Unknown Facts about Kangaroo:

Kangaroos are Marsupials belonging to the family Macropodidae (Having large feet).

Varieties and Distribution of Kangaroos:

Small and large varieties of kangaroos are present.

Large Varieties of Kangaroos: The larger ones are seen mostly in Australia whereas the smaller variety is seen in Australia and New Guinea. The larger varieties are the Red kangaroo, grey kangaroo and Antilopian kangaroo.

Small Varieties of Kangaroos: The smaller varieties are Wallaroos, Pademelons and the Quokka.

Special Characteristics of Kangaroos:

Kangaroos possess large hind limbs suited for leaping and a large muscular tail. The head is smaller compared to the body size. Because of their unequal size of limbs they cannot walk properly and take the support of the muscular tail as support while they rest.

Kangaroos are strict herbivorous animals (Feeds on grass). They have special teeth suitable for grazing the grass. They are nocturnal in habit.

The reproductive life of kangaroos is different from other mammals since development of the young ones takes the most part of their life outside the mother’s womb.

In suitable conditions the kangaroos mate and soon after fertilisation the young one emerge from the womb having about 1 cm in length and crawls upwards towards the pouch. It reaches the pouch in about 3 minutes and enters the pouch. Soon it attaches to one of the four teats available in the pouch and start suckling.

When it is suckling the mother again mates and second one is born 33 days after mating (Gestation period is 33 days) and the second neonate also reaches the pouch. Mean while the first neonate shifts to the second teat and leaves the first teat to the new born. While the first and the second neonates are suckling the mother breeds again and the third one is borne. It also reaches the pouch.

At this time the first neonate grown little bigger and the second one still a neonate shifts to another teat leaving the first teat to the new neonate. The mother will be having three young ones in the pouch the first being a developed one the second slightly grown and the last one being a neonate.

The amazing part is that the mother kangaroo will be producing three varieties of milk suitable for their growing needs of the young ones. The young ones grow in about 190 days of their birth and able to leave the pouch occasionally and comes back to the pouch. The fully grown young one leaves the pouch in 235 days after their birth. The amazing part is that the young neonates select the teats suitable to their needs to suckle and grow without disturbing the young neonate.

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