The Kangaroo Facts
The kangaroo is a marsupial hailing from the island-continent Australia. It is one of the most iconic of all Australian animals. There are more than 60 different species of kangaroos belonging to the macropod family meaning ‘great footed’. The macropod family comprises wallabies, wallaroos, kangaroos, paedemelons, tree-kangaroos and forest –wallabies.
Origin of kangaroos
The word kangaroo is originally derived from an Aboriginal word called ‘gangurru’ used to describe the gray kangaroos. A legend also surrounds the name. It is said that the name kangaroo appeared as a result of misunderstanding and developed from an Aboriginal word meaning ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I don’t understand’. An adult male kangaroo is referred to as a buck and females are known as doe. The young ones are referred to as joeys.
Kangaroo habitat
Native to the Australian island, these animals thrive in the arid and semi-arid regions of the continent. The eastern grey kangaroo can be easily spotted in the fertile eastern part of Australia. Western Australia, South Australia and the Darling River basin is home to the Western grey kangaroos. The grassy plains of Australia are home to the Antilopine kangaroos.
Kangaroos are mostly nocturnal by nature but some remain active during the early hours of day or late in the evening. Different species of kangaroos have different habitat. Some make nests for themselves while others live under trees or caves. The potoroids make nests while tree-kangaroos live on exclusively on trees. Larger kangaroos either take shelter under trees or in caves. Male kangaroos sometimes indulge in ‘boxing’ either to prove dominance or while competing for a mate.
Powerful back legs with long feet are common to all species of kangaroos. The tail helps in maintaining balance while a kangaroo hops around. While moving slowly the kangaroos make use of a fifth limb to retain balance. Adult female kangaroos have a pouch where a young kangaroo is raised till it’s grown up enough to survive. The average lifespan of kangaroo is 5 to 6 years.
Kangaroo predators
Kangaroo predators are few. Thylacine, once considered to be a foremost predator of the kangaroo is now extinct. However, later with the introduction of animals like foxes, wild dogs and dingoes in the Australian continent, the kangaroos had to opt for certain adaptability. A dog’s mere barking can throw an adult buck into frenzy. Certain reptiles such as Goannas pose as a threat to the kangaroos as the former sometimes feed on the smaller species of kangaroos.
Importance of kangaroos
The kangaroo always remained important for the Aborigines who hunted the animal for its meat, bone, tendon and hide. Protein content in high in kangaroo meat whereas it is extremely low in fat. It is known to possess anti-diabetics properties and also helps in reducing obesity. Shy by nature kangaroos do not pose as a threat to humans in normal circumstances. Records of kangaroos attacking humans are few and rare.
The kangaroo has been used as emblems and mascots worldwide. They have been featured in coins as well.