When you first saw one and you didn't know what it was; it could probably be described as some horrible experiment with a rabbit that went terribly wrong. But this isn't the result of an experiment, this is an original animal. It's the kangaroo. The name was first written as kangaru in 1770 by Joseph Banks, who came with James Cook on his first voyage to Australia. The kangaroo is the name used to describe all members of the kangaroo and wallaby families. The kangaroo has very powerful hind legs, which they use for leaping. They also have a strong and long tail that gives them balance. The kangaroo is the only large animal that hops from place to place and has been known to get up to speeds as fast as 70 mph, but this can only be done over short distances. A baby kangaroo is called a joey. They are usually born within a gestation period of about 36 days. The joey will stay in the pouch for about 9 months and it will usually be fed for 18 months by its mother. A female kangaroo can be pregnant for a long period of time, but she has the ability to freeze the creation of the new embryo, until the current joey leaves the pouch. The female can also produce two types of milk, one for the newborn and one for the older joey who still lives in the pouch. The kangaroo doesn't have many natural predators. One of its biggest predators doesn't even exist anymore. Because the Europeans use to hunt kangaroos with dogs; dogs are now seen as an enemy by kangaroos. Kangaroos are good swimmers and if danger approaches, they won't be afraid to look for safety in the water and if danger follows it into the water, the kangaroo can use its forepaws to hold the predator under water and drown it. Kangaroos can be found in Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea. The kangaroo's living conditions can vary depending on where they're populated. They can usually be found near the woodlands, open forests, grassland and shrubs. The kangaroo basically feeds on grass, roots and plants and as we know, the kangaroo can go months without drinking water. The kangaroo is seen as one of the signature animals of Australia. They are shy and laid back by nature. Kangaroos are not looked at as a threat to humans. The kangaroo is lucky, unlike so many other distinctive animals, they're not facing extinction. They seems to multiply at a very fast rate but of course this creates another problem. If people begin to see the population of kangaroos as an obstacle, then they will probably start systematically trying to reduce it. There's always a fine line between what is too much and what is not enough. I'm sure there will come a time when the people will see a need to cut down on the number of kangaroos, but lets hope when the time comes, that they have a plan, so we don't go from one extreme to the next. |
