Kangaroo herbivore animal. Kangaroo - Australia's business card. Reproduction and offspring

Kangaroo, perhaps, one of the most unusual and interesting animals.

Kangaroo in Australia is especially popular, which is certainly not surprising, given that only in Australia (in vivo), they live, being one of the national symbols.

It should be noted that Australia is generally an amazing country (and mainland) especially in terms of unusual animals!

Fauna Australia has about 200,000 species of animals, including a large number of is unique. 83% mammals, 89% reptile, 90% of fish and insects and 93% of amphibians are endemics for Australia.

For example, not so long ago, I wrote a note about completely unusual bears - sampling bears.

Since I spoke about the Australian fauna, and even more so about the silent, then I just can't not say about Kangaroo.

Well, how to keep silent about them?! In no way!

In general, it is about Kangaroo that we remember the first thing when we talk about Australia.

Some, however, remember them, even if we are talking about Austria, than very offended by the Austrians. The kangaroo is just that you will not be offended, you can get in the forehead.

Strictly speaking, the word "Kangaroo" can be called all representatives of the Kangarov family. They enter it not only well known to us "Pumps", but also less famous wood kangaroo (they really live on trees), as well as small "swallow" philandants, something like rabbits, and Wallabi (there will be a separate note).

But usually, speaking of a kangaroo, we mean the most major representatives Family - exactly they are most recognizable, and it is they who became a symbol of Australia, which is also depicted on the coat of arms of the state.

By the way, the kangaroo live not only in Australia, they are also found on the Islands of Tasmania and New Guinea, and some species are also acclimatized in New Zealand and on the Islands of Bismarck.

IN late XIX. - The beginning of the XX century. It was not bad to fit in Germany and England, successfully multiplied and even tolerated snow winters well, but against poachers who completely destroyed them were powerless.

Most of all species Kangaroo lives on the plains, but there are lovers of the mountains!

And you know, by the way, why exactly Kangaroo and Ema Australia chose for the coat of arms? Because they do not know how to steal, and Australia wants to move only forward!

What do we know about the kangaroo, besides what they jump?

We know that they are silent - it was in honor of them called the Kangaroo backpacks designed to wear a small child in front of them.

And if seriously, the kangaroo is called sample mammals from the dvurren's detachment (possess two large cutters on the lower jaw).

The word is consumed in two values:

1. Apply in a broad aspect to all representatives of the Kangaroo family, and this is from 46 to 55 species.

Includes a family of herbivores, which are moved by jumps, have undeveloped front, and vice versa, extremely developed hind legs, and also have a strong tail that helps hold the balance during movement.

Because of this building, the body of animals is in a vertical position, based on the tail and rear paws.

Thus, three types are distinguished: Kangaroic rats are the smallest individuals; Wallabi - have medium sizes, externally resemble a reduced copy of large animals; Large kangaroo - Australia's silent animals.

2. Call the largest representatives of sample animals from the Long-legged family, which are an unofficial symbol of Australia: they can be seen on the coin coin.

Depending on the species, representatives of the family have a length of 25 cm (plus 45 cm - tail) to 1.6 m (tail - 1 m), and weigh from 18 to 100 kg.

The largest person is considered a resident of the Australian continent - redhead, and the most difficult is the eastern gray kangaroo.

Big red kangaroo or red-haired giant kangaroo (lat. Macropus RUFUS)australia lives throughout the continent, with the exception of fertile regions in the south, the east coast, Western deserted districts and tropical forests in the north.

Fur short, brown-redhead, on the limbs pale. An animal has long, sharpened ears and a wide face.

Female individuals are smaller than men's gray-blue fur, with a brown tint, pale gray at the bottom of the body.

Despite this, in the arid areas of the females have a hair color is more similar to the males.

There are two front paws with small claws, two muscular rear paws, which are used to move with jumps and a strong tail, which is often used as a third support for the adoption of the vertical rack.

The rear paws of a large red kangaroo work as well as rabbit. With the help of the rear legs, these animals move with jumps at a speed of up to 65 kilometers per hour, and for one energetic jump overcome more than nine meters

In adult males, the length of the body reaches 1.4 meters, and a mass of 85 kg, in females, respectively, 1.1 m and 35 kg.

The tail may be a length of 90 cm to 1 m. Usually the growth of a large red kangaroo in the withers is about 1.5 m (even up to 2 meters).

