Red Kangaroo
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ID#21
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The red kangaroo has long, pointed ears and an almost square muzzle. Male kangaroos have red-brown fur. They can have a head-and-body length of 1.3–1.6 m (4.3–5.2 ft.). The tail is 1–1.2 m (3.3–3.9 ft.). They typically weigh about 55 to 85 kg (120 to 190 lbs.). Females tend to be much smaller than the males and are more bluish-grey with a bit of a brown tinge. They have a head-and-body length of 85–105 cm (33–41 in) and tail length of 65–85 cm (26–33 in). Females weigh about 18 to 40 kg (40 to 88 lbs.). It has two “arms” with small claws, two muscular “legs”, which are used for the kangaroo’s stereotypical jumping, and a strong tail which is used when a kangaroo is standing still to create a “tripod” to steady itself. The average red kangaroo is about 1.5 m (4.9 ft.) tall. Red Kangaroos travel in groups called mobs. The mobs are relatively small and are usually led by a single, older male. The rest of the mob may consist of several females and young kangaroos, called joeys. The mobs will travel to the areas of Australia and New Guinea where vegetation is more abundant. The Kangaroos will not generally graze during the heat of the day but rather they will find refuge in shade. They will then venture out to find food at night. Kangaroos will also engage in "boxing matches". During these matches they will stand on their hind legs and then attempt to hit or jab each other with their forearms. The Red Kangaroos will most often run if threatened, but they can defend themselves with their powerful hind legs if necessary. They eat a grass-centered diet. The red kangaroo breeds all year round. The females have the unusual ability to delay birth of their baby until their previous joey has left the pouch. Usually only one young is born at a time. It is blind, hairless, and only a few centimeters long. Its hind legs are mere stumps; it instead uses its more developed forelegs to climb its way through the thick fur on its mother's abdomen into the pouch, which takes about three to five minutes. Once in the pouch, it starts to feed. Almost immediately, the mother's sexual cycle starts again. After approximately 190 days, the baby is sufficiently large and developed to make its full emergence out of the pouch, after sticking its head out for a few weeks until it eventually feels safe enough to fully emerge. From then on, it spends increasing time in the outside world and eventually, after around 235 days, it leaves the pouch for the last time. While the young joey will permanently leave the pouch at around 235 days old, it will continue to suckle until it reaches about 12 months of age. They live up to 20 years old. The red kangaroo is the world’s largest living marsupial. It can jump up to 10 feet high, or 25 feet forward. |