129 images Created 30 Mar 2013
Giant Red Kangaroos
Australia's red kangaroo is the largest extant marsupial in the world. They live in small groups (called "mobs") of two to ten members and they breed all year round. They can live from 16 - 23 years and when they are moving can reach a top speed of 56 KM / 35 MPH. The females have a unique ability to delay the birth of their baby until their previous Joey has left the pouch. One young is born at a time and it is blind, hairless with only stumps as hind legs. It is only a few centimeters long and until is develops forelegs and can climb through the thick fur of its mother's abdomen into the pouch, it can fasten onto one of the teats and start to feed. The mother then immediately mates as an egg descends into the uterus. The female kangaroo is permanently pregnant. Males are called 'boomers', are not territorial but will fight over a female when she enters estrus. Females can grow up to 1.5m/5ft tall while the males can reach an upright posture as tall as 2.5m/8ft tall weighing as much as 95 kg/210 lbs.
