Kangaroo
Possible bio facts included: red kangaroo hide, wallaby skull, diet,
stuffed toy, clay model of newborn, roo picture, boomerang, aboriginal art,
shoe advertisement
Theme ideas
1. The Kangaroo family is the grazers of Australia.
2. Kangaroos have a built in nursery.
Bio fact details
Kangaroo hides : encourage public to touch
Male roos are red and females are gray (blue gray). Females are called
‘blue flyers’ in Australia. Kangaroos can show different color fazes.
Aborigines use all the parts of the animal for clothing, food, or making
tools. Any part they don’t use is buried next to the fire to thank the animal
for its sacrifice.
Kangaroos are harvested in Australia for food and for their hide. They are
considered pests and are as common as our white-tailed deer however
some species of the kangaroo family are protected. The hides are sold to
France, Italy, and Spain to be used in products. 1-2 million kangaroo
hides are shipped to Italy and used to make shoes.
Stuffed Kangaroo toy: Public may handle
Female marsupials have a pouch, or marsupium, in which the young are
carried. The female kangaroo has voluntary control over the muscles that
control the pouch size and opening. She can contract the muscles, pulling
the pouch tight against the body, or relax the opening allowing the joey to
fall out.
Clay model of newborn: leave in container and show public
Babies are the size of a bumble bee and weigh 3 oz. They are born after a
short gestation (33 days) hairless and blind and have to make their way to
the pouch on their own.
Embryonic diapause– As a blastocyst (70-100 cells) the baby kangaroo
stops development until the baby in the pouch reaches the age that it will
be leaving the pouch.
The female has two teats in her pouch and can produce two different formulations of milk for the different ages. Only one joey is in the pouch at a
time though.
Diet: Public may handle
We feed a specifically designed diet for Macropodidae (kangaroo family)
of all ages. They are fed free choice along with brome hay.
Kangaroo skull: Docent handles and shows public
The kangaroo family are the only native grazers found in Australia. Here
in the US we have deer, pronghorn, elk, etc.
Dental formula I 3/1, C 0/0, P 1/1, M 4/4
Molars migrate forward to replace worn molars, note no canines.
Overall size and a slight variation in their teeth note differences between
Kangaroos and Wallabys.
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Aboriginal culture
Clap sticks
The traditional music of indigenous Australians holds a lot of meaning to
their culture. Music is used throughout an aboriginals life to teach what
must be known about their culture, about their place in it, and about its
place in the world of nature and supernatural.
Clap sticks are used as musical instruments in ceremonies with didgeridoos.
Boomerang do not let public throw
The boomerang is used as a missile or club in hunting or warfare. It is also
given to a family when visiting.
There are returning boomerangs and non-returning boomerangs. Non- returning boomerangs were used for hunting, called Kylies, they are
about three feet long and have a chord width of three to four inches
across. When thrown they fly straight and do not return to the thrower.
Throw sticks have been found in many countries such as Egypt, Africa,
Poland, Holland, United States and of course Australia, just to name a
few.
Aboriginal art This painting represents a story told about creation.
“The story of the Rainbow Serpent”
Once the sleeping earth was flat, dark and cold. No creature stirred.
There were no hills and valleys, no trees or rivers.
In the center of Australia, far beneath the surface of the earth,
the rainbow serpent, mother of life, grew restless in her sleep. It was
time for her to give birth to her children- all the animal tribes. Slowly
she uncurled from her cramped sleeping place and began to burrow her
way to the surface. But something stopped her. A great rock was in
her way. For many moons the mother of life pushed and pushed the
boulder up. Inch by inch it moved until one day, it burst onto the surface. The Rainbow Serpent pushed it aside and looked around at the
desolate landscape. She needed to rest from her labor. Before she set
off on her wanderings, she turned to look at the rock, which had gained
its freedom like a baby and she said, “You are my first born, you will
be called Uluru.”
Her travels took her far and wide across the land. When she
grew tired, she curled herself into a circle and went to sleep to regain
her strength. When she awoke, she looked back and saw the deep
winding tracks where she had traveled. Where she had slept, great hollows had been left, looking out of place on the flat plains.
When she got back to the place of her first born, she made herself ready. She called to the frog tribes inside her to come out. They
had been sleeping for many seasons and moved slowly, heavy in the
water they had stored in their stomachs for the long hibernation before
their birth. They shook their lazy heads, they did not want to give up
their precious water, but the wise mother tickled their stomachs. When
they laughed, the water flowed in torrents from their mouths to fill the
tracks of the rainbow serpent’s wanderings, to make lakes, rivers,
oceans and streams.
Suddenly the scene was still. A rumbling could be heard like
a burst of laughter, grass began to grow, trees sprang up and flowers
bloomed. Life had begun on earth. All the animal tribes, the kangaroo,
the emu, the platypus and the kookaburra flowed from the Rainbow
Serpent to join their frog brothers. They flew and hopped, scurried and
slithered all over the land and sky. They were happy on the earth.
Each animal stayed with his brothers and sisters, and hunted
and played in harmony. The galah tribe preferred to live in the
treetops, the snake hunted between the rocks and trees. Each tribe
knew this was the law of the Rainbow Serpent.
RED KANGAROO
Phylum: Chordata, Class: Mammalia, Order: Marsupialia, Family: Macropodidae
Megaleia rufa
Kangaroos are one of over 240 species of marsupials. While
marsupials are most often associated with the continent of Australia,
they are also found in North, Central, and South America.
There are nearly 60 species in the kangaroo family found in
Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands. They range in size from
the tiny, one-pound musky rat kangaroo to the large red kangaroos.
Body length: 2.5 - 4.6 feet
Tail length: 24-40 in.
Weight: 50-150 lbs
Lifespan: In the wild, the large kangaroos live about 15 years.
Habitat: arid grasslands
Range: western and central Australia
Diet in the wild: Red kangaroos are herbivores. They feed on grasses, herbs, and shrub and tree leaves.
Status:
 The red kangaroo is not currently endangered.
 In some areas, red kangaroos are often considered pests. Some
people fear that they compete with domestic livestock for grass.
Kangaroos are hunted for their meat and hides. Government sanctioned culling programs are controversial. Many people feel that
culling, coupled with a severe drought could severely endanger
red kangaroo populations.
 However, 18 other species in the kangaroo family are endangered.
Special features:
 Male kangaroos are called “boomers”, females are “does”, and the
young are referred to as “joeys”.

