Animal Facts - Kangaroos

Related Topics:
More Amazing Animal Facts

In this page, we will look at the Kangaroos.

If you have any interesting or funny facts about animals or would like to find out more information about a particular animal, please fill up the Feedback form and we will be happy to add it to our list of animal facts.

Do kangaroos hit their tails on the ground?

No, kangaroos do not hit their tails on the ground.

However, they use their tails in other ways.The kangaroo uses its large, strong tail for balance when it hops. The tail is used to counterbalance the top part of their body when moving.

Kangaroos hopping to water

Their long heavy tail is also used as a prop when standing or fighting. Using their tail to support their weight, they can deliver kicks with their powerful hind legs.

A kangaroo's Birth

A kangaroo is born blind, hairless, and only a few centimeters long (about the size of a jellybean). It is called a neonate. Its hind legs are mere stumps and it uses its more developed forelegs to climb its way through the thick fur on its mother's abdomen into the pouch. The climb takes about three to five minutes. Once in the pouch, it fastens onto one of the four teats and starts to feed. The neonate in the pouch grows rapidly. After about 190 days, the baby (called a joey) is sufficiently large and developed to make its full emergence out of the pouch, after sticking its head out for a few weeks until it eventually feels safe enough to fully emerge. From then on, it spends increasing time in the outside world and eventually, after about 235 days, it leaves the pouch for the last time.

A video of a kangaroo's birth.