Facts about Kangaroo

Kangaroo Facts

Did you know that Kangaroos have strong hind legs and jump almost everywhere they go? Their tail acts as a fifth leg to help them jump higher. They can also walk on all four feet if they have to, but they prefer to hop!

Can a kangaroo jump higher than the Empire State Building?  Leave a comment with your answer.

 

Facts about kangaroos:

1. Kangaroos are often referred to as roos. A female kangaroo is called a flyer, doe, or Jill. A male kangaroo is called a boomer, buck, or Jack. A baby kangaroo is called a Joey! A group of kangaroos is called a mob or a troop.

2. Kangaroos can swim, but they can’t walk backward.

3. There are four species of kangaroos; the Antilopine kangaroo (Macropus antilopinus), the Eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), the Red kangaroo (Macropus rufus), and the Western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus).

4. Most kangaroos are herbivores. They eat plants, flowers, grasses, moss, and some insects.

5. Kangaroos can cover up to 25 feet or more in one leap and jump straight up to 6 feet high.

6. Kangaroos can weigh up to 200 pounds and be as tall as 7 feet. Kangaroos are the world’s largest marsupials. The Red kangaroo is the largest of the different types of kangaroo.

7. Kangaroos live in Australia and New Guinea.

8. Kangaroos can live up to 10 years in the wild and 25 years in captivity.

 

Can you share a fact about kangaroos with us?  

 

Books about kangaroos:

1. Kangaroos (Amazing Animals) by Kate Riggs

2. Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too? by Eric Carle

3. Jump, Kangaroo, Jump! (MathStart 3) by Stuart Murphy

4. Kangaroos for Kids by Judith Lehne

5. Never Touch a Kangaroo! by Stuart Lynch

6. Kylie Kangaroo's Karate Kickers by Barbara deRubertis

Parents, be sure books are child-friendly before reading them to your child/children.