Fact Of The Day
Did you know that there's a species of Kangaroo that live in trees?! Yes, that's right - Tree Kangaroos...
Kangaroos are an icon of Australia! These adorable hoppy creatures make up for a large amount of Australia’s animal population.
Kangaroos are the world's largest marsupials. A Red Kangaroo can weigh 90kg and can grow two meters tall. Black Wallaroos, at around 20kg, are the smallest species (their name is a portmanteau of wallaby and kangaroo). Kangaroos are famous for hopping and can reach speeds of 60kph, clearing more than 8m in a single bound!
There’s a lot that people don’t know about kangaroos, so we put together the top 15 best facts about kangaroos!
Kangaroos Facts
💪💪💪 Let's Start Reading Facts 😤😤😤
1. Most kangaroos are left-handed.
While it’s often thought that humans are the only species that have a dominant hand, kangaroos do as well!
Wild kangaroos gravitate to using their left hands for tasks like grooming and feeding.
2. The tails of kangaroos act like a third leg.
Not only do kangaroos use their tail for balance, but it’s also like an extra leg.
They have a unique “walk” in which they push off the ground with their tail followed by jumping with their legs.
The force of their tail is the equivalent power of their legs combined.
3. Kangaroos don’t emit much methane.
Scientists have identified a special type of bacterium in the stomachs of kangaroos that process their food without producing methane.
This result is not only good for the environment, but it’s more efficient for the kangaroos to process their food.
Researchers hope to study these bacteria to try to implement them in farm animals, like cows, to reduce the amount of methane harming the environment.
4. Australia has more kangaroos than humans.
In comparison to the 24 million people living in Australia, there are 44 million kangaroos as of 2015.
That’s quite a leap from 2009 when there were only 27 million kangaroos!
5. Kangaroos don’t sweat.
Since kangaroos don’t have sweat glands, they tend to hang out and relax in shaded areas when it’s hot out.
If they really want to cool down, they will lick their forearms until their fur is soaked.
They will also lick their paws and rub the moisture on their chest!
6. Kangaroos can flex.
It’s not just human guys that flex to impress the ladies, male kangaroos do it too!
Male kangaroos use their arms to fend off rival mates.
The kangaroos with larger biceps and showed them off were more often chosen by the female kangaroos.
7. Kangaroo meat is common to Australians.
It’s not unusual to find a “kangaroo burger” on a menu in Australia!
In fact, it is a healthier option as it is high in protein and low in fat, as well as a more sustainable alternative to other meat.
Because the kangaroo population is so high, it’s not a threat to their existence.
8. Kangaroos can’t move backward.
Because of how huge and muscular their tail is, kangaroos can’t jump backward.
Australia took this as an inspiration for their coat of arms, featuring a kangaroo and an emu.
Both are animals that can’t move backward, which symbolizes the nation only moving forward. Inspiring!
9. If kangaroos are chased, they run to the water.
Although kangaroos don’t have many predators, they can sometimes be attacked by humans or dingoes.
As a defense, kangaroos often lead the pursuer into water. Once there, the kangaroo will try to drown the attacker.
Otherwise, the kangaroo will back against a tree and kick – this has enough force to kill a human.
10. Kangaroos are hit by cars all the time.
In fact, 80% of animals hit by cars in Australia are kangaroos.
The majority of rental car insurance policies don’t cover you if you drive in the Outback when it’s dark because the chances of hitting a kangaroo are so high.
Many people who live in the country have metal “roo” bars to decrease the impact of hitting a kangaroo.
11. Kangaroos have a lot of different names.
Male kangaroos are called boomers, female kangaroos are called flyers, and of course, baby kangaroos are joeys.
If there’s a group of kangaroos, they can be referred to either as a mob, a troop, or a court.
Since kangaroos are very social animals, they are almost always in a group, sometimes as small as 3 or 4, sometimes as large as 100!
12. Kangaroos hop because they have to.
You always see kangaroos hopping around because they can’t move their legs independently.
The structure of their legs renders them incapable of using them to walk.
Fortunately, it seems they really wouldn’t need to, seeing as they can hop at speeds of over 35 miles per hour!
13. There’s a species of kangaroos that live in trees.
If you saw these kangaroos, you wouldn’t think they were kangaroos! Unlike the kangaroos we think of, tree kangaroos walk on all fours and don’t hop.
Not only that, but they’re native to New Guinea, and only far northeastern Queensland, unlike the majority of kangaroos that are native to Australia in general.
Sadly, this rare species’ population is on the decline due to deforestation and hunting.
14. Newborn joeys are the size of a lima bean.
As the gestation period for kangaroos is incredibly short (only 33 days!), joeys are tiny when they emerge.
They stay in the pouch where they grow for 4 months, at which point they leave the pouch for short periods of time.
At 10 months is when they finally leave the pouch for good!
15. Female kangaroos can cause a pregnancy.
The reason the kangaroo population is so high is that female kangaroo is pretty much constantly pregnant.
After a newborn joey reaches the pouch, the female will get pregnant again.
However, she can freeze the embryo development until the current joey can leave the pouch!
Once it leaves, she resumes her pregnancy, and the cycle repeats.
Kangaroos Trivia Questions With Answers 😲😲😵
What is special about kangaroos?
Ans: Kangaroos have large powerful hind legs, large feet designed for leaping, a long muscular tail for balance, and a small head. They are the only large animals to use hopping as a means of locomotion. ... Kangaroos have few natural predators. One of the major natural predators, the Thylacine, is now extinct.
Can Kangaroos kill you?
Ans: A kangaroo will attack a person as if they were another kangaroo. It may push or grapple with its forepaws or sit back and kick out with its hind legs. As resulting injuries can be serious, avoiding conflict with kangaroos is vital.
Are kangaroos intelligent?
Ans: Yes, kangaroos are intelligent animals. They display their intelligence by bouncing around on their hind Limbs and keeping their front limbs free so they can smack their opponents in the nose.
😁😁😁 Thanks For Coming 😇😇😇
Sources:
Comments
Post a Comment