Giant kangaroo or oriental gray kangaroo (lat. Macropus Giganteus)lives in the east and south of Australia.

It is a little less than a large red kangaroo - even the largest males weigh usually not more than 65 kg. But it is the record "Kangarova" speed of 64 km / h and the length of jumping 12 meters.

Although it should be noted that such "championship indicators" speed and length jump are only in minutes of extreme danger, usually they make relatively small jumps with a length of 3 meters and move at a speed of 50 km / h.

But two or even three-meter bushes and trees jump quietly.

This type of kangaroo gray wool is darker on the back and sides and brighter on the bottom of the body. The males are usually darker of females. And much more.

The largest and most powerful male performs the role of a leader of a small group consisting of several females and a cub.

By the way, such groups are called "mobs", and their leader "Boomer".

The Boer carefully monitors the order in the group and warns the relatives about the approach of predators: Having had a danger, he begins to drum back legs on the ground and to make something like shames.

Such sounds force all the kangaroo to alert and immediately "join" far away.

Eastern gray kangaroo dwells near settlements, while preferred more wet areas for habitat, although they can come into arid areas.

Right now in wildlife There are about 2 million Eastern gray kangaroo. In Australia, even the hunt for them is allowed on special quotas.

They kill these samples not only from sports interest: the aborigines always appreciated them for a solid skin and fur. But the kangaroo meat is considered tough, with the exception of a thick tail.

Western Gray Kangaroo (lat. Macropus Fuliginosus) Widespread in Australia and known to the Aboriginal since ancient times.

At first, this kind of kangaroo was confused with gigantic gray, but French scientists after a more detailed study in 1817 allocated them in a separate appearance, inventing them their own Latin name.

At about the same time, Western gray kangaroo described as animals living in Tasmania, and only in 1917 it turned out that Eastern gray kangaroo live there.

In 1971, animals from the island of Kangaroo attributed, finally, to the same type that lives in the south of the Australian continent.

29Palm

• Basic facts
• Title: Eastern Gray Kangaroo (Macropus Giganteus)
• Area: Australia and New Guinea
• Number social Group: 20-100
• Pregnancy period: 29-38 days, up to 11 months in a bag
• Independence: in 18-24 months
• Territory: these kangaroo are not tied to the territory; If necessary to find better conditions habitats they can migrate to long distances

In Kangaroo, the reputation of Drachunov, but this behavior is observed only when one male struggles with others for the right to mate with the female.

Kangaroo, perhaps, the most famous short mammals. They live only in Australia and New Guinea. Like Wallaby, Kangaroo - representatives of the Macropodidae family, which translated from Latin means "long-legged".

The Macropodidae family includes 50 species, of which only two representatives of Kangaroo: Red Kangaroo (Macropus Rufus) and gray kangaroo. The latter is subdivided on subspecies: Western gray (Macropus Fuliginosus) and East Gray Kangaroo (Macropus Giganteus).

Kangaroo - social animals. They are going to big groups On the meadows, in the deserts and forests of Australia. More than 50 species of Kangaroo and Wallaby are known to science, but the social habits of Eastern Gray Kangaroo are most studied.

Social groups of eastern gray kangaroo have up to 100 individuals and are called herds. In essence, the herd is not a socially organized group characteristic of animals such as, for example, a GNU or Zebra forming large herds. Kangaroo is always scattered. Even when drinking water from one source, each individual protects its living space.

The behavior of the flock

Unlike other social mammals, gray kangaroo do not pay much attention to each other. Eastern gray kangaroo do not combine even to protect the young or defense of herd from predators such as Dingo. Those members of the group who noticed any threat are knocking tail or legs on the ground. However, it is believed that this is not a danger signal, but the reflex reaction of animals at a threat. Nevertheless, the herd learns about the danger, all a kangaroo panic and scatter who is where. At the same time, some individuals often turn out to be closer to the source of the threat, and not removed from it.

Good rumor just need animals leading a night lifestyle. The large ears of the kangaroo capture even very weak sounds, and the herd turns face to predator (in this case - to the camera).

Each flock consists of several small family groups. Families are formed around the female and her young, called in Australia "Joey". There is also a community of young males, already independent of their mothers, but not yet ready to multiply, and the old males who came out of reproductive age. The males of reproductive age join the family group only for a short time.

Communication in the family group is stronger than in the herd. If a predator appears, the mother is trying to drive it. At this time, young people, having trough, waiting for her return. If the female wears a little older in a bag, she can try to throw him out so that he could escape. When the danger passes, the female will find his offspring.

