The Red Kangaroo is the largest of all the species out there and the one that most people are familiar with. They have fur that can range from a shade of gray, to brown, to having a reddish tint. The ears are very pointing and they have a wonderful sense of hearing. They have powerful legs and very wide feet. Yet the upper limbs are short and skinny. They do have sharp claws on the limbs though. The tail is very thick and powerful too. All Kangaroos use this to help them with balance.
Adult males can range from 5 to 6 feet in height. They can also weigh close to 200 pounds. They females are shorter with a height of about 4 to 4/12 feet. They also weigh about half of what the adult males do.
Red Kangaroo Distribution
You will find the Red Kangaroo living in various areas out there around Australia. They primarily stay around the mainland areas where it is very dry. You will find them spending a great deal of their time out in the open and looking around.
Red Kangaroo Behavior
Due to the heat where the Red Kangaroos live, they tend to not be very active during the day. Instead they will remain in shaded areas and rest until they sun goes down. They are very active at night and in the early morning. The move around with their group which is called a mob.
For the most part the members of the mob do get along very well. However, there is often conflicts with the males because they want to take over as the leader. That way they will be able to mate with the females. The males usually take part in what looks like boxing. They do this in order to show their dominance and to try to take cover control of the mob.
Red Kangaroo Diet and Feeding
They are herbivores and their diet consists of a variety of grass and plants. While they do need some water they can go for a very long time without it. They get most of the water they do need from the vegetation that they consume. They don't chew their food but instead swallow it. Then they regurgitate it and chew it up once again before it is digested.
Red Kangaroo Reproduction
Mating can take place out there any time of the year for the Red Kangaroo. The females will conceive and then a very small joey is born about 30 days later. It makes a remarkable journey to the pouch where it will be well protected. It will stay there for about 8 months and then start to get out of the pouch on and off until it is about a year old.
The females can get pregnant again almost immediately if their basic needs are met. In fact, she may have an new joey and continue to care for the older one at the same time. The females do have the ability to delay when the embryo and the uterus meet though so they have some control over when they will give birth.
Red Kangaroo Conservation
There are quite a few efforts in place to help conserve the natural environment out there for the Red Kangaroo. Such organizations are stressing the importance of these animals having access to their natural habitat. They also want to make people aware of the fact that they aren't pests like they have been labeled. Instead, they are just following their instincts for survival.
Red Kangaroo Human interaction Many people have been able to experience seeing the Red Kangaroo in its natural setting in Australia. There are some interactions but most of the time these animals will run off when humans get too close. They are sometimes hit by cars as they now have roads through their natural habitats. Some humans hunt them or poison them and such interactions continue to lower the number of them remaining in the wild.