Kangaroos

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=80 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" bgproperties="fixed" background="04300500dvldtc.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>The Taj Mah Frog</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Taj Mah Frog"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div>                                                   </div> <div> <A HREF="id189.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="All things Australia"><U><B>All things Australia</B></U></A><B>     </B><A HREF="id260.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Different types of Australian animals"><U><B>Different types of Australian animals</B></U></A><B>  </B></div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="044d2c00dvldtc.gif"> <div> <IMG SRC="2507a7c0.gif" border=0 width="122" height="124" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=400 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> Kangaroos</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1ecec110.gif" border=0 width="236" height="273" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> There are many types of kangaroos in Australia.  Listed below are some of the types with a picture so you can see what they look like.  All are so adorable and cute!!!</div> <bR> <div> ~Red Kangaroo~</div> <div> These kangaroos live in the central area of Australia.  They're coloring closely matches the soil of the Australian Outback giving them a natural camouflage.  Red Kangaroos don't see very well close up, but  they can spot the slighest movement at a great distance.  This benefits them in thier habitat.  Young red kangaroos become independent from thier mothers at a young age.  Even younger than that of a young grey kangaroo.  This is due to the fact that  thier habitat is so harsh and because they have to be able to protect themselves from predators such as the dingo and the eagle.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1ed4d000.gif" border=0 width="333" height="256" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> ~Western Grey Kangaroos~</div> <div> One of the three largest species of kangaroos, they are the least common in American collections, yet they are the most adaptable to different climates. Eastern and Western grey kangaroos are two distinct species, and are visibly and behaviorally dissimilar. As their name implies, Eastern greys live in the eastern third of Australia. Western grey kangaroos are native to the southern and western coastal areas of Australia. They have a soft, charcoal-brown colored fur with white fur on the throat, chest and abdomen. Males can reach over 7.5' in body length from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail; females can be over 5.5' in total length. A large male may weight 180 lb., while a large female averages around 70 lb., but some may be heavier. They have a gestation of 30 days; The joey stays in the pouch for 8 months before venturing out, and does not leave the pouch permanently until 10 months of age. The joey will continue to nurse from the mother for at least </div> <bR> <div> another 6 months, even longer if the mother allows it. The W. greys have a very close social bond, and retain family connections for years. A daughter often stays close to her mother even after she has a joey of her own. In captivity, they have proven to be very intelligent animals. When they are defensive, they will growl like a dog, which sounds quite intimidating. Young kangaroos will box playfully. Adult males will box to determine dominance, with the strongest male becoming the head of the mob. ( A group of kangaroos is called a mob.) They prefer to eat leaves and tree bark over grass, if available. In captivity, they are fed a pelleted grain (like a horse or cattle feed) and some fruits and vegetables like bananas or apples, and hay. In captivity, they can live to around 20 years, but are lucky to survive even 10 years in the wild.</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1eecf4d0.gif" border=0 width="207" height="333" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> ~Eastern Grey Kangaroo~</div> <div> Eastern grey kangaroos and Western grey kangaroos are two distinct species. The Eastern grey roo lives in the forested, coastal areas of Eastern and Southeastern Australia. They are sometimes referred to as the Forester Kangaroo. They have steel-grey colored fur of a coarser, curlier texture than the Western grey or the red kangaroo. All of the large kangaroo species live in social groups called mobs. An Eastern grey joey will start peeking out of his mother's pouch around 7 months of age, and he will start to leave the pouch for brief periods around 9 months old. He will stay out of the pouch for good around 10-11 months of age, but will continue to put his head into the pouch to nurse for many more months. At this age he is called a joey "at foot." Pictured below is an adult female Eastern grey kangaroo with a joey "at foot."</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <IMG SRC="1ef00270.gif" border=0 width="256" height="295" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Thanks to <A HREF="http://www.kangaroocenter.com/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.kangaroocenter.com/"><U>Kangaroo Conservation Center</U></A> for most of the above information and pics.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> General Information About Kangaroos</div> <div> taken from the book "Amazing Animals of the World"</div> <bR> <div> How big is a kangaroo?</div> <bR> <div> The red kangaroo is the world's largest marsupial.  Large males stand as tall as a man and weigh up to 198lbs (90 kilograms).  They measure up to 8ft (2.4 metres) long from nose to tail.</div> <bR> <div> Are all kangaroos the same?</div> <bR> <div> No, there are about 60 different kinds living in Australia, from the larger kangaroos and wallabies to the smaller of them, the tiny musky rat kangaroo--which is less than 13 inches (33 cenitmetres) long from nose to tail and weighs only about 1lb (500 grams).</div> <bR> <div> Is this a record?</div> <bR> <div> The higest speed ever recorded for a kangaroo was 40 mph (64kph), by the eastern gray kangaroo.</div> <div>      The record for the high-jump is also held by an eastern grey, which cleared a 8ft (2.4 metre) fence upon hearing the sound of a car back firing!</div> <bR> <div> What if a kangaroo gets too hot?</div> <bR> <div> In extremely hot regions, kangaroos rest in the shade during the day and graze at night.  They don't sweat, instead they lick their paws, arms, and chests.  As the wet saliva evaporates, it cools the blood near the surface of the skin.</div> <div>      Kangaroos have a very thick fur coat, which keeps out the heat as well as the cold.</div> <bR> <div> Can kangaroos climb trees?</div> <bR> <div> The tree-kangaroo is an agile climber who is often mistaken for a monkey (impossible in Australia---monkeys don't live there).  </div> <div>      Unlike other kangaroos, the tree-kangaroo has well-developed front legs--it can hop and walk.  They weigh about 28lb (13 kilograms) and can jump onto the ground from as high as  98ft (30 metres), always landing upright.....then off they bound again!!!!!!!</div> <bR> <div> What is a macropod?</div> <bR> <div> The word means 'great-footed animal'--like the kangaroo or wallaby.  Macropods  all have long feet and powerful hind legs which do not move alternately.....that is why kangaroos hop and most can't walk or run.</div> <bR> <div> Can kangaroos box?</div> <bR> <div> The males lock arms and wrestle rather than box.  They try to kick box and push each other onto the ground.</div> <bR> <div> Why do kangaroos have such long tails?</div> <bR> <div> When kangaroos are hopping along at speed their hind legs swing backwards and forwards---and their tails act as a balance.  Their tails are very strong and muscular to support the kangaroo as it hops along.</div> <bR> <div> What is a marsupial?</div> <bR> <div> Koalas, womats, and kangaroos are all marsupials--they give birth to young that develop inside a pouch.  The gestation period is relatively short--between 27 and 40 days.</div> <div>      A new-born kangaroo weighs under .035oz (1gram) and is only 1.2 inches (3 centimetres) long.  The tiny 'joey' climbs into its mother's pouch where it is fed on milk for about 11 months, at which time it is able to hop around.  If frightened or tired, a young kangaroo simply pops back into the pouch.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>