Eastern gray kangaroo leads mainly a night lifestyle. Families graze at night, and in the afternoon they are going to the herd in the central part of their territory. The herd often pokes the day in shady places, where animals feed and rest. Kangaroo communicate at night, and can feed in the daytime. Especially often feed females, which usually feed two young different ages.

Kangaroo males are almost twice as large as the females called in Australia "to". In zoologists, such a phenomenon is called a sexual dimorphism. Sexual dimorphism is often observed in the species whose males compete with each other for the opportunity to mate with females.

Fight skill

The males of Eastern Gray Kangaroo find out the relationship in a fight. Problems begin when two adult male meet a female ready for mating. Males sniffing each other and publish sounds similar to cuff. If none of them retreats, the males rise to the rear paws and cause each other a blows on the head. There are a kangaroo with front paws, on which rather long claws grow (up to 5 cm). However, their most powerful weapons are large, strong rear paws. Each of the males, holding the balance with the help of the tail, is trying to hit the enemy's rear paws in the stomach.

Although fights seem cruel, their consequences are rarely serious, thanks to the thick, hard skin on the stomach Kangaroo. In addition, the losing battle of the male usually retreats before serious injury gets. However, sometimes serious wounds remain on the body. It is especially likely to in the territory where there is a lot of kangaroo. Here rivalry acquires hard forms, and males refuse to give up each other.

Without losing vigilance, the herd of eastern gray kangaroo grazes near the surface of rocks. Sometimes a kangaroo also graze in shrubs. There is no tough hierarchy in the group.

The female of the Eastern Gray Kangaroo becomes a half-length in two years. The male, which won in all the fights, falls at night with a female and remains with her until dawn, but in the morning leaves it and does not take any participation in the upbringing of offspring. Moreover, adult males do not tolerate young and usually drive them if they find themselves nearby.

Development of a cub

As with other silent, the period of pregnancy at Kangaroo is short and lasts up to 35 days. The newborn Kengurenok weighs only 1 g, and the length of his body does not exceed 2.5 cm. Nevertheless, the young fines are well developed by the forefill, with the help of which it makes himself the road on the maternal belly in the bag. Mother helps a baby, licking the walkway on his stomach.

Once in the bag, the cub is tightly cling to the nipple and remains here for eight months. Then he begins to explore the surrounding reality, and in the bag hides in case of danger, as well as to eat. This period lasts about two months, then Kengurenok leaves the bag, but the mother feeds it for some time. Fully self-independent young becomes in 18-24 months. The females begin to reproduce as soon as they leave their mother. The males live a few more years together, in small groups, and only aged 4-5 years become fairly adults for breeding.

Almost always the female wears one young in the bag and still takes a teenager. It is noteworthy that the mother produces two types of milk, so that each kid gets food necessary to him. For a baby developing in a bag, a low fat milk and a high protein content is designed, which ensures its rapid growth. The teenager, on the contrary, feeds with fatty milk with a low protein, providing its energy.

Kangaroo - the most famous silent animals that personify themselves the whole detachment of sampling in general. Nevertheless, the extensive family of Kangarov, numbering about 50 species, is a mansion in this squad and keeps a lot of secrets.

Red Kangaroo (Macropus Rufus).

Externally, the kangaroo does not look like any animal: the head is reminded of deer, the neck of the middle length, the body in the front is slim, and the back expands, the limbs are broken - the front is relatively small, and the rear is very long and powerful, the tail is thick and long. The front paws are five plated, have well-developed fingers and are similar to the palm of primates than on the dog's paw. Nevertheless, the fingers end with rather large claws.

Front pair of large gray, or forest kangaroo (Macropus Giganteus).

The rear paws have only four fingers (a thumb reduced), and the second and the third fingers grow together. The kangaroo body is covered with short, thick wool, which protects animals well from heat and cold. Coloring of most types of patronizing - gray, redhead, brown, some species can have white stripes. The sizes of the kangaroo vary in very wide limits: the largest red kangaroo reach 1.5 m and weigh to 85-90 kg, and the smallest species have a length of only 30 cm and weigh 1-1.5 kg! All kinds of kangaroo in size are conventionally divided into three groups: the three largest species are called the giant kangaroo, the average sized kangaroo is called Wallabi, and the smallest species are rat kangaroo or kangarone rats.

