The harsh life of a big red kangaroo. Kangaroo animal (lat.

Large red kangaroos are large animals, long ago and well known to man. They live in much of the arid, inland, central part 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, flat 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 claw for grooming. 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. Under favorable conditions, a mother red kangaroo produces and feeds 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 a large number of 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 unfavourable 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 Australian territory are currently contained within national parks. All Australian states regulate the hunting of these kangaroos

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. this moment. At the same time, fertile areas rich in plant food east coast And rainforests 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 reaches speeds of up to 40 km/h, making giant leaps up to 9 m in length and 3 m in height.

Reproduction

In the presence of favorable conditions Kangaroos breed 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 giant red kangaroo does not know how to move backwards, it is always directed only forward. Perhaps, thanks to such natural progressiveness, this animal even appears on the coat of arms of Australia. Although, I must admit, the marsupial aborigine is, in general, a great guy: muscular, not picky, hardy, which allows him to adapt perfectly to arid climate, is a real “Aussie”, as the Australians call themselves.

Zoo center

Big red kangaroo(Megaleia rufa)
Class- mammals
Infraclass- marsupials
Squad- two-incisor marsupials
Family- kangaroos
Genus- red kangaroos

The great red kangaroo is the largest marsupial found in Australia. Their population today is about 10 million individuals, that is, one kangaroo for every two Australians. Redheads are especially numerous on the vast inland plains, where they live in small herds: a male and several females with cubs. Pregnancy in females lasts up to 40 days. There are one, rarely two cubs in a litter. Baby kangaroos are born tiny, they are the smallest among large mammals. The lifespan of a kangaroo is 10 years, in captivity - up to 15.

The homeland of red kangaroos cannot be called a paradise. Basically, these are the interior regions of the continent, the same ones that are rightly called the “Dead Heart” of Australia. There is little water here, and there is nothing to hope for rain - no more than 500 millimeters of precipitation falls per year, barely moistening the parched land, so the vegetation here is not rich: only isolated islands of coarse grass, and even more rarely - thickets of Australian thorny bushes and scrub. Only very hardy creatures can feel comfortable in such conditions - red kangaroos - the largest living marsupials. By the way, only males can rightfully be called “red”; the fur of females is usually bluish-gray. Paleontologists claim that kangaroos chose this territory several million years ago. They have lived here since the climate in most of Australia became arid, and the rainforests gave way to steppes and deserts.

Like all representatives of the kangaroo family, the red one has short front legs and long, powerful hind legs. There is a legend that once all kangaroos walked on four legs, but then the front ones were badly burned during a fire, and they had to learn to walk on two. True, this legend has nothing to do with evolution, but the fact remains: with the help of their hind legs, these animals move by jumping at speeds of up to 65 kilometers per hour, and cover more than nine meters in one energetic jump. Moreover, the muscular “legs” armed with steel claws are also used by the animals as weapons of defense. But they resort to this method of fighting extremely rarely, only when they are “pressed to the wall” and there is nowhere to retreat; in all other cases, they prefer to simply run away. As for the front paws, during the mating season the males deftly “box” them, inflicting very sensitive blows on each other. But the powerful and wide tail is used exclusively as a support or balancer when running.

Red kangaroos are true hermits. They are not only extremely unpretentious to food, but also tolerate a lack of water. This quality is especially important in the summer, when the few rivers dry up from the heat, and the animals have to stay in the sweltering heat. It’s the hottest time, the midday hours, they try to spend in the shade and move less. If this does not help, kangaroos lick their paws and spread saliva on their face and body to cool themselves. Thanks to this “washing”, jumpers can withstand heat of more than 40 degrees, which is not at all uncommon in the Australian desert. They become active at night, with the onset of cool weather.

Red kangaroos live in herds of 10-12 individuals. The family consists of several females with offspring and one, rarely two males. Sometimes such small groups unite into large ones, where the number of animals reaches a thousand or more heads. They usually live within a certain territory, but sometimes, in search of best places for life, they can embark on long journeys. The maximum recorded distance that red kangaroos managed to overcome is 216 kilometers, and this is a lot even for the vast expanses of the Green Continent.

