Facts about Kangaroos: All You Ever Wanted to Know

I feel very fortunate to have grown up in Australia and having been able to see and handle such beautiful animals as kangaroos. Having raised many hairless baby kangaroos (joeys) on baby bottles, I have learned more about these than possibly any other animal. Domesticated or hand-raised joeys are quite calm and friendly toward people, but I have personally known many instances of roos becoming very aggressive toward their "families." This is due to ignorance of the necessary diet, which if high in sugars from bread for example, will cause a roo to become become rather unfriendly and potentially dangerous.

Kangaroos can also be eaten and the meat is rich and very tasty. Since they are herbivores it is a far better choice than other game meat from a carnivore, which is more prone to internal parasitic worms. Many see this as cruelty, but controlled culling of kangaroos is essential considering there are more roos in Australia than there are people!

Species:

There are many types of Kangaroos including the Red Kangaroo, Antilopine, Eastern Kangaroo, Western Grey Kangaroo, Wallabies, Tree-kangaroos, Wallaroos Pademelons and Quokkas, to name just a few. There is also a tree kangaroo, another macropod; this word literally meaning 'big foot', which can be found in the rain-forests of Queensland, as well as nearby New Guinnea.

Amazing Facts:

A kangaroo is unable to move it's legs independently whilst on land, nor can they move backwards. However, a little known fact is that roos are excellent swimmers, and when in the water are then able to paddle their legs independently. Many hunting dogs are deliberately lured to the water by cunning roos, and then held under and drowned. A roo has very powerful hind legs, and uses it's tail for balance. It can rip a dog, or other large animal to shreds by striking with the long nails of it's hind feet.

When environmental conditions are less than favorable, a drought for example; the Kangaroo is capable of slowing down the growth of her developing joey. This phenomenon is known as embryonic diapause. Once the rains come and food is plentiful, the foetus can then resume normal growth and birth.

Kangaroos can go weeks without drinking any water, obtaining the little they need to survive from grains, weeds and grasses.

Kangaroos are nocturnal.

When the young joey is born it is hairless and only the size of a bean. It follows a trail of saliva the mother has left for it along her fur, which allows it to travel up to find the pouch. The pouch has usually 2 teats, and the little joey will stay in the pouch for around eight months before climbing out to explore the world. When hand rearing a joey, it is essential to have a pillow case or other sack hang from the back of a chair to simulate the mother's pouch. They dive in head first and roll over to peer out of the top , and if a fuss occurs they will roll over again down into the sack in order to hide from the noise. My kids would sit down to dinner sporting a kangaroo on the back of their seat, it was quite amusing to see.

Once grown, and depending on the species, an adult Red Kangaroo can weigh around 200 lbs and be between six and seven feet tall. The Gray and Western species are slightly smaller at around 120lbs. Over a short distance a kangaroo can travel at 45 mph. Male roos are referred to as bucks, boomer, or ol' man; females are does, flyers or jills.

Science And The Kangaroo:

According to a report in Australian newspaper The Age, in December '07, scientists now have even greater interest in the humble kangaroo . In Australia alone, about 15% of the anthropogenic methane emissions come from enteric fermentation (livestock passing gas). Although kangaroos have chambered stomaches, they are not true ruminants, and so unlike other cud chewing animals their stomaches produce acetate to aid the digestion process. On the other hand, the food in the belly of a cow begins to ferment and hydrogen is created. The presence of hydrogen slows or prevents digestion altogether and so a bacteria forms which leads to the production of methane.

Need I say any more; kangaroos do not pass any gas at all, but cow farts are said to be responsible for about 20% of the world's greenhouse emissions.

Scientists are therefore exploring the possibility of being able to introduce such bacteria from kangaroos, to cattle in the hopes of reducing the emission problem.

Sources: The Age
http://www.theage.com.au/news/climate-watch/quest-to-make-cattle-fart-like-marsupials/2007/12/06/1196812922326.html
Article: Dr Athol Klieve. Free Republic
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1573261/posts