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Viewing Hints
Kangaroos spend the heat of the day lying down and resting. They are usually up and active in the morning or the late afternoon. Even on warm days, they often choose to lay in the direct sun.
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Red kangaroo
Macropus rufus
| Size |
Male kangaroos can reach 8' from nose to tail, with females reaching about 6'. When standing on their hind legs, a big male can reach almost 6' and females about 4'. |
| Weight |
Males up to 200 lbs, females 77 lbs |
| Conservation Status |
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| Diet |
Red kangaroos are herbivores, meaning they only eat plant material. The red kangaroo is mainly a grazer and prefers to eat grasses; however, in the wild they will also browse on shrubs. At the Zoo, the kangaroo’s base diet is Timothy grass hay and an herbivore pellet that contains a balance of nutrients to complement the hay. The enrichment portion of the diet includes romaine, escarole, carrots and apples. |
| Geographic Range |
The red kangaroo is found throughout the dry central inland parts of Australia. They range from scrubland to desert habitats. |
| Where to find me in the Zoo |
Behind the Small Mammal House |
Note: Description below should include Longevity, Behavior, and Reproduction information
Named for their color, only adult males are reddish brown. Females and juveniles are a bluish grey in color which gives the females their nickname of "blue flyers". Both sexes have a distinctive white stripe on the sides of their face. Kangaroos have large, powerful rear legs and a thick tail, while their front legs are quite a bit smaller. Their rear feet have two fused toes that form a double nail that is used as a comb to groom their thick, soft fur.
Longevity
Lifespan for red kangaroos ranges from 16-22 years in both captivity and in the wild.
Behavior
Red kangaroos are found in the hot dry interior of Australia. Mainly crepuscular, they forage in the morning and evening in order to avoid the midday sun. They deal with the extreme heat by resting during the hottest part of the day in whatever shade they can find, and by licking the insides of their forelegs which helps with evaporative cooling - which is similar to how an air conditioner works. Red kangaroos are found in groups called "mobs" which can number over 1,000 animals in areas where forage is good. Although they tend to conserve energy during the heat of the day, they are capable of moving at great speed. Kangaroos can cruise for long distances at 30mph due to their efficient hopping, which uses less energy and requires less effort by the kangaroo than running would. They are so well designed for hopping that they can't move their legs independantly in a typical walking motion, and cannot walk backwards at all.
Reproduction
Like all marsupials, red kangaroos have a short gestation period. The young - known as joeys - are born after only 33 days and are tiny - less than one inch long and weighing less than an ounce. The newborn joey crawls up the mother's fur as she reclines and licks a moist path so that the vulnerable joey doesn't dry out. Once it reaches the pouch it attaches to one of the teats and continues its development for nine months. As the joey grows it begins to leave the pouch but doesn't venture far from its mother, and is quick to dive back in at the slightest sign of danger. The joey will continue to nurse for a year but gradually spends less time in the pouch until the mother finally refuses to let it back inside. Females tend to remain in their family mob, while males move off in search of mates.
Melanie: Female, born at the Zoo on May 15, 2001. She is the largest, grayest female and has a lot of white on her face and big eyes.
Maxie: Female, born August 10, 2003 at the Lehigh Valley Zoo, arrived at the Zoo on April 18, 2005. Her left ear curls out, and she resembles “Minnie” but is thinner and has no dye mark.
Minnie: Female, born January 1, 2004 at the Lehigh Valley Zoo, arrived at the Zoo on April 18, 2005. She has a dye mark in center of her back between the shoulders.
Dan: Male, born April 4, 2007 at Zoo Atlanta, arrived at the Zoo on April 6, 2009. He is the largest, reddest kangaroo on exhibit.
Audrey: Female, born March 15, 2010 at the Lehigh Valley Zoo, arrived at the Zoo on March 22, 2011. She has a dye mark on her right hip, and she is grayish but smaller than Melanie.
Alice: Female, born on March 15, 2010 at the Lehigh Valley Zoo, arrived at the Zoo on March 22, 2011. She has a dye mark on her right forearm, and she is redder than Audrey.
Irene Bouncepants: Female, born on April 15, 2011 to Dan and Melanie.
Sydney: Female, born on May 15, 2011 to Dan and Audrey.
Melvin Bouncepants: Male, born on October 5, 2011 to Dan and Alice.
And a brand new joey born to Dan and Minnie on December 20, 2011!
Enrichment
Adoption Information
Featured Foster Parent
Fun Facts
- Male kangaroos are called boomers, females are called flyers and their young are called joeys.
- A joey is born after a 40 day gestation period. It will remain in his mother’s pouch for about six months.
- Kangaroos are extensively hunted in the Outback because they compete with livestock for grazing space; they are also hunted for their hides.
Conservation
Introductions
Animal Lingo
Want More?
Sources:
1) Philadelphia Zoo staff, 2) Dewey T, Yue M. 2001. "Macropus rufus" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed September 06, 2010 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Macropus_rufus.html,
3) Nowak R. 1991. Walker's Mammals of the World Vol I, 5th Ed.. Baltimore (MD) and London (UK): The Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 101-110.
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