Marsupials do not have a special breeding season; more precisely, it extends throughout the year. Usually a male starts a “harem” of several females, which he jealously guards from other single males - this is where “boxing” skills come into play. A month later, the female gives birth to a tiny baby (less often than two), weighing only three grams. This creature, more like an underdeveloped embryo, will have to crawl to the mother’s pouch immediately after birth, which will take at least half an hour and the same amount to find the nipple and suck on it, so tightly that it is almost impossible to tear it off. But after the “first” difficult path has passed, you don’t have to work anymore: milk is injected into the cub’s throat from time to time, and he, accordingly, eats and grows. Due to the similarity of the baby kangaroo at this stage of life with the fetus as such, naturalists for a long time it was believed that it was not born in the usual way, but was budded from the mother’s nipples. The baby grows in a bag. In a year he will become a hundred times larger and about a thousand times heavier. After 6 months, he already begins to crawl out of the bag, but at the slightest danger he immediately dives back head down, and then turns over and looks out. And only after a year the baby kangaroo moves on to an independent life, in which it must rely on good developed vision , hearing, smell or to signals sent by relatives. By the way, the sounds made by jumpers cannot be called pleasant: most of all they resemble a hoarse cough. They can also hit the ground with their hind paws, warning their fellow tribesmen about the approach of an enemy. When scientists recorded this knock on film and played the recording to the marsupials living in the zoo, they instantly jumped to their feet and began to look around and listen in fear. Despite their impressive size, red giants have enemies. Of the four-legged animals, these are dingoes, brave and hardy predators hunting in packs, or large vultures that can pull a small kangaroo right out of the pouch of a gaping mother. But most of all, animals get it from people. Farmer-settlers back in the century before last shot them because during droughts marsupials take away pasture lands from their livestock. But this one wasn't the only reason brutal hunting of kangaroos - their skin and meat are highly valued. Especially the meat - tasty, lean, it is popular with gourmets, although, it must be said, the Australians themselves are not at all enthusiastic about eating steak and sausage from. Local conservationists are constantly fighting against the industrial killing of animals, calling this hunting a “barbaric massacre.” Concerned producers even recently announced a competition to replace the name “kangaroo meat”, which scares off Australians. Hundreds of options have been invented. For example, “skippy” is the name of a local television series about these animals, popular in the 60s. To be fair, it’s worth noting that kangaroo roast is not an invention at all. white man: Aborigines have been hunting them since ancient times, valuing the tail most of all (they find all other parts of the carcass too tough). Today, hunting for red kangaroos is restricted by the authorities of all states. In addition, Australia is a country of national parks, which cover 3 million square miles (almost 8 million square kilometers) of territory. Big sizes populations and vast expanses of natural habitat protect red kangaroos from extinction. (In this sense, they were much luckier than, for example, Tasmanian devils

, which are on the verge of extinction as a result of active human development of their native Tasmania.)

True, red-haired giants can sometimes, through negligence, become the cause and victim of an accident. Farmers and national park rangers who drive jeeps know that in a collision, both the animal and the vehicle usually suffer. Therefore, they came up with the idea of attaching a durable frame to the front bumper, the demand for which, fueled by manufacturers of auto accessories, spread throughout the world. So the red kangaroo can rightfully consider itself a co-author of this invention. The red kangaroo or red giant kangaroo belongs to the genus giant kangaroos and is the largest representative of marsupials not only in Australia, where it lives, but throughout the world. This type

lives in the lands of Western and Central Australia. These vast areas include shrubland, tree-shrub savannas, and deserts. That is, the area is dry and open with trees for shade.

The body length of males is 1.3-1.6 m without a tail. The tail adds another 1-1.2 m to the total body length. Females reach a length of 85-105 cm with a tail length of 65-85 cm. They weigh from 20 to 40 kg. The weight of males is 55-90 kg. If the animal is standing, its height is on average 1.5 m. Mature males grow to 1.8 m. The largest officially recorded height is 2.2 m with a weight of 91 kg. The fur is short. In males it is red-brown, noticeably paler on the limbs. In females, the skin is gray-blue and has a brown tint. The lower part of the body is light gray. The eyes of representatives of the species are designed so that their vision is 300 degrees.

Reproduction and lifespan

The breeding season continues all year round. The female has developed the ability to delay the birth of the cub until the previous one leaves the pouch. This is the so-called embryonic diapause. Pregnancy lasts 33-34 days. There is 1 cub in the litter. He is naked and blind, and his length is 2 cm and weighs 1 g. The newborn clings to the mother's fur and crawls into the pouch. Here he attaches himself to the nipple. There are 2 of them in the bag.

The baby sits in the pouch for 70 days and during this time it grows and becomes covered with fur. He begins to make short excursions from his mother's pouch. Completely leaves the pouch at the age of 8 months. The female immediately gives birth to a second cub. It is attached to the 2nd nipple. And the first one is fed from the 1st nipple for up to a year. At the same time, for the newborn, the female’s body produces more nutritious milk, and for an adult calf it is less fatty. Puberty in females it occurs at the age of 15-20 months, in males at the age of 20-24 months. In the wild, the red kangaroo lives 20-22 years. The maximum life expectancy is 27 years.

Behavior and nutrition

Animals live in groups with an average of 10 individuals. These are mainly females with offspring and a couple of males. In areas where food is plentiful, large numbers of red kangaroos congregate. Sometimes their number can reach up to 1.5 thousand. Their lifestyle is twilight and nocturnal. During the day the animals rest. They are sedentary and live all the time within certain territory. They move only when there is no food. Such movements can be tens or even hundreds of kilometers.

Young males engage in ritual fights with each other to secure leadership and access to females. At the same time, they hit each other with their paws, leaning on their tails. The diet consists of plant foods. These are grass, cereals, flowering plants. Leaves and bark of trees are also eaten. Representatives of the species mainly obtain water from lush greenery.

