The Red KangarooBy Daniel

Photograph by Daniel Berlin, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo

Taxonomy

• Family: Macropod• Order: Diprotodontia• Class: Mammalia• Phylum: Chordata• Kingdom: Animalia

Physical Characteristics

• Color:– Males: reddish-gray, brilliant red fur in mating season – Females: mostly gray

Physical Characteristics

• Color:– Males: reddish-gray, brilliant red fur in mating season – Females: mostly gray

• Size:– Males up to 6 feet tall, 200 pounds– Females about 2 to 3 feet tall– Joeys (babies) about 1 foot

Physical Characteristics

• Color:– Males: reddish-gray, brilliant red fur in mating season – Females: mostly gray

• Size:– Males up to 6 feet tall, 200 pounds– Females about 2 to 3 feet tall– Joeys (babies) about 1 foot

• Long strong tail • Large distinctive, donkey-like ears• Powerful hind legs

Physical Characteristics

Male Female

Reproduction

• Gestation : 33 days • Pouch time: 240 days• One “joey” or baby per gestation (born the size of a cherry)• Mother kangaroo cares for her young for 1 year after the 240

days in the pouch

Reproduction

Habitat

• The Red Kangaroo is found in Australia• Lives in grassy habitats usually with no trees or bushes

Habitat

• The Red Kangaroo is found in Australia• Lives in grassy habitats usually with no trees or bushes• Not endangered

Habitat

• The Red Kangaroo is found in Australia• Lives in grassy habitats usually with no trees or bushes• Not endangered• Terrestrial• Territorial, except for during droughts

Habitat

Deserts in Australia

Food

• Consumes mostly grass and leaves

Food

• Consumes mostly grass and leaves• Predators are the dingo and humans

Food

Dingo: Predator of the Red Kangaroo

Population

• No, the Red Kangaroo is not endangered; they are, in fact, overpopulated in Australia, just like the White Tailed Deer here in Ohio

Population

Where the Red Kangaroos are in Australia

Interesting Facts

• Can travel up to 35 MPH• Can jump 27 feet in one leap

Interesting Facts

• Can travel up to 35 MPH• Can jump 27 feet in one leap• Can jump over a ten foot wall• Can survive by drinking only once a week

Interesting Facts

• Can travel up to 35 MPH• Can jump 27 feet in one leap• Can jump over a ten foot wall• Can survive by drinking only once a week• Can delay the birth of a second joey until the first joey is out

of the pouch (Embryonic diapause)• Largest marsupial in the world

Physical Adaptations

• Sharp claws on rear feet that helps the Red Kangaroo fight others

• Strong, bushy tail that is used as a counter weight to balance the Kangaroo’s body

Physical Adaptations

• Sharp claws on rear feet that helps the Red Kangaroo fight others

• Strong, bushy tail that is used as a counter weight to balance the Kangaroo’s body

• Muscular hind legs that help the Kangaroo hop at a fast pace for a long time

• Large ears that can hear danger from long distances away

Physical Adaptations

• Sharp claws on rear feet that helps the Red Kangaroo fight others

• Strong, bushy tail that is used as a counter weight to balance the Kangaroo’s body

• Muscular hind legs that help the Kangaroo hop at a fast pace for a long time

• Large ears that can hear danger from long distances away• Females have pouch that nurses young for 235-240 days

Physical Adaptations

• Sharp claws on rear feet that helps the Red Kangaroo fight others

• Strong, bushy tail that is used as a counter weight to balance the Kangaroo’s body

• Muscular hind legs that help the Kangaroo hop at a fast pace for a long time

• Large ears that can hear danger from long distances away• Females have pouch that nurses young for 235-240 days• Teeth shaped for chewing tough grasses • Digestive system specifically for the food they eat• Front incisors that help cut up their food

Physical Adaptations• Sharp claws on rear feet that helps the Red Kangaroo fight others• Strong, bushy tail that is used as a counter weight to balance the

Kangaroo’s body• Muscular hind legs that help the Kangaroo hop at a fast pace for a long

time• Large ears that can hear danger from long distances away• Females have pouch that nurses young for 235-240 days• Teeth shaped for chewing tough grasses • Digestive system specifically for the food they eat• Front incisors that help cut up their food• A gut that has no oxygen that can conserve food for long periods of time• Highly specialized body structure to enable itself to hop

Physical Adaptations

tail

claws

ears

hind legs

Behavioral Adaptations

• Panting when the Kangaroo gets hot during daytime• Less active and stays in shade when the temperature is high

Behavioral Adaptations

• Panting when the Kangaroo gets hot during daytime• Less active and stays in shade when the temperature is high• Licking forelimbs helps keep the Kangaroo cool in the heat of

the day• Traveling in mobs keeps the Kangaroos safe from Dingos and

other danger

Behavioral Adaptations

• Panting when the Kangaroo gets hot during daytime• Less active and stays in shade when the temperature is high• Licking forelimbs helps keep the Kangaroo cool in the heat of

the day• Traveling in mobs keeps the Kangaroos safe from Dingos and

other danger• Stamp feet to let the “joeys” know to get into the mothers

pouch during times of danger

Behavioral Adaptations

Staying cool in the shade

At the Zoo

• Perfect size, plenty of breathing room• Should have had a heated room for the cold parts of the year

because the Red Kangaroo comes from Australia, a generally warm country

At the Zoo

• Perfect size, plenty of breathing room• Should have had a heated room for the cold parts of the year

because the Red Kangaroo comes from Australia, a generally warm country

• Had a perfect setup with not that many trees or bushes, just like it’s habitat in Australia

• Should’ve had higher fences that are harder to hop over, since the Kangaroo can hop up to ten feet in the air

At the Zoo

• Perfect size, plenty of breathing room• Should have had a heated room for the cold parts of the year

because the Red Kangaroo comes from Australia, a generally warm country

• Had a perfect setup with not that many trees or bushes, just like it’s habitat in Australia

• The zoo should have put food and water out just in case the animals got hungry or thirsty

• Should’ve had higher fences that are harder to hop over to insure safety, since the Kangaroo can hop up to ten feet in the air

At the Zoo

• Had lots of space in between the pedestrians and animals so that the animal wouldn’t be overwhelmed by noise or other activities

• Habitat had grass underlying the exhibit which allowed the kangaroos to graze and feel more at home

• The tram ran right next to the exhibit and could have overwhelmed the animals

• There were 7 kangaroos in the exhibit, which is enough to form a small mob and provide some feeling of safety to the kangaroos

Food Chain

Food chain of the Red Kangaroo. As you can see the Red Kangaroo has two main predators: The Dingo and mankind.

Pouch Potato!

Males Fighting

Thank You!