbol of perpetual motion. They are able to jump to a height that is twice their own height, and this is not the limit. In addition, most species of kangaroos are not at all harmless and fight deftly, especially the largest of them. It is curious that when striking with their hind legs, in order not to fall, they have the habit of leaning on their tail.

There are many species of such animals, and each of them inhabits its own corners Green Continent, but most of all they prefer pastures and shrouds, settling in flat areas, frolicking in thickets of grass and bushes. Some species also adapt well to life in swamps and in the mountains among hills, stones and rocks. Often in Australian kangaroo can be found near populated areas and their presence can be detected in farmlands and even on the outskirts of cities.

Most kangaroos are naturally adapted to move on land, but there are exceptions to this rule. These are tree kangaroos that live in tropical forests and spend most of their existence in those places in the trees.

The population of these animals is large, and there are no noticeable declines in it. However, enough individuals still die every year. Blame it on wildfires. A good reason for the decrease in the number of kangaroos is also human activity, and of course hunting for these representatives of the animal kingdom.

Although killing or harming kangaroos is prohibited under Australian law. However, such regulations are often violated by farmers for their own benefit. In addition, poachers and lovers of delicacies shoot these animals for their incomparable meat. Natural enemies of these animals include foxes, dingoes, large and.

Nutrition

Kangaroos eat only once a day. This happens just after sunset. It is safer for them to act this way. This is especially advisable, since by this time in tropical regions the heat is waning.

In terms of nutrition kangaroo – animal harmless and prefers a menu of plant-based treats. Larger species feed on tough, thorny grass. Those of them that naturally have a short muzzle usually prefer to include bulbs, tubers and roots of the most different representatives flora. Some kangaroos love mushrooms. Small species of wallabies feed on fruits, seeds and grass leaves.

Kangaroo eats leaves

Such food does not differ in calorie content. However, kangaroos try to compensate for this deficiency with a variety of grasses and plants. True, predatory habits are inherent in tree kangaroos. In addition to bark, they can eat chicks and bird eggs.

These representatives of the animal world of the Green Continent drink surprisingly little, receiving enough moisture for their bodies from dew and plant juices. However, during dry periods the urgent need for water still begins to take its toll. In such unfavorable times, large kangaroos save themselves by digging wells. They can be quite deep; it happens that they go underground to a depth of 100 meters or more.

Reproduction and lifespan

Mating games of kangaroos take place during the rainy season. During the dry period, they are physically unable to reproduce, since males do not have the ability to produce seminal fluid. A feature of the gestation process is the early birth of cubs, after a month after conception, and carry them to term bag. Kangaroo in this sense, it is similar to many representatives of the animal world of Australia.

After birth, the little baby, whose size is only about 2 cm, nevertheless turns out to be so viable that on our own climbs into the skin pocket, equipped with strong muscles, of the kangaroo, where it continues to grow and develop, feasting on milk from the four maternal nipples. There he spends up to six months.

Female kangaroo with baby

Really, kangaroo – marsupial, but this is not the only reason for its amazing features. The fact is that the female of these representatives of the fauna is able to regulate the process own pregnancy, delaying its development for reasons of expediency. The reason for this could be the unwanted birth of two kangaroo chicks at once.

If the first developing fetus dies due to various circumstances, the development of the reserve embryo in the body of the mother kangaroo resumes and ends with the birth of a new offspring. Another pregnancy can occur at a time when the first kangaroo still lives in the pouch and is developing well. In this case, when the second baby appears, the mother’s body begins to produce two different types of milk in order to successfully feed both babies of different ages.

The characteristics of the females of these living creatures also lie in their close connection with their offspring throughout life. Nature even helps the mother kangaroo regulate the process of giving birth to babies that are convenient for her by sex. At the same time, female kangaroos appear in females at a younger age, and in late period baby kangaroo boys are born.

And it really makes sense. When the kangaroo reaches old age, she helps raise her daughters and kangaroo grandsons. When talking about the life expectancy of these creatures, you should always clarify which species of kangaroo is meant, because representatives of each of them have an individual physiological program.

The longest-living record holders are red large kangaroos, which in some cases in captivity can survive up to 27 years. Other species live shorter lives, especially in wildlife. There, their lifespan is about 10 years, not to mention the fact that it can be significantly reduced due to accidents and illnesses.

(small), wallabies (medium) and large kangaroos. Systematically, the family is divided into three subfamilies: musky kangaroo rats (Hypsiprymnodontinae), true kangaroo rats (Potoropinae) and kangaroos (Macropodinae). Body length 25-160 cm, tail 15-105 cm, body weight 1.4-90 kg. The head is relatively small, with a short or long muzzle. The ears are large or short. All kangaroos, with the exception of tree kangaroos, have hind limbs that are much longer and stronger than their forelimbs. The front ones are five-fingered, with large claws. There is no first toe on the hind limbs (only musk kangaroos have them), the second and third are connected by a leathery membrane, the fourth is large, with a powerful claw, and the fifth is of moderate length. The tail is strong, covered with hair, and in most species is not prehensile. For a standing kangaroo, it serves as an additional support, and during jumping, as a balancer. The fur is thick and soft, black, gray or red in different shades. The brood pouch opens forward. There are 4 nipples, but usually 2 function. Males have a single urogenital duct.