Like all marsupials, kangaroos have two special bones, called
marsupial bones, attached to their hip bones. In female kanga-
roos, the bones serve as an attachment site for abdominal muscles
which help strengthen the abdominal wall. Although male kangaroos don’t have pouches, they too, have marsupial bones.

Kangaroos, like many marsupials have a lower basal metabolic rate
and therefore lower daily requirements for energy, protein, water,
and other nutrients. This means that they can sustain themselves
on poorer quality diets of higher fiber content.

Red kangaroos are known as “foregut fermenters”. Their stomach
contains microbes (bacteria, etc.) that break down food into absorbable components.

Kangaroos have extremely powerful hind legs and a very muscular
tail adapted for jumping. Large kangaroos can jump nearly 30 feet
when they are bounding at full speed. Kangaroos can reach speeds
up to 40 mph, but cannot maintain high speeds for a long period of
time. When moving at slower speeds (around 12 mph), they can
hop for hours.

Red kangaroos are adapted to life in the often hot, dry grasslands
of Australia. They may pant or seek shade in order to cool off.
They are crepuscular (active mainly at dawn and dusk); an adaptation that helps them avoid the hot midday sun. They have several
tiny blood vessels under the skin on their forearms. They wet these
areas by licking them or dipping them in water. As the moisture
evaporates, it helps to cool them. Red kangaroos are also able to
withstand body water losses that would be fatal to humans. They
can conserve water by concentrating their urine and feces.

Red kangaroos have 4 toes on their hind feet. The middle toe is
long and has a sharp nail used as a weapon during fights. The 2
inside toes are fused and form a ‘grooming claw’. The five claws
on their front feet are used as a “comb” for grooming.

