The red kangaroo (Macropus rufus) is the largest living kangaroo in the world. It is not only the largest marsupial—the red kangaroo is the biggest terrestrial mammal in Australia. It has reddish brown coat.
Adult males reach a length of 4.3–5.2 feet with a tail measuring 3.3–3.9 feet. Females are smaller than males. Females grow 85 – 105 cm in total length.
Adult females weigh as much as 40 – 88 pounds while males weigh 121 – 198 pounds. The shoulder height is 4.9 feet.
The red kangaroo makes habitat in deserts, scrublands, woodland, and grasslands. It is found in the central and western Australia.
Red kangaro
os are herbivores. They rely on fresh grass, green vegetation, and forbs. They mostly eat Eragrostis setifolia grass.
Red kangaroos usually become active at dawn and dusk but they do come out at night when they are hungry.
Red kangaroos can run at a speed of 35 miles per hour. Adult males cover 8 – 9 meters in a single leap.
Red kangaroos live in small groups called mobs. Each mob consists of 2 – 4 individuals.
The red kangaroo reaches maturity at 3 – 5 years age.
A joey is born after a gestation period of 32 – 34 days. The joey weighs 0.75 grams at birth. The joey (baby kangaroo) will leave the pouch when it is 235 days old.
Red kangaroos can live as long as 23 to 27 years in the wild habitat.
Predators of red kangaroos are eagles and dingoes. The marsupial lion and wallaby used to eat joeys but these predators had long become extinct.