Found in Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea and the Bismarck Archipelago. Acclimatized in New Zealand. They inhabit landscapes of various types. Terrestrial and arboreal animals.

The first European to see a kangaroo was the Dutch navigator F. Pelsaert in 1629, whose ship ran aground near the western coast of Australia. D. Cook first saw a kangaroo in 1770, and it was he who gave the animal its name. According to legend, when Cook asked what the jumping animal was called, the aborigines answered “kangaroo.” Cook decided that this was the name of the beast. In fact, in the language of the local tribe it meant “I don’t understand.” In 1773, the first live kangaroo was sent to England as a gift to King George III. At the end of the 19th - beginning of the 20th centuries. Attempts were made to acclimatize wallabies (in Germany) and gray giant kangaroos (in England). Kangaroos successfully reproduced and even survived harsh winters well. However, they were all exterminated by poachers.

Kangaroos are active mainly at night. The day is spent in grass nests or burrows. They usually live in small groups consisting of a male and several females. Pregnancy lasts 22-40 days. In a litter there are 1-2 cubs, 7-25 mm in size, weighing 0.6-5.5 g. A newborn (almost an embryo), practically devoid of hair, the hind limbs are poorly developed, bent and covered by the tail, claws are clearly visible on the front limbs. While the eyes and ears of the embryo are completely undeveloped, it has open nostrils and a formed olfactory center in the brain. A newborn kangaroo makes its way to the pouch, clinging to its mother's fur and navigating by smell. In large kangaroos, 5-30 minutes pass between the moment of birth and the moment of attachment to the nipple. After the baby is attached, a thickening forms at the end of the nipple. It is impossible to separate the baby kangaroo from the nipple without damaging its mouth. Interestingly, the mother is more of a witness to the activity of the newborn than his assistant. Once in the mother's pouch, the baby kangaroo develops there for about six months, tightly sucking on the nipple. Then he begins to crawl out and try plant foods, but feeds on milk for another 1.5 months. In case of danger, it hides in a bag, the size of the entrance hole of which the mother can arbitrarily change.

Kangaroos are primarily herbivores, but some also feed on insects and worms. When moving calmly, kangaroos make jumps up to 1.5 meters in length. When running away from danger, they jump 8-12 meters and reach speeds of up to 88 km/h, but quickly get tired. You can easily catch up with them even on a horse. Kangaroos have invented a unique way of fighting dogs. An animal pursued by dogs runs into the water and waits for a swimming dog, then grabs it by the head and begins to drown it. The dog immediately stops fighting and tries to jump ashore. If there is no water nearby, the kangaroo stands with its back to the tree and strikes the running enemy in the stomach with its hind legs. Small wallabies and large kangaroo cubs can be eaten by carpet pythons or wedge-tailed eagle. However, heat, drought and hunger are more dangerous for kangaroos than predatory animals. To survive in dry, almost barren lands, kangaroos learned to dig wells up to a meter deep. Kangaroo wells are used by wild pigeons, pink cockatoos, marsupial martens and emus. Small kangaroos live up to 8 years, medium kangaroos live up to 12 years, and large kangaroos live up to 16 years.

Musk kangaroo (Hypsiprymnodon moschatus), 1 species, body length 25, tail 15 cm. Externally similar to a rat. The head is short, the muzzle is pointed, the ears are bare and slightly pointed. The tail is bare and covered with scales. The back is reddish-gray, the belly is yellowish. It lives in north-east Queensland in rain forests, bush thickets, along the banks of rivers and lakes. Active during the day. Found alone or in pairs. It usually moves on four legs. In moments of danger - only in the rear. It feeds on insects, plant roots and berries.

Listed in the Red Book.

Big rat kangaroo(Aepyprymnus rufescens), 1 species. Body length 52, tail 38 cm. Ears are wide and rounded. The fur is coarse, reddish-gray on the back, white on the belly. Distributed from eastern Queensland to eastern New South Wales. Occupies coastal landscapes, steppes, savannas and light forests. Leads a solitary lifestyle. During the day he sleeps in a nest of grass. It feeds on plant roots. Before the introduction of European foxes to Australia, they were numerous.

Tree kangaroos (Dendrolagus Muller), 7 species. Body length 50-90, tail 43-85 cm. Head short and wide. The hind limbs are slightly longer than the large and strong forelimbs. The claws are powerful and strongly curved. The fur on the back is black, brown or gray, the hair points forward. The belly is white, yellow or red. They live in the forests of North Queensland and New Guinea. Capable of jumping from tree to tree up to 9 m in length. Herbivores. Polygamy. 2 subspecies are listed in the Red Book.

Rock kangaroos (Petrogale Gray), 7 species. Body length 38-80, tail 35-90 cm, weight 3-9 kg. The head is elongated, the ears are long. The claw on the middle toe of the hind limb is short. The hair on the back is directed with the tips forward (except for the ring-tailed one), the fur on the back is reddish-brown or gray, and the fur on the belly is white. The range occupies almost the whole of Australia. They prefer rocky landscapes. The ring-tailed kangaroo (P. xanthopus) is listed in the Red Book.

Gray giant kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), body length 1.5 m, tail 90 cm. Males are a quarter larger than females. The ears are large and mobile. The hind limbs are long and powerful. The tail is long, powerful, thick at the base. The fur on the back is orange-gray or brownish-red, and the fur on the belly is light.

