Kangaroo


 * Kangaroos [[image:kangaroos5.JPG width="164" height="114"]][[image:kangaroos1.JPG]] [[image:kangaroos3.JPG width="94" height="126"]]  **

A kangaroo is the only large mammal that can hop. It is a **__marsupial__** because it has a pouch. What does it look like?

A kangaroo has a long, pointed and pretty face. It has two big ears, a black snout (nose) and a wide mouth.Male kangaroos (bucks) have reddish fur and a female (does) have grey fur. Male kangaroos can grow up to 1.8 metres and females can grow up to 1.4 metres in size.

Kangaroos have a long, thick tail so that they can keep their balance. They have four legs, the back legs (hind legs) are stronger and they help the kangaroo run fast.

What does it eat? Kangaroos are herbivores. This means that they eat grass and small plants (no meat). Kangaroos sleep during the day and hunt for food at night. They also gather food for their babies (joeys). Joeys live in their mother's pouch till they are about 6 to 8 months old. They feed from their mother’s milk.

What is its habitat?

The Red kangaroo lives in deserts and grasslands of Australia. Grey kangaroos live in forests and grasslands of Australia. They are animals of the Australian Bush.

What are its predators?

The kangaroo only has two enemies. Humans are one of them and dingoes are the other. Humans will hunt kangaroos for their meat. Farmers will shoot kangaroos if they are eating the grass that is for their cattle. Dingoes will also hunt kangaroos for their meat (they eat them)

The Life Cycle of a Kangaroo

A kangaroo is the size of a jelly bean when it is born (about 2.5 cm long). It feeds off its mother’s milk and lives in her pouch till it is about 6-8 months old.