Male kangaroos have a scent gland on their chest and often rub
bushes, leaving behind their scent.
Behavior & Social Organization:
 Kangaroos live in groups called “mobs”. Kangaroos will thump
the ground with their feet to warn other members of the mob of
impending danger, such as a dingo attack.

When male kangaroos fight, they may appear to be ‘boxing’.
They usually stand up on their hindlimbs and attempt to push their
opponent off balance by jabbing him or locking forearms. If the
fight escalates, they will begin to kick each other. Using their tail
to support their weight, they deliver kicks with their powerful
hindlegs.
Breeding & Care of Young
 Red kangaroos are usually fertile year-round and produce young
continuously. However, during severe droughts, common in
much of Australia, breeding ceases.
 Kangaroos may have up to three offspring developing at one time.
An embryo can live in the uterus arrested at a stage of development. This is known as embryonic dipause. At the same time, the
female may have a second offspring that is carried in the pouch
and suckled. (Once the young in the pouch reaches a certain age,
the embryo will resume development.) A third offspring may be
“at foot”. Having just permanently left the pouch, this offspring
will follow its mother outside the pouch. At this rate, a female red
kangaroo can give birth every 240 days.

As soon as it is born, the newborn kangaroo, blind and hairless,
begins its climb from the birth canal to the safety of the pouch. It
crawls 6 inches through the dense fur and attaches to one of its
mother’s four teats. The journey takes 3 to 30 minutes. This
would be the equivalent of a newborn human crawling with its
eyes closed ten feet up a steep, grassy hill (Zoobooks).

Joeys remain in the pouch for 5-6 months. After that time, they
begin to become more independent. Over a period of 2-3 months
they gradually spend more time away from the pouch, returning to
its safety when they feel threatened. Joeys are usually weaned
around 1 year of age. A young kangaroo will usually stay by its
mother’s side until it is about 1½ years old.
BENNETT’S WALLABY
Phylum: Chordata, Class: Mammalia, Order: Marsupialia, Family: Macropodidae
Macropus rufogriseus frutica
Description: Like their kangaroo relatives, the Bennett’s Wallaby, also called the Red-necked Wallaby, has a long tail for balance and large feet and strong legs for jumping great distances.
Their thick coarse hair is gray with a red nape and shoulders.
Size: Length 23-41 inches, tail length 10-39 inches.
Weight: 30 - 50 lbs.
Habitat: Woodlands & some grasslands
Range: Tasmania; islands in the Bass Strait; and coastal areas
along the southeastern coast of Australia
Diet: Grasses, leaves and brush
Lifespan: 15 years
Status: Least Concern
Special Characteristics:
Wallabies have two special bones, called marsupial bones, attached to their hip bones.
Wallabies are known as “foregut fermenters”. Their stomach
contains microbes (bacteria, etc.) that break down food into
absorbable components.
Bennett’s wallabies may be seen feeding together, but usually
do not form permanent social groups.
They are nocturnal in parts of Australia and New Zealand but
more crepuscular on Tasmania, demonstrating flexibility
depending upon food resources.
They have peripheral vision and a keen sense of smell.
Their large ears give them an acute sense of hearing and aid in
internal heat dispersal.
Bennett’s Wallabies have a black nose and black paws, and a
white stripe on the upper lip.
Wallabies use their long fourth toe to help push off from the
ground and the second and third toes are fused together for
grooming.
Cruising speed is 15-20 mph.
Reproduction:
Females reach sexual maturity at approximately 1- 1½ years of age;
males at 1½ - 2 years.
Wallaby’s are able to undergo “embryonic diapause”. An embryo can
live in the uterus at an arrested stage of development, while an offspring from an earlier mating is carried in the pouch and suckled.
Once the young in the pouch reaches a certain age, the embryo will
resume development. A third offspring may be “at foot”. A joey
that is “at foot” has just permanently left the pouch and will follow
its mother outside the pouch.
Gestation is 30 days.
At birth, a newborn Bennett’s wallaby is smaller than a bumblebee!
Newborns weigh less than 1 gram.
Young wallabies may remain in the pouch for up to 9 months. At 6
months of age they begin to venture out of the pouch. Over a period
of 2-3 months they become more independent, gradually spending
more time away from their mother.
They are usually weaned around 1 year of age.