Distributed throughout eastern Australia. Its usual biotope is eucalyptus savannah, where it grazes in groups of 30-50 individuals. Leads a nocturnal lifestyle. At the beginning of the year, the rutting season begins. At this time, fierce fights are possible between males for possession of the female. Gestation is 30-40 days, 1 baby is born. The baby kangaroo stays in its mother's pouch for 2 months. In December, young kangaroos separate from their mothers and form a new flock.

Herbivorous. In large numbers it can cause significant damage to the crop. The peaceful and trusting nature of the gray kangaroo makes it a frequent prey for hunters. When fleeing, it is capable of jumping up to 9 m in length.

The great red kangaroo (Macropus rufus) is found throughout Australia. Sexual dimorphism is characteristic. Females are pale gray, males are red-red. Males have skin glands on the neck and chest that secrete a pink secretion. During the mating season, the fur on their necks takes on a pinkish tint. The red kangaroo prefers vast inland plains, where it lives in herds of 10-12 individuals. In some places it is numerous and harmful to agriculture. It is the red kangaroo that uses boxing “techniques” to sort things out. Well tamed, friendly.

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 bare 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 remains 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 your 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 are nocturnal. 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 any animal hears the approach of an enemy, 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. The fauna in this area is presented 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. His fur is quite long, top part- dark in color with black speckles, and the fur on the belly is dirty 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, the country where kangaroos live, is an 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.

Ecology

Basics:

Kangaroos are herbivorous mammals that eat a huge amount of different greens, including grass, shoots, leaves of trees and shrubs. Animals take most of their moisture from food, so they can for a long time don't drink water at all.

Like cows, kangaroos have a stomach with several chambers, which allows them to digest food well. They regurgitate grass and leaves, chewing them repeatedly before finally swallowing them. Kangaroos also have special teeth: molars regularly fall out, and new ones grow in their place.

Kangaroos reach a length of 1 to 3 meters and can weigh from 18 to 100 kilograms, depending on the species. Eastern gray kangaroo - the heaviest among marsupials in the world, and big red kangaroo - the largest in size.

A kangaroo's hind legs and feet are much stronger and longer than its front legs. They have muscular long tails, very thick at the base, which allow them to maintain balance and guide movements while jumping.

If we talk about jumping, then the kangaroo is the only large animal that jumps while moving. Males can jump up to 3 meters in height and up to 9 meters in length, and during jumps reach speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour.

Kangaroos are very social animals. They often live in groups - flocks, which consist of 10 to 100 individuals. Males engage in fights for dominant status.

If a kangaroo senses danger, it warns the entire flock by loudly striking the ground with its legs. They can also make various sounds such as grunting, sneezing, hissing and clicking.

Kangaroos belong to the infraclass marsupials. These animals are distinguished by the fact that they give birth to their young underdeveloped, but they continue to develop in a special fold of skin on the mother’s abdomen - the bursa.

A female kangaroo gives birth once a year after only a month of pregnancy. At birth, the baby reaches a size of 5 to 2.5 millimeters - from the size of a grain of rice to the size of a bee.

The tiny and blind cub immediately crawls into its mother's pouch, where it continues to develop for another 120 to 400 days. The grown cubs stick their snouts out of the pouch and begin exploring their surroundings several weeks before they leave the pouch.

Habitats:

The Kangaroo is native to Australia. They have adapted well to life in the most different conditions, they are often seen in public parks, gardens and even golf courses.

Red kangaroos live in dry and semi-desert areas, where they feed on scarce local greenery. Due to drought, the kangaroo population is declining because there is less food available.

The western gray kangaroo lives in forests, woodlands, bushland, grasslands of eastern Australia and on the island of Tasmania.

Antelope kangaroo lives in monsoon tropical woodlands in the northern part of the continent.

Security status: causing the lowest risk of extinction

The main kangaroo species are not at serious risk of extinction, but populations are declining due to agricultural development, habitat loss, fires and hunting. Australian law protects the eastern and western gray kangaroos. They can be hunted with special permission for the purpose of obtaining skin and meat.

The Latin name for the kangaroo family is Macropodidae– means "big foot"

Word "kangaroo" It was first recorded by British traveler and explorer James Cook after hearing the name of the animal from local residents.

A female kangaroo can become pregnant immediately after giving birth to her baby. The younger brother or sister also climbs into the bag. Both cubs, the older and the younger, feed on different types of milk produced by the mother.

The young do not leave the pouch until a certain age and have to defecate and urinate in the pouch. When they are small, there are no particular problems, but when they grow up, some of the secretions are absorbed. Females have to clean their pouches regularly.

Kangaroos have good hearing, and, like cats, they “prick up” their ears and pick up the quietest sounds.

Kangaroos cannot move backwards, but they are excellent swimmers.

The faster kangaroos jump, the less energy they expend.

Kangaroo is a mammal that belongs to the order Two-incisor marsupials (lat. Diprotodontia), the Kangaroo family (lat. Macropodidae). Among these animals there are many endangered and rare species.

The term "kangaroo" is also applied to the family of Kangaroo rats, or potoroos. Potoroidae), the features of which we will discuss in another article.

