Kangaroo

There are several species of kangaroos that vary in size and color. Like deer, males are called bucks and females are

called does. Babies are called joeys. The kangaroo has been around for a long time and millions of them exist today.

Below is interesting information and fun facts on kangaroos to help you better understand these fascinating animals

Description of kangaroo•Kangaroos have two types of  legs the back legs which are called the hind legs 

and the front legs that are called the forelegs •The hind legs are more powerful because they hop on their own hind legs •Only females have a pouch to keep joeys in•They have ears that can twist in different directions to hear •They have muscular tails that help then balance well to kick and that defends themselves

This is a picture of  Kangaroo hopping on it's hind legs which is a characteristic 

classification of kangaroo

They are classified in the kingdom: Animalia , phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Marsupialia, family Macropodidae.

habitat

Kangaroos live in forests, woodlands, and grass plains in Australia, New Guinea and a few nearby islands and desserts

Adaptations

• They jump fast to get away from predators.• The pouch hides the baby from

predators.• Kangaroos use their strong tail for

balancing while they jump.

Life Cycle of kangaroo

 First they turn out to be a baby joey till they get  too big for their moms pouch. Then they learn how to search for food. They can learn to eat when  they leave and live their own. Kangaroo can live to 78 years old

Food and water•Kangaroos can go for a long time without water because they get   

   most of it in plants •Otherwise they will find a pond or river to drink from •Kangaroos eat plants which means they are herbivores •Kangaroos have eucalyptus leaves, small bushes or any other type    of plant material to eat • Joeys which are baby Kangaroo’s drink milk form their own      mother’s.

Here is a picture of eucalyptus leaves which is a plant that Kangaroos love to eat.

The majority of kangaroo species are not at all endangered.

Warning signs are common in kangaroo country.

About 20,000 collisions between motor vehicles and kangaroos take place every year. The kangaroo has always been a very important animal for Australian, for its meat, hide and bone.

 the reasons of being endangered

The kangaroo is a recognizable symbol of Australia. Kangaroos have been featured on coins, most notably the five kangaroos on the Australian one dollar coin. The Australian Made logo consists of a golden kangaroo in a green triangle to show that a product is grown or made in Australia.The kangaroo and wallaby feature predominantly in Australian sports teams names and mascots. Examples include the Australian national rugby league team (the Kangaroos) and the Australian national rugby union team (the Wallabies). Australia’s national airline, Qantas, uses a bounding kangaroo for its logo.

The kangaroo in the media

• http://www.arkive.org• http://www.kangaroos.com• http://www.onekind.org• http://www.defenders.org• http://www.exploringnature.org• http://animalstime.com

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