Beej here reporting compelling kangaroo information.
This information is from the Healesville sanctuary, our awesome handler Lulu and their website http://www.zoo.org.au/Healesville/About/Our_Animals and www.reptilepark.com.au, or www.tourkangarooisland.com.au but all the pictures are ours.
There are 63 different types of kangaroo and all except the tree kangaroo are native to only Australia. There are four main species that are commonly called kangaroo. These are:
The Red Kangaroo- Their scientific name is Macropus
rufus. This is the largest marsupial in the world and the most common in
Australia.
The Eastern Grey Kangaroo -Their scientific name
is Macropus giganteus.
This species ranges over the fertile eastern part of the continent.
The Western Grey Kangaroo there scientific name is Macropus fuliginosus. This species is found
in the southern part of west Australia, near the coast of south Australia and
the Darling River basin.
The Antilopine Kangaroo there scientific name
is Macropus antilopinus. This
species is found in the far north of Australia. They inhabit grassy plains and
woodlands.
Tree Kangaroos are my favorite sub-species.
There was a mama Red kangaroo named Rosy, who had a baby
boy Joey in her pouch (he didn’t have a name yet). Can you see his little head sticking out? We didn’t get to feed her. And notice...although she is gray in color, she is a red kangaroo- go figure?
We were blessed to pet and feed Kangaroo Island Kangaroos. Their
scientific name is Macropus fuliginosus as they are a subspecies to the Western Grey Kangaroo. And yep, they are reddish brown grey kangaroos- it cracks me up! Kangaroos can’t swim at all so they were stuck
on the island when it separated from the mainland. Their fur is dark brown and
is thicker than other kangaroos and they have big black claws and paws. I think this one's name is Heidi.
The Kangaroo
Island is a large grassland with shrubs and trees. The kangaroos graze in the early morning and late afternoon. Their diet is
grass, herbs, and leaves. They have a chambered stomach like a cow, so they
eat, spit up the food and then chew on it for a while before they swallow it
for good. Pretty gross actually.
The kangaroos mobs
(the name for a group of kangaroos) have a hierarchy including the head or the alpha male that will fight for his position if challenged. Bucks are usually able to gain this position from the age of 5-7 and can hold it for 4 years or so. Check out the claws on Trevor below! They were much bigger than the female's claws. We were also not allowed to feed him!
Female Kangaroos around the age of two can begin having babies.
They usually birth one joey at time and it is kept in the pouch until about 6
months then the baby will move in and out of the pouch until he is about 9
months to a year. He will still nurse
for about 6 months, but now a new joey can be born. Joeys are born after 35 days and
are about the size of a jelly bean. They don’t have hair or eyes or really
anything except little arms. They use the arms to pull themselves into the
pouch where they begin nursing and that’s all they do for the next 6 months.
Some
cool fun facts: Mothers can produce milk of different nutritional values at one
time.
Joeys
always nurse from the same place, so the younger and older joeys always get just
the right milk.
Females
are able to put their pregnancy on ‘hold’ (called Embryonic diapauses). How crazy is that!?!? They do this in drought conditions or if there are already multiple joeys nursing.
At around
a year the male joey will begin practicing boxing with his mother. So eventually she has to run him off. The girl
joeys often develop a strong bond with their mom and can remain close throughout their
lifetime.
Kangaroos
are not monopods (Reference ‘Voyage of the Dawn Treader’) but they are macropods.
This means that they have big middle toes, making them have an extra big foot. They
also have to move both of their back legs at the time. Who knew?
But this doesn’t slow
them down! They can jump 4-6 meters (13-20 feet) go 60kph (about 40 mph) for an
extended time. Their jumps can be 3 meters high (about 10 feet)
Their tails
are used for balance and steering, and occasionally boxing. Males can lean back
on their tails for a minute and kick the other kangaroo. The tail is also used
when the kangaroo is moving slowly. The spine runs all the way down through their
tail. Here's Rosy again, sorry, but this was my best picture of a kangaroo resting on the tail.
Essie
loved petting and feeding the kangaroos. Here what she had to say:
“I learned that baby
joeys stay in the mum’s pouch for 6 months and then they start coming and
going. They drink milk for about 8 months to a year. We only got to feed the
girls because Trevor, the boy, had huge claws and could get in a fight. We fed
them leaves and corn and carrots, which were special treats. Sometimes they took the food with their mouth,
and sometimes with their claws… but don’t be afraid because they took it
gently. And then they spat it back in
their mouths and re-chewed it later. I
also learned that they have a spine all along their tail, so you have to be
careful not to step on their tails or you will break it. Sometimes they crawl
(when they go slow, they have to use their front legs) and other times they
bounce. They have to hop with both back feet together (their back legs can’t
move independently) and Kangaroos can’t go backwards. They have very soft backs but don’t like you
to pet their heads- especially their ears. “
Be back soon with breaking Dingo news... Beej