Etymology of the word "kangaroo"

Interpretations (etymologies) of words can be scientific and folk, and very often they do not coincide. The case of the origin of the name kangaroo is one of the most typical such examples. Both interpretations agree that this word comes from the language of the Aboriginal people of Australia. When Captain Cook sailed to the mainland, he saw strange animals and asked the natives what these unusual animals were called. The aborigines answered: “gangaru.” Some scientists believe that in the native language “keng” (or “gang”) meant “jump”, and “roo” meant “four-legged”. Other researchers translate the locals' response as "I don't understand."

Linguists are confident that the word “kanguroo” or “gangurru” appeared in the language of the Australian Guugu-Yimithirr tribe, which lived on the coast of the Botanical Bay of the Tasman Sea. This word was used by local residents to call black and gray kangaroos. When Cook's expedition arrived on the mainland, all representatives of the kangaroo family began to be called this way. Literally, kangaroo is translated as “big jumper”, as opposed to the “little jumper”, which the Aborigines called “waloru”. This word has now changed to "wallaby" and is present in the species name of the mountain kangaroo. It also became a collective name for all medium-sized representatives of the kangaroo family.

What does a kangaroo look like? Description and characteristics of the animal

In a broad sense, the term “kangaroo” is used in relation to the entire Kangaroo family, and in a narrow sense it is used only in relation to large, real, or gigantic representatives of this taxon, the foot of whose hind legs is longer than 25 cm. Smaller animals are more often called wallaroo and wallaby. The common name “giant kangaroos” can equally be applied to both real kangaroos and wallaroos, since they are also tall.

The Kangaroo family includes 11 genera and 62 species included in them. The maximum length was recorded in the eastern gray kangaroo (lat. Macropus giganteus): it is 3 meters. In second place is the gigantic red kangaroo (lat. Macropus rufus) with a body size excluding the tail of up to 1.65 m. True, the gigantic red one loses in weight. Its maximum weight is 85 kg, with the eastern gray kangaroo weighing 95 kg.

On the left is an eastern gray kangaroo (lat. Macropus giganteus), photo credit: Benjamint444, CC BY-SA 3.0. On the right is a gigantic red kangaroo (lat. Macropus rufus), photo by: Drs, Public Domain

The smallest representatives of the Kangaroo family are the Philanders, the striped hare-wallaby and the short-tailed kangaroo (quokka). For example, the body length of a mini-kangaroo, red-necked philander (lat. Thylogale thetis), reaches only 29-63 cm. At the same time, the tail of the animal grows to 27-51 cm. The average weight of females is 3.8 kg, males - 7 kg.

Quokkas (lat. Setonix brachyurus) have overall body dimensions with a tail from 65 cm to 1.2 m. Their weight is less: females weigh from 1.6 kg, and the weight of males does not exceed 4.2 kg. The length of the body of the striped wallaby hare (lat. Lagostrophus fasciatus) is 40-45 cm, the tail length is 35-40 cm, and the mammal weighs from 1.3 to 2.1 kg.

Sign: On the left is the red-necked philander (lat. Thylogale thetis), photo author: Gaz, CC BY-SA 3.0. In the center is a quokka (lat. Setonix brachyurus), photo credit: SeanMack, CC BY-SA 3.0. On the right is a striped wallaby (Lagostrophus fasciatus), photo by John Gould, Public Domain.

Typically, male kangaroos are much larger in size than females. The growth of females stops soon after the start of reproduction, but males continue to grow, as a result of which old individuals are much larger than young ones. A female gray or red kangaroo weighing 15–20 kg, participating in reproduction for the first time, can be courted by a male who is 5–6 times larger than her. Sexual dimorphism is most pronounced in large species. In contrast, in small wallabies, adults of different sexes have similar sizes.

Large kangaroos are very interesting animals that are difficult not to recognize. Their head is small, with large ears and large almond-shaped eyes. The eyes are framed by long, dense eyelashes that reliably protect the cornea from dust. The animals' noses are black and bare.

The lower jaw of a kangaroo has a peculiar structure, its rear ends are bent inward. In total, the animals have 32 or 34 teeth, which do not have roots and are adapted to feeding on rough plant foods:

• one wide, forward-facing incisor on each half of the lower jaw;
• small blunt fangs, reduced in some species;
• 4 pairs of molars, replaced as they wear out and equipped with blunted tubercles. When the last teeth wear out, the animal begins to starve.

The kangaroo's neck is thin, the chest is narrow, the front legs seem to be underdeveloped, while the jumping legs are very strong and massive.

The kangaroo's tail, thick at the base and tapering towards the end, serves as a balancer when jumping, and in large individuals it serves as a support for the body during fights and sitting. It does not perform a grasping function. The length of a kangaroo's tail varies from 14.2 to 107 cm, depending on the species. The tail of the Philanderer is shorter and thicker, and also less furry than that of the wallaby.

Muscular thighs support the narrow pelvis of mammals. On the even longer bones of the lower leg, the muscles are not so developed, and the ankles are designed in such a way that they prevent the foot from turning to the side. During rest or slow movement, the animal's body weight is distributed over long narrow feet, creating the effect of plantigrade walking. However, when jumping, the kangaroo rests on only two toes - the 4th and 5th. The second and third fingers were reduced and turned into a single process with two claws used for cleaning fur. The first toe is completely lost.

As a result of the evolution of the rock wallaby, the soles of its hind legs are covered with thick hair, which helps the animal to stay on slippery, wet or grassy surfaces. Their body became massive, covered with coarse, thick hair.