This type is protected by law. You can kill an animal only with permission from the authorities. However, animals die under the wheels of cars, blinded by headlights, and are also sometimes shot by farmers defending their farmland. There are so many red kangaroos that commercial fishing is allowed. Up to 1.5 million of these animals are killed per year. Skin and meat are in demand. The turnover of this industry is 270 million dollars per year. 4 thousand people are involved in it. The meat contains only 2% fat, and the skin is used to make leather.

Australia is an unusual continent inhabited by amazing animals.
Among them is the red kangaroo, which has become a symbol of the country and bears the stamp of ancient eras in the development of the Earth.
Millions of years ago, when our Earth was inhabited by giant dinosaurs, the first mammals appeared.
They hatched their young by laying eggs, like the platypus and echidna, or carried them in a pouch, like kangaroos. Gradually, lizards began to disappear, followed by marsupials and oviparous animals, but in Australia, thanks to its isolation and distance from the whole world, all these living antiquities have survived to this day!
The red kangaroo is the largest animal of all.
The height of the male sitting on the tail reaches one and a half meters, the total length with the tail is 2.5 meters, and the weight is up to 80 kg. Females are three times smaller, much more graceful and more modestly colored - in grayish tones.
In addition to the huge legs that look like levers and small underdeveloped “hands”, heavy and long tails, which play a special role in the life of red kangaroos.
They sit on them, use them to push off during fights, and, finally, they are a cool balance beam while running and flying over the plain, rhythmically swinging up and down.
These animals reach speeds of up to 45 km. per hour, making jumps up to 13 m in length and 3.5 m in height. Outside of running, they are clumsy and sedentary creatures, but when running, they are the shadow of a bird flying above the ground.
The red kangaroo wears a coat of thick fur with undercoat, which allows it to live in cold climates.
Left out of competition in distant Australia, marsupials occupied all ecological niches here. Before dawn, when the sky in the east begins to lighten, herds of red kangaroos go out to pasture. They devote a lot of time to feeding (up to 10 hours a day), preferring early morning and after the midday heat has subsided.
The main diet consists of steppe and meadow grasses, among which they look for their favorite ones - the cereals and legumes richest in sugars and proteins.
The stems and leaves of the kangaroo are bitten with three incisors of the upper and lower jaws, chewed thoroughly, after which the food enters the stomach.
Kangaroos avoid heat, but are not afraid, and their fawn color reflects well sunlight. If they overheat, they begin to breathe heavily, carefully lick their chest, front and hind legs, which helps evaporate moisture and cool the body.
Like real ones, they do not need constant watering and can generally do without it. Moisture is obtained from plants, and their kidneys are able to suck water from their own urine, easily processing it.
During the rainy season, when the pastures are fragrant with green flowering grasses, the red kangaroo tries to isolate itself from its harem, after which the mating season begins. If males become mature at 2 years, then females much earlier - at a year and a half.
The female gives birth to one cub once a year. The fertilized egg quickly develops in the female's uterus and turns into a naked pink embryo, which after about a month is rejected by the mother's body.
A small creature, 3-5 cm long, completely blind, crawls upward on its own, clinging to the fur with its tiny claws.
Just before giving birth, the mother licks the fur on her lower abdomen, preparing a smooth path for the future baby straight into the pouch.
Once in place, the embryo independently finds one of the four nipples and is firmly attached to it. Now he is ready to continue his development for another 6-8 months.
By four months, the baby has acquired fur and begins to gradually peek out of his mother’s pouch. At 7 months, he tries to walk near his mother while she is grazing, but at the slightest danger he immediately dives into his furry shelter.
The baby becomes independent at the age of eight months, having gained 3-4 kg. weight and gradually switching to feeding on grass, but for up to a year he stays close to his mother and even climbs into her pouch to enjoy milk.
Kangaroos have a twofold attitude towards their children: on the one hand, they are loving mothers who allow their offspring to ride on them, and on the other, if the female is pursued by dogs or hunters, she can throw the baby outside, leaving him to be torn to pieces.
The instinct to preserve the mother's life is like that of lizards when they throw back their tails when caught.
The number of our heroes in the vastness of Australia depends on two factors: the attitude of people towards them, on the one hand, and precipitation, on the other.
When there is more rain, kangaroo herds are quickly renewed, and if long droughts begin, half of the babies sitting in their mothers' pouches die.
But since Green continent huge, and the red kangaroo occupies all the steppe and desert spaces in it, there is no need to worry about their numbers yet.
Much more dangerous for these animals is persecution by humans. Beginning in the 19th century, local pastoralists began to displace kangaroos from the pastures occupied by their sheep.
They believed that these jumping klutzes were the main competitors of their beloved sheep, so they needed to be destroyed by any means.
And since the twenties of the last century, a real boom in the extermination of kangaroos began in Australia - for dog food, for furriers, tanners and for export, destroying up to 2 million animals every year.
But no matter what, today the red kangaroo is thriving in Australia and is not going to give up its position, but is only increasing its numbers. Well done boys! Keep it up!