24 Kangaroo Facts For Kids

1. Kangaroo is the common name for several large marsupial mammals that are in the Macropodidae family.
2. You can easily identify a kangaroo by their long feet, powerful hind legs, short arms, and long tail.
3. The kangaroo is one of the most iconic and recognizable symbols of Australia.
4. Kangaroos are native to and found on the Australian continent.
5. There are between 30 and 40 million kangaroos living in Australia.
6. There are four species of living kangaroos found in Australia.
7. The red kangaroo (Osphranter rufus) is found throughout most of Australia.
8. The eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) inhabits the eastern region of Australia.
9. The western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus) inhabits the southern region of Australia.
10. The antilopine kangaroo (Osphranter antilopinus) inhabits the northern region of Australia.
11. Kangaroos can have a brown, grey, or red fur coat, depending on the species.
12. Kangaroos can weigh between 62 and 200 pounds, depending on the species.
13. The largest kangaroo species is the red kangaroo which can weigh up to 200 pounds.
14. The smallest kangaroo species is the western grey kangaroo which can weigh as little as 62 pounds.
15. Kangaroos are herbivorous and only eat plant material (vegetation).
16. The diet of a kangaroo varies by the species and can include grasses, shrubs, and fungi.
17. Kangaroos are excellent jumpers and can use their power hind legs to jump extraordinary distances.
18. The red kangaroo can jump up to 6 feet high and in a single leap cover 25 feet.
19. The average kangaroo lives about six years in the wild, but in captivity they can live for 20 or more years.
20. A male kangaroo is referred to as a boomer, a female kangaroo is referred to as a flyer, and a juvenile kangaroo is referred to as a joey.
21. Kangaroos are social marsupials and live together in groups of 10 individuals or more that are called mobs.
22. Female kangaroos have pouches to carry their babies, a newborn baby kangaroo is only an inch in length.
23. Kangaroos are the caused of 9 out of 10 animal vehicle collisions in Australia.
24. Australians are aware of the threat kangaroos pose to vehicles, so they install roo bars (pullbars) on their vehicles.

Kangaroo Pictures

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the below images will be helpful for your research on kangaroos. Below are six pictures of various kangaroo species. These pictures should help you better understand the different types of kangaroos found around the world.

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