Philanders and tree-wallabies are somewhat different from other kangaroos. Their hind legs are not large, like those of other kangaroos.

Left: Tasmanian pademelon, photo by fir0002, GFDL 1.2; right: Goodfellow's kangaroo (lat. Dendrolagus goodfellowi), photo credit: Richard Ashurst, CC BY 2.0

Latin name of the family Macropodidae received according to gender Macrop us, which includes the red kangaroo. From Latin this word is translated as “big-legged”. The term is quite suitable for the most large mammal moving by jumping on powerful hind legs. But this is not the only way of movement for representatives of the Kangaroo family. These mammals not only jump: they can also walk slowly on all fours, which move in pairs rather than alternately.

When large and medium-sized animals raise their hind legs to carry them forward, they rely on their tail and front paws. When jumping, kangaroos can reach speeds of 40-60 km/h, but over short distances. Since their method of movement is very energy-consuming, they get tired and slow down just 10 minutes after they start jumping quickly.

When resting, they sit on their hind legs, holding their body upright and leaning on their tail, or lie on their side. Animals lying on their sides rest on their forelimbs.

When large kangaroos escape from enemies, they make jumps 10-12 m long. They also jump over fences 3 meters high and “fly over” four-lane highways. They are helped by the Achilles tendons of the legs, which act like springs. At average speed“running” (20 km/h) the kangaroo jumps over a distance of 2-3 m.

Kangaroo is excellent swimmers, and they often escape from enemies in the water. At the same time, their legs make alternating, rather than paired movements.

The front paws of large kangaroos are small, with five movable toes on a short and wide hand. The fingers end in strong, sharp claws: animals actively work with them, take food, comb fur, grab enemies during defense, open the bag, dig wells, burrows and underground parts of plants. Large species also use the forelimbs for thermoregulation, licking their inner side: saliva, evaporating, cools the blood in the network of superficial vessels of the skin.

Soft, short (2-3 cm long), not shiny, thick kangaroo fur has a protective color. It comes in different shades of grey, yellow, black, brown or red. Many species have diffuse dark or light stripes: along the lower back, around the upper thigh, in the shoulder area, behind or between the eyes. The limbs and tail are often darker than the body, and the belly is usually light. Some rocky and tree kangaroos the tail has longitudinal or transverse stripes.

The males of some groups are brighter colored than the females: for example, the males of the red kangaroo are sandy-red in color, while the females are blue-gray or sandy-gray. But this dimorphism is not absolute: some males can be blue-gray, and females red. Hair color in each sex appears immediately after birth, rather than being the result of hormonal changes during puberty, as in many ungulates.

There are albino kangaroos with white fur.

Although marsupial bones are developed in both males and females, only the belly of the females of all kangaroos is equipped with a pouch that opens forward. It is needed to carry helpless newborn babies to term. At the top of the pouch there are muscles with which the female closes it tightly if necessary: ​​for example, so that the baby kangaroo does not choke while the mother is in the water.

How long do kangaroos live?

The average lifespan of kangaroos in natural conditions is 4-6 years. Large species in nature can live 12-18 years, in captivity - 28 years.

What does a kangaroo eat?

Basically, kangaroos are herbivores. But among them there are also omnivorous species. Large red kangaroos feed on dry, tough and often thorny grass (for example, triodia (lat. Triodia)). Short-faced kangaroos eat mainly underground storage parts of plants: thickened roots, rhizomes, tubers and bulbs. They also eat the bodies of some fungi, playing an important role in the spread of their spores. Small wallabies, including hares and claw-tails, feed on grass leaves, seeds and fruits.

In moderately humid forests, the diet of kangaroos includes more fruits and leaves of dicotyledonous plants, which dominate the diet of tree kangaroos, swamp wallabies and philanders. Woody species can also eat eggs and chicks, cereals and even tree bark.

Different types of kangaroos eat alfalfa (lat. Medicago), clover (lat. Trifolium), ferns (lat. Polypodiophyta), eucalyptus leaves (lat. . Eucalyptus) and acacias (lat. Acacia), cereals and other plants. Red-legged Philanders enjoy eating the fruits of trees such as Ficusmacrophylla And Pleiogynium timorense, sometimes eat the leaves of ferns from the genus Nephrolepis (lat. Nephrolepis cordifolia), dendrobium orchids (lat. Dendrobium speciosum), nibble grass ( Paspalum notatum And Cyrtococcum oxyphyllum), periodically catch cicadas. Diet of the glove wallaby (lat. Macropus irma) includes plants such as carpobrotus edulis (lat. Carpobrotus edulis), pigweed (lat. Cynodon dactylon), Nuitsia profusely flowering (Christmas tree) ( lat . Nuytsia floribunda).

The smallest kangaroos are the most selective in their food preferences. They seek out high-quality foods, many of which require careful digestion. Large species, on the other hand, tolerate low-quality nutrition, consuming a wide range of plant species.

Kangaroos graze at different times of the day, depending on the weather. In the heat, they can lie in the shade all day, and at dusk they set off. These animals are very undemanding to water: they can not drink for a month or even more (up to 2-3 months), being content with the moisture of plants or licking dew from stones and grass. Wallaroo strip the bark from trees to drink their sap. In dry places, large kangaroos have learned to get to the water themselves. When they are thirsty, they dig wells up to a meter deep with their paws. These watering holes are used by many other animals: pink cockatoos (lat. Eolophus roseicapilla), marsupial martens (lat. Dasyurus), wild, etc.