Cystongia Lesueur (Bettongia Lesueur) is a representative of small rat kangaroo. Due to the tiny sizes, it is easy to take it for rodent.

The habitat of Kangaroo covers Australia and adjacent islands - Tasmania, New GuineaIn addition, the kangaroo is acclimatized in New Zealand. Among the kangaroo are found as species with a wide range that live throughout the continent and endemics, found only in a limited territory (for example, in New Guinea). The habitat of these animals is very diverse: most species populate the parel, herbaceous and deserted plains, but there are also those who live ... in the mountains!

Mountain Kangaroo, or Vallara (Macropus Robustus) among the cliffs.

It turns out a kangaroo among the rocks - a common spectacle, for example, mountain species Wallabi can rise to the snow level.

Kangaroo in a snowdrift is not such a rare phenomenon.

But the most unusual wood kangaroo, which live in dense forests. On the branches of trees, they spend most of their lives and very deftly climb in crowns, and at times they jump over the trunks of short jumps. If we consider that the tail and rear paws are not tuned at all, then such balancing is striking imagination.

Woody Kangaroo Goodfellowi (Dendrolagus Goodfellowi) with a young.

All kinds of kangaroo move on the hind legs, during the pasta they hold the body horizontally and can rely on the front paws about the ground, while alternately pushing out the rear and front limbs. In all other cases, they hold the body in a vertical position. Interestingly, the kangaroo is not able to move the paws in consistently, as other two-legged animals (birds, primates) do and repel from the ground at the same time with both legs. For this reason, they can not go back. Actually walking with these animals of the Nearby, they are moving only by jumping, and this is a very energy-consuming way of movement! On the one hand, the kangaroo has a phenomenal jump and capable of performing jumps several times higher than the length of the body, on the other hand, they spend a lot of strength on such a movement, therefore not very hardy. Good tempo large species Kangaroo is withstanding no more than 10 minutes. However, this time is enough to hide from enemies, because the length of the largest red kangaroo jump can reach 9 and even 12 m, and the speed of 50 km / h! The height of the red kangaroo can jump up to 2 m.

Jumping a red kangaroo amazed with their power.

The remaining types of achievements are modest, but in any case, the kangaroo are the fastest animals in their habitat. The secret of such jumper lies not so much in the powerful muscles of the paws, how much in ... tail. The tail serves as a very effective balancer during the jump and the point of support at the seat, drawing on the tail, these animals unload the muscles of the hind limbs.

Kangaroo often rest lying on the side in the Sibarites pose, funny scratching sides.

Kangaroo - herd animals and hold on groups of 10-30 individuals, the exception is the smallest rat kangaroo and mountain vallabi that live by one. Small species show activity only at night, large can be active in the afternoon, but still prefer to grab in the dark. There is no clear hierarchy in the Kangaroo hergon and they are not developed social ties. This behavior is due to the overall primitiveness of the sophum and weak Development cortex brain. Their interaction is limited by tracking trace - as soon as one animal gives an alarm, the rest are launched in the downtown. Kangaroo's voice looks like a hoarse cough, but they have a very sensitive rumor, so they hear a relatively quiet cry from afar. Kangaroo do not have dwellings, with the exception of rat kangaroo, which inhabit the nora.

The yellow-legged rocky Wallaby (Petrogale Xanthopus), which is also called the ring-torn or yellow-legged kangaroo, chose the rocks.

Feed a kangaroo vegetable food, which can be chewed twice, tightening some of the digested feed and chewing it repeatedly, like a ruminant animal. The kangaroo stomach has a complex structure and inhabited by bacteria that facilitate food digestion. Most of the species eat exclusively by grass, taking it in large quantities. Wood kangaroo feed on the leaves and fruits of trees (including ferns and lian), and the smallest rat kangaroo can specialize in eating fruits, bulbs and even frozen plant juice, in addition, they may include insects in their diet. It brings them closer with other sophisticated animals - poses. Drink a kangaroo little and can do for a long time without water, pleaseing the moisture of plants.

Kangaroo female with a young in a bag.

Kangaroo do not have a certain breeding season, but the reproductive processes have very intensively proceed. In fact, the female organism is a "factory" for the production of similar. Excited males are satisfied with the fights, during which they are connected with the front paws and beat the rear of each other in the stomach. In such a struggle, the tail plays a major role to which the battle is based literally like on the fifth leg.

Males of big gray kangaroo in a marriage fight.

