Interesting Kangaroo Facts: Australia’s Iconic Animal

When people think of Australia, the Kangaroo is most likely one of the first animals that springs to mind (pun intended).

But behind that familiar silhouette is an animal full of surprises. Kangaroos can travel vast distances with remarkable efficiency, use their tails almost like an extra limb, swim using movements they can’t make on land, and raise joeys through a reproductive system that seems to have rewritten the rules of motherhood.

Then there is the much-repeated claim that Kangaroos can’t go backwards. The truth is far more interesting.

Here are some of the most interesting Kangaroo facts, including how they move, what they eat, how tiny joeys grow and why Australia’s most recognisable marsupial is so perfectly built for life on this continent.

How Kangaroos Get Around

Kangaroos belong to the macropod family, Macropodidae. The name comes from words meaning “large foot”, which feels very appropriate once you’ve seen the size of those hind feet.

And those feet are only part of the story.

Unlike most large land animals, Kangaroos don’t run to pick up speed. They hop, using powerful hind legs, long feet and strong tendons in a movement that is surprisingly efficient.

Kangaroo Hopping Is Suprisingly Efficient

A Kangaroo’s powerful legs rely on more than muscle to power each hop. When a Kangaroo lands, its tendons stretch and store some of that energy before releasing it into the next hop, a little like a spring being compressed and released.

This helps Kangaroos travel efficiently across large stretches of open country. Eastern Grey Kangaroos have been recorded reaching speeds of 64 km/h, although they usually travel much more slowly.

And as they speed up, Kangaroos don’t just move their legs faster. They can also increase the length of each hop.

For an animal that gets almost everywhere by jumping, it is an impressively clever way to travel.

A Kangaroo’s Tail Is Almost Like Another Leg

That long, muscular tail is doing much more than keeping a Kangaroo balanced. When hopping quickly, the tail acts as an important counterbalance. Slow things down, though, and its job changes completely.

Watch a Kangaroo moving slowly while feeding and you’ll see it lean forward onto its front limbs and tail before swinging both hind legs forward together.

Researchers studying this unusual five-point style of movement found that the tail provides propulsion as well as support. In fact, it can produce as much propulsive force as the front and hind legs combined.

Calling it a fifth leg might not be anatomically correct, but functionally, it comes surprisingly close.

Can Kangaroos Move Backwards?

Yes, but not very well.

Kangaroos are often described as being unable to move backwards, but that isn’t quite the full story. They can make small backward movements, although it is usually more of an awkward shuffle than a true reverse of their normal way of getting around.

Their large hind feet, powerful legs and substantial tail are built for moving forward, which makes backing up difficult, especially when it comes to hopping.

A Kangaroo can manage a short backward shuffle, but reversing is nowhere near as natural as moving forward.

That difficulty moving backwards has also become part of the story behind Australia’s Commonwealth Coat of Arms, where the Kangaroo and Emu are often said to represent a nation moving forward.

So Australia’s famous forward-moving Kangaroo can reverse. It just does it with more of a shuffle than a stride.

Can Kangaroos Swim?

Absolutely.

And swimming reveals something Kangaroos can’t normally do on land. When hopping, their hind legs move together. Once they’re in the water, Kangaroos can move those powerful back legs independently to swim.

It’s one of those Kangaroo facts that sounds slightly unlikely until you see it happen.

What Do Kangaroos Eat?

Kangaroos are herbivores, and grasses make up a big part of their diet.

That might sound fairly simple, but digesting tough Australian vegetation takes some specialised biology. Kangaroos have a stomach with several chambers in it, where microorganisms help ferment and break down tough plant fibre before the nutrients are absorbed.

It is sometimes compared with the way cattle digest grass, but Kangaroos are not true cud-chewing animals. Their digestive system works differently, and they do not rely on the same regular process of bringing food back up and chewing it again.

So while Kangaroos and cattle have both found clever ways to get the most out of a mouthful of grass, they go about it in very different ways.

When Are Kangaroos Most Active?

Kangaroos are generally most active in the cooler parts of the day, particularly around dawn, dusk and into the night.

During the heat of the day, they will often rest in the shade or find a sheltered spot before heading out again to graze as temperatures drop.

It is a simple but effective way of conserving energy and avoiding the worst of the Australian heat.

What Is A Group Of Kangaroos Called?

A group of Kangaroos is known as a mob.

Depending on the particular species of Kangaroo, habitat and conditions, a mob might include just a few Kangaroos or grow into a much larger gathering.