The kangaroo's stomach is adapted to digesting rough plant foods. It is disproportionately large, complex, but not multi-chambered. Some Kangaroos regurgitate semi-digested gruel from the stomach and chew it again, as do ungulate ruminants. They are helped in breaking down fiber by up to 40 species of bacteria that live in different parts of their gastrointestinal tract. The role of fermentation agent in them is also performed by massively reproducing symbiotic yeast fungi.

At the zoo, kangaroos are fed herbs; the basis of their diet is rolled oats mixed with seeds, nuts, dried fruits and wheat crackers. The animals happily eat vegetables, corn and fruits.

Classification of kangaroos

According to the database www.catalogueoflife.org, the Kangaroo family (lat. Macropodidae) includes 11 genera and 62 modern looking(data from 04/28/2018):

• Genus Tree kangaroos (lat. Dendrolagus)
  • Dendrolagus bennettianus– Bennett's Kangaroo
  • Dendrolagus dorianus– Kangaroo Doria
  • Dendrolagus goodfellowi– Kangaroo Goodfellow
  • Dendrolagus inustus– Grey-haired tree kangaroo
  • Dendrolagus lumholtzi– Lumholtz's Kangaroo (Lumholtz)
  • Dendrolagus matschiei– Kangaroo Matches (Matshi)
  • Dendrolagus mbaiso– Tree wallaby, dingiso, bondegezoo
  • Dendrolagus pulcherrimus
  • Dendrolagus scottae– Papuan tree kangaroo
  • Dendrolagus spadix– Plains tree kangaroo
  • Dendrolagus stellarum
  • Dendrolagus ursinus– Bear kangaroo, bear-shaped kangaroo
• Genus Shrub kangaroos (lat. Dorcopsis)
  • Dorcopsis atrata– Black bush kangaroo, Goodenough kangaroo
  • Dorcopsis hageni– Hagen Kangaroo
  • Dorcopsis luctuosa
  • Dorcopsis muelleri
• Genus Forest kangaroos (lat. Dorcopsulus)
  • Dorcopsulus macleayi– Macleay's Kangaroo
  • Dorcopsulus vanheurni– Mountain bush kangaroo
• Genus Hare kangaroo (lat. Lagorchestes)
  • Lagorchestes asomatus– Small rabbit kangaroo
  • Lagorchestes conspicillatus– Spectacled kangaroo
  • Lagorchestes hirsutus– Shaggy kangaroo, tufted kangaroo
  • † Lagorchestes leporides– Long-eared kangaroo
• Genus Striped kangaroo (lat. Lagostrophus)
  • Lagostrophus fasciatus– Striped kangaroo, striped wallaby hare
• Genus Gigantic kangaroos (lat. Macropus)
  • Macropus fuliginosus– Western gray kangaroo
  • Macropus giganteus– Giant kangaroo, or giant gray kangaroo
  • Macropus (Notamacropus) agilis– Agile wallaby, agile kangaroo
  • Macropus (Notamacropus) dorsalis– Black-striped wallaby
  • Macropus (Notamacropus) eugenii– Eugenia Kangaroo, Eugenia Philander, Lady Kangaroo, Derby Kangaroo, Tamnar
  • Macropus (Notamacropus) irma– Glove Wallaby
  • Macropus (Notamacropus) parma– White-breasted philander, or white-breasted wallaby
  • Macropus (Notamacropus) parryi– Wallaby Parry
  • Macropus (Notamacropus) rufogriseus– Red-gray wallaby
  • Macropus (Osphranter) antilopinus– Antelope kangaroo, antelope kangaroo
  • Macropus (Osphranter) bernardus– Black wallaroo, aka Bernard's kangaroo
  • Macropus (Osphranter) robustus– Mountain kangaroo, mountain wallaroo, common wallaroo
  • Macropus (Osphranter) rufus– Red kangaroo, big red kangaroo, giant red kangaroo
  • † Macropus (Notamacropus) grayi– Gray's Kangaroo
• Genus Claw-tailed kangaroos, also known as nail-tailed kangaroos (lat. Onychogalea)
  • Onychogalea fraenata– Short-clawed kangaroo, bridle kangaroo, or dwarf kangaroo
  • Onychogalea unguifera– Flat-clawed kangaroo
  • †Onychogalea lunata– Lunar-clawed kangaroo, crescent-clawed kangaroo
• Genus Rock wallabies, rock kangaroos, rock kangaroos (lat. Petrogale)
  • Petrogale assimilis– Queensland rock wallaby
  • Petrogale brachyotis– Short-eared kangaroo, or short-eared wallaby
  • Petrogale burbidgei– Wallaby Barbage
  • Petrogale coenensis
  • Petrogale concinna– Pygmy rock wallaby
  • Petrogale godmani– Godman's Wallaby, Godman's Kangaroo
  • Petrogale herberti
  • Petrogale inornata– Spectacled rock wallaby
  • Petrogale lateralis– Black-footed rock wallaby
  • Petrogale mareeba
  • Petrogale penicillata– Brush-tailed rock-wallaby, brush-tailed rock-kangaroo, brush-tailed rock-wallaby
  • Petrogale persephone– Persephone's wallaby
  • Petrogale purpureicollis– Purple-necked wallaby
  • Petrogale rothschildi– Rothschild's wallaby, Rothschild's kangaroo
  • Petrogale sharmani
  • Petrogale xanthopus– Ring-tailed kangaroo, yellow-footed kangaroo, yellow-footed rock wallaby
• Genus Short-tailed kangaroos (lat. Setonix)
  • Setonix brachyurus– Quokka, short-tailed kangaroo
• Philander family (lat. Thylogale)
  • Thylogale billardierii– Tasmanian philander, red-bellied philander
  • Thylogale browni– Philander Brown
  • Thylogale brunii– New Guinea Philander
  • Thylogale calabyi Philander Calabi
  • Thylogale lanatus Mountain Philander
  • Thylogale stigmatica– Red-footed philander
  • Thylogale thetis– Red-necked philander
• Genus Wallaby (lat. Wallabia)
  • Wallabia bicolor– Swamp wallaby
  • † Wallabia indra
  • † Wallabia kitcheneris
• † Genus Watutia
  • † Watutia novaeguineae
• † Genus Dorcopsoides(Dorcopsoides)
  • † Dorcopsoides fossilis
• † Genus Kurrabi
  • † Kurrabi mahoneyi
  • † Kurrabi merriwaensis
  • † Kurrabi pelchenorum
• † Genus Procoptodon (lat. Procoptodon)