Pregnancy from these animals is very short, so, the females of the gray giant kangaroo are carrying a young only 38-40 days, in small species this period is still shorter. In fact, the kangaroo give birth to underdeveloped embryos 1-2 cm long (in the largest species). It's amazing that such a premature embryo has difficult instincts, allowing him on his own (!) To get to the mother's bag. The female helps him, licking the path in the wool, but crawling the embryo without assistance! To assess the scale of this phenomenon, imagine that human children would be born 1-2 months after conception and independently found the mother's chest blind. Climbing the Kengurenok mother's bag for a long time is sick to one of the nipples and spends the first 1-2 months in the bag.

Kangaroo are the best jumpers of our planet: the length of one jump is three meters in height and about twelve in length. They move with huge jumps at a speed of about 50 km / h, pushing off from the surface with strong rear legs, while the tail is allotted with a tail, which performs the role of the balance and helps to hold the equilibrium.

Therefore, it is impossible to catch upto the animal, especially since during the flight it is capable of everything: once red-haired kangaroo, surprising from farmers, rearranged the three-meter fence. If someone who wanted to taste the Kangaroo meat, still lucky to fill it, the silent will go into the course of the hind legs. To do this, takes the entire severity of the body to the tail, and freeing both the rear paws, will cause the enemy the terrible wounds.

Kangaroo called bugged mammals Animals from the detachment of dvurstz (possess two large cutters on the lower jaw). The word is consumed in two values:

1. Apply in a broad aspect to all representatives of the Kangaroo family, and this is from 46 to 55 species. Includes a family of herbivores, which are moved by jumps, have undeveloped front, and vice versa, extremely developed hind legs, and also have a strong tail that helps hold the balance during movement. Because of this structure, the body of animals is in a vertical position, based on the tail and rear paws. In this way, three types are isolated: Kangaroic rats are the smallest individuals; Wallabi - have medium sizes, externally resemble a reduced copy of large animals; Large kangaroo - Australia's silent animals.
2. They call the largest representatives of the sample animals from the Long-legged family, which are an unofficial symbol of Australia: they can be seen on the coin, coins.

Representatives of the family live in arid regions and rainforests in Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea, on the Islands of Bismarck. At the end of the XIX - the beginning of the XX century. It was not bad to fit in Germany and England, successfully multiplied and even tolerated snow winters well, but against poachers who completely destroyed them were powerless.

Description

Depending on the species, representatives of the family have a length of 25 cm (plus 45 cm - tail) to 1.6 m (tail - 1 m), and weigh from 18 to 100 kg. The largest person is considered a resident of the Australian continent - redhead, and the most difficult is the eastern gray kangaroo. Fur softy soft, thick, maybe gray, black, red-colored and their shades.

Kangaroo animal is wondering that its upper part is poorly developed. The head is small, the muzzle can be both long and shortened. The shoulders are narrow, the front paws are short, weak, deprived of wool, have five fingers, but armed with very sharp claws. Fingers are very mobile and the animal uses them for grabbing, nutrition, combing wool.

But the lower part of the body is developed: the hind legs, a long fat tail, the hips are very strong, there are four fingers on the leg, while the second and the third connects the membrane, there is a strong claw on the fourth.

Such a structure makes it possible to successfully defend themselves with the help of powerful blows with rear paws, and quickly move (while the tail replaces the sample steering wheel). Moving back these animals are unable - this does not allow them too big tail and the shape of the rear legs.

Lifestyle

Temple animals prefer to lead a night lifestyle, with the onset of twilight appearing on pastures. In the afternoon, they rest in Norah made from the grass of nests or in the shade of trees.

If someone from the animals notices any danger (for example, Dingo's dog wanted to taste Kangaroo meat), the message about it is immediately transmitted to the rest of the flocks of the rear legs on the ground. To transfer information, they often use sounds - grunts, sneezing, clicked, hissing.

If the terrain is observed favorable conditions (abundance of feed, lack of danger), the silent may well form a large community from a hundred individuals. But, usually they live in small flocks, which consist of male, several females and you grow up in a bag of kenguryat. At the same time, the male is very jealously guarded by flock from other males, and if they try to join, brutal contractions occur.

For these animals, attachment is characterized to a certain territory, and they prefer not to leave it without much reasons (the exception is the huge red animals of Kangaroo, which in search of the best forage areas are able to overcome several tens of kilometers).

Despite the fact that the silence is