Adult male Kangaroos are often called bucks or boomers, while females are commonly called does or flyers. A young Kangaroo, of course, is a joey.

Kangaroo mobs are quite fluid, with animals moving in and out of groups as they feed, rest and breed. They are not fixed groups led by one dominant male, and their makeup can change over time as animals come and go.

How Do Kangaroos Warn Each Other?

A loud thump from a powerful hind foot is one way Kangaroos warn others that something isn’t right. If danger is nearby, a Kangaroo may stamp the ground to alert other members of the mob before moving away.

Kangaroos are naturally wary, but they are also large, powerful wild animals with strong hind legs and claws. Giving them plenty of space is the safest and most respectful way to observe them in the wild.

Watching from a distance also gives you a much better chance to see their natural behaviour.

Joey Facts

This is where Kangaroos become truly extraordinary.

A newborn Red Kangaroo arrives after a pregnancy of around 33 days. At birth, the joey is tiny, hairless and extremely underdeveloped, around the size of a jellybean. Yet almost immediately it begins one of the most remarkable journeys of its life.

The newborn climbs unaided through its mother’s fur and into her pouch, where it attaches to a teat and continues developing.

The pouch might look like a convenient place to carry a baby, but for a newborn marsupial it is much more than that. Much of the development that would happen before birth in many other mammals happens here instead.

How Long Does A Joey Stay In The Pouch?

It depends on the Kangaroo species.

A Red Kangaroo joey permanently leaves the pouch at around 235 days old, or close to eight months, although it continues suckling until around 12 months of age.

Before leaving permanently, joeys gradually start poking their heads out, nibbling vegetation and taking increasingly adventurous trips into the outside world.

Should something alarming happen, there is also nothing quite like a rapid retreat head-first into Mum’s pouch.

Kangaroo Mothers Can Produce Different Milk for Different Joeys

One of the most extraordinary Kangaroo facts happens inside the pouch. As a joey grows, the composition of its mother’s milk changes with it.

Even more remarkably, a female Red Kangaroo can be feeding two young of very different ages at the same time, with each drinking from a different teat. Those mammary glands can produce milk with different compositions to meet the needs of each developing joey.

One mother. Two joeys. Two different milk formulas being produced at the same time.

If that sounds like a lot to manage at once, Kangaroo reproduction has another surprise still to come…

Kangaroos Can Pause Embryo Development

Red Kangaroos can use a process called embryonic diapause, which means a tiny embryo can stop developing for a while.

If there is already a joey growing in the pouch, the embryo can stay paused until the timing is right for it to start developing again.

This means a female Red Kangaroo can sometimes be caring for young at three different stages at once:

• an older joey outside the pouch that is still drinking milk
• a younger joey growing inside the pouch
• a tiny embryo waiting for its turn to keep developing

One mum, three different stages of development, all at the same time. Kangaroo reproduction really is remarkable.

What Are The Different Types Of Kangaroo?

The word Kangaroo is commonly used for four of Australia’s largest macropods:

1. Red Kangaroo
   The largest living marsupial in the world, most commonly found across the dry inland parts of Australia.
2. Eastern Grey Kangaroo
   Found across large parts of eastern Australia, often in grasslands, open woodland and areas with plenty of grazing.
3. Western Grey Kangaroo
   Found across southern and western Australia in habitats including woodland, scrub and open grassland.
4. Antilopine Kangaroo
   Found across tropical northern Australia, particularly in open woodland and grassland.

These Kangaroos are part of the wider macropod family, which also includes Wallabies, Wallaroos, Pademelons and Tree Kangaroos.

Across that wider family, different species have adapted to all sorts of Australian habitats, from open plains and rocky country to rainforest treetops.

So while hopping might be the family resemblance, there is far more variety among Australia’s macropods than first meets the eye.

Meet The Kangaroos At Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary

Reading Kangaroo facts is one thing. Watching those enormous feet, powerful legs and muscular tails in action is much better.

At Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, wander through the red soil landscape of Kangaroo Country to meet Kangaroos, or visit the grassy fields where the Grey Kangaroos like to relax.

During designated feeding times, you can also feed the Kangaroos using specially prepared food available to purchase from Kangaroo Outpost.

Slow down while you’re there.

Watch how they move when they’re grazing. Look at the way that huge tail takes some of their weight. See whether there’s a joey peeking from a pouch or an entire mob stretched out enjoying the shade.

Australia’s Kangaroos might be instantly recognisable, but spend a little time watching one and there is always something else to discover.

Discover more animal facts and learn more about the wildlife that calls Australia home 🙂