In what country do kangaroos live and on what continent are they found?

The habitat of modern kangaroos covers Australia, New Guinea and nearby small islands. Feral populations of some species are found in Great Britain, Germany, Hawaiian Islands and New Zealand. Several kangaroos escaped from zoos in the United States and France and founded their own colonies. And yet, according to German geneticists, the homeland of kangaroos is South America, and their history begins from there. These animals are not found in Africa, America and Antarctica.

So, kangaroos live:

• In Australia;
• In New Guinea;
• In Hawaii, the brush-tailed rock wallaby (lat. Petrogale penicillata);
• In England and Germany there is a red-gray wallaby (lat. Macropus rufogriseus);
• The brush-tailed rock kangaroo (lat. Petrogale penicillata), red-gray kangaroo (lat. Macropus rufogriseus), white-breasted wallaby (lat. Macropus parma) and kangaroo Eugenia (lat. Macropus eugenii);
• On the island of Kawau lives the white-breasted wallaby (lat. Macropus parma);
• The red-gray kangaroo (lat. Macropus rufogriseus) and Tasmanian philander (lat. Thylogale billardierii);
• On Kangaroo Island there are western gray kangaroos (lat. Macropus fuliginosus) and Tasmanian kangaroo (lat. Thylogale billardierii);
• The quokka (lat. Setonix brachyurus).

Representatives of the genus Macropus are found in various natural areas: from deserts to the outskirts of moist eucalyptus forests. Short-faced kangaroos are inhabitants of sparse forests, copses and grassy savannas. The distribution of representatives of the genera of bush, tree and forest kangaroos is limited to rain forests. Philanders also inhabit moist, dense forests, including eucalyptus. By the way, tree kangaroos are the only members of the family that live in trees. Hare and claw-tailed kangaroos live in deserts and semi-deserts, including bushland, savannas and sparse woodlands. Rock wallabies occupy territories that range from the desert zone of Central, Western and South Australia to tropical forests. They live among boulder rubble, rock outcrops and cliffs, where they hide during the day.

Kangaroo breeding

Some kangaroos breed seasonally, but most mate and give birth at any time of the year. On the day of estrus, the female may be accompanied by a string of passionate males, waging endless duels for the opportunity to leave offspring.

Kangaroos fight brutally, as if in a fight without rules. Leaning on their tails, they stand on their hind legs and, like wrestlers, clasp each other with their forelimbs. To win, you need to knock your opponent to the ground and beat him with his hind legs. Sometimes kangaroo fights end in severe injuries.

Males of many species of large kangaroos leave scent marks. They mark grass, bushes and trees with secretions from their throat glands. They leave the same “traces” on the female’s body during the courtship period, showing rivals that this is his chosen one. A specific secretion in males is also produced in the cloaca, which passes through the ducts into urine or feces.

Females of large kangaroos begin to reproduce at 2-3 years, when they grow to half the length of an adult animal, and remain reproductively active until 8-12 years. Male kangaroos reach sexual maturity soon after females, but in larger species they are not allowed to breed by adult males. The hierarchical position of kangaroos is determined by their overall size, and, consequently, age. In gray kangaroos, the dominant male in a given area can perform up to half of all matings in his area. But he can maintain his special status only for a year, and to achieve it he must live 8–10 years. Most males never mate at all, and very few reach the top of the hierarchy.

On average, the gestation period for kangaroos lasts 4 weeks. More often they give birth to only one cub, less often two, large red kangaroos (lat. Macropus rufus) bring up to 3 kangaroos. Kangaroos are mammals that do not have a placenta. Due to its absence, embryos develop in yolk sac The uterus is female, and kangaroo cubs are born underdeveloped and tiny, only 15-25 mm long and weighing from 0.36 - 0.4 grams (for quokkas and philanders) to 30 grams (for gray kangaroos). In fact, these are still embryos, similar to mucous lumps. They are so small that they can fit in a tablespoon. At birth, a baby kangaroo does not have formed eyes, hind limbs and tail. The birth of such small cubs does not require much effort from the female; she sits on the rump, extending her tail between her hind limbs, and licks the fur between the cloaca and the pouch. Kangaroos give birth very quickly.

This is what a newborn kangaroo looks like, having already crawled into the pouch and sucked on its mother’s nipple. Photo credit: Geoff Shaw, CC BY-SA 3.0

Using strong forelimbs, a newly born calf, without outside help, guided by the smell of milk, climbs up the mother’s fur into her pouch in an average of 3 minutes. There, a small kangaroo attaches itself to one of the 4 nipples and continues to develop for 150-320 days (depending on the species), remaining attached to it.

The newborn itself is not able to suck milk at first: it is fed by the mother, regulating the flow of fluid with the help of muscles. Helps your baby avoid choking special structure larynx. If during this period the baby kangaroo accidentally breaks away from the nipple, it may die of starvation. The bag serves as a cuvette chamber in which its development is completed. It provides the newborn with the necessary temperature and humidity.

When a small kangaroo leaves the nipple, in many large species the mother allows him to leave the pouch for short walks, returning it back when moving. She forbids him to enter the pouch only before the birth of a new cub, but he continues to follow her and can stick his head into the pouch to suckle.

The amount of milk changes as the baby grows. The mother simultaneously feeds the baby kangaroo in the pouch and the previous one, but different quantities milk and from different nipples. This is possible due to the fact that skin secretion in each mammary gland is independently regulated by hormones.

A few days after giving birth, the female is ready to mate again. If she becomes pregnant, the embryo stops developing. This diapause lasts about a month until the baby in the pouch leaves it. Then the embryo continues its development.

Two days before giving birth, the mother does not allow the previous kangaroo to get into the pouch. The baby perceives this rebuff with difficulty, since he was previously taught to return at the first call. Meanwhile, the female kangaroo cleans and prepares her pocket for the next baby. During the dry season, the embryo remains in a state of diapause until the rainy season arrives.

Lifestyle of a kangaroo in the wild

Surely everyone knows the redhead Australian kangaroo, which gallops through the desert regions of the mainland. But this is only one of 62 species of kangaroos. Desert-adapted herbivores such as the red kangaroo appeared 5-15 million years ago. Before this, Australia was covered with forests, and the ancestors of the representatives of this amazing family lived in trees.

Most kangaroos are solitary animals, with the exception of females with cubs that form a family. Brush-tailed kangaroos make shelters in burrows that they dig on their own, and settle there in small colonies. And yet these animals cannot be called truly social. Solitary kangaroo subfamily Macropodinae who do not use permanent shelters (mostly we're talking about about small species living in areas with dense vegetation) behave in exactly the same way, but the union between the female and her last offspring can last many weeks after the cessation of milk feeding. Rock kangaroos take refuge during the day in crevices or piles of stones, forming colonies. At the same time, males try to prevent other suitors from entering the shelter of their females. In some species of rock kangaroos, males team up with one or more females, but they do not always feed together. Male tree kangaroos guard trees used by one or more females.

Large species of kangaroo live in herds. Some of them form groups of 50 or more individuals. Membership in such a group is free, and animals can leave and rejoin it repeatedly. Individuals of certain age categories usually tend to live nearby. The characteristics of a female’s socialization are determined by the stage of development of her kangaroo: females whose babies are ready to leave the pouch avoid meeting other females in the same position. Males move from one group to another more often than females and use larger habitat areas. They are not territorial and move widely, checking a large number of female individuals.

Large social kangaroos live in open areas and used to be attacked by land and aerial predators such as dingoes, wedge-tailed eagle or the now extinct marsupial wolf. Living in a group gives kangaroos the same benefits as many other social animals. Thus, the dingo has fewer opportunities to approach large group, and kangaroos can spend more time feeding.

Kangaroo and man

At favorable conditions Kangaroos breed very quickly, which greatly worries Australian farmers. In Australia, from 2 to 4 million large kangaroos and wallaroos are killed annually, as they are considered pests of pastures and crops. Shooting is licensed and regulated. When kangaroo country was settled by the first Europeans, these marsupial mammals were less numerous, and from 1850 to 1900 many scientists feared they might become extinct. The development of pastures and watering holes for sheep and cattle, together with a decrease in the number of dingoes, led to the flourishing of kangaroos.

These animals were once the prey of the aborigines, who hunted mammals with spears and boomerangs. Small wallabies were driven out by fire or driven into prepared traps. In New Guinea they were pursued with bows and arrows, and now they are being killed with firearms. In many areas, hunting has reduced populations and pushed tree kangaroos and other restricted species to the brink of extinction. In most of Australia, outside rain or wet hardwood forests, the number of kangaroo species weighing less than 5–6 kg declined in the 19th century. On the mainland, some of these species have disappeared or have had their range greatly reduced, although they have managed to survive on the islands. The extinction was caused by habitat destruction and the importation of livestock and foxes. Foxes, introduced for sport hunting into the state of Victoria in 1860 - 1880, quickly spread throughout the sheep-raising areas, feeding mainly on introduced animals, but they also began to use short-faced kangaroos and wallabies as prey. Only where foxes have now been eliminated are kangaroos at the peak of population development and have restored their numbers.