Red kangaroo

The pouched jumping champion

A kangaroo doesn't walk — it hops! One hop is 9 metres — the length of three cars. A mother kangaroo has a pouch on her belly where the baby lives for 8 months. A newborn kangaroo is the size of a bean. Kangaroos can't walk backwards!

The red kangaroo (Osphranter rufus) is the largest marsupial and a symbol of Australia; males reach 1.8 m and 90 kg. Powerful hind legs and a tail (a 'third leg') let it hop 9 m long, 3 m high and reach 70 km/h; hopping uses less energy than walking. A joey is born 2 cm long and crawls into the pouch by itself. In drought, a female can 'pause' an embryo's development (embryonic diapause). Australia has 40–50 million kangaroos — more than people.

Fun facts

• Kangaroos can't walk backwards — that's why they're on Australia's coat of arms as a symbol of 'forward only'.
• A joey is born 2 cm long and crawls into its mother's pouch by itself.
• Kangaroos lick their forearms to cool down.
• A kangaroo's tail is so strong it can lean on it and kick with both feet.