The 60 species of Kangaroos are Australia’s most iconic animal that lives everywhere in Australia, from the scorching hot outback, to the snowy mountains, to the tropical forests and beaches.
The latin family name is Macropodoidea (or macropods, meaning ‘great-footed’), which can be split into the Macropodidae and the Potoroidae families.
Macropodidae
- Kangaroos
 Australian Kangaroo |
 Baby kangaroo |
- Wallabies
Australian Wallaby
- Wallaroos
Wallaroo
- Pademelons
Pademelon
- Tree-kangaroos
 Tree Kangaroo |
 Tree Kangaroo |
Potoroinae
- Potoroo
Potoroo
- Bettong
Bettong
- Rat-Kangaroo
Rat Kangaroo
Kangaroos are in short: “Mammals that can hop”. The whole kangaroo family all have strong legs and long feet, which enables them to “Hop” or rather to “Jump”. The longest recorded jump is 13.1 meter and they can run (or jump) up to 80 kilometres per hour. Except for Tree-Kangaroos, their hind legs are actually physically attached, so that they can only move them together.
Kangaroos are gentle animals and you are normally able to pad or scratch them, which they will love you for. When they feel threatened however, they will use their hind legs to defend itself. It will lean back on it tail and kick it attacked with all the muscle power. Given it’s sharp toenails, not a position you want to be in. Better pad and scratch them precisely how they like it! (Apparently you should be able to train them to box playfully as well! )The tail is mainly used during “walking” and for balance while running.
How to tell them apart
Let’s start of with the normal kangaroo. It they are about 1.80 M tall, this is your guy/girl. The coat is quit uniform.
If they are about the size of a normal kangaroo, but have a black, hairless ring around their nose (Like a koala or wombats), it’s a Wallaroo. These guys also have rounded ears btw. That another way of telling them apart.
Small (Around 0.5 – 1 M), multiple colours in it’s coat, black tips on it’s paws, ears and tail -> Wallaby.
Even smaller (0.4 – 0.5 M), uniform coat -> Pademelon.
Life and habitat
They eat plants, grass and fungi and are nocturnal animals and they are mostly seen in the late afternoon or early morning. Be careful when driving through open plains at night, as they can (and will) jump across fences and across the road without any knowledge of road safety… If you get into an accident with them, they will wreck your car and you might get seriously hurt yourself. With 85 kilo’s and taller that a man, they something you do want to take into consideration!
The female kangaroos have pouches that contain four teats. The young kangaroo (or Joey) will live in the pouch until they are 2-3 years old. The mother has muscles in the pouch to prevent the Joey to fall out. It can also release the tension to make it fall out. J
They bread all year round and they multiple quickly if they have access to plenty of food and water. (4-fold in 5 years)
Kangaroo harvesting (hunting)
Because of the increase in Kangaroo population, the government allows Kangaroo harvesting. This happens on a quota basis and always has the conservation of species is the main objective, Over population isn’t sustainable either, so there needs to be a middle ground. There is legislation in all states to protect these animals. Only four species can be commercially harvested: These species are the Red kangaroo, Eastern grey kangaroo, Western grey kangaroo, Common Wallaroo (Euro), Bennett’s wallaby and Pademelon (a type of wallaby) and only by licensed hunters and an approved plan. There are still between 15 and 50 million of them left (combined, depending on the seasonal conditions), so there are plenty of them left. They are not farmed, they are only harvested by hunters.
Kangaroo meat
Kangaroo meat is very delicious and is exported to over 55 countries. Expectancies are that this number will only increase as the meat is gaining popularity are game meat. It’s well flavoured and has a slightly gamey taste, high in protein, iron and zinc and has very little saturated fat.
Saving Kangaroo’s
Check the pouch of a roadkill kangaroo! They can survive for days and their instinct is telling them to stay put, so that’s what they do.
Lock up your dogs. When you dog chases a Kangaroo (so, even if it doesn’t catch it), it can be lethal to the kangaroo. The thing is that they can develop something called Myopathy. Which is a paralysing condition that happens when the Kangaroo has been under extreme stress, like the near-death experience of being chased by a dog. Death will happen within to the kangaroo within 2-14 days, joey’s can usually be saved.
Oh, and one last thing, never trust them:
References:
http://www.ozanimals.com/wildlife/Mammal/Kangaroos,Wallabies.html
http://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/wallaby-vs-kangaroo.htm
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/
gray-kangaroo.html
http://www.wildlifemountain.com/pademelons.htm
http://www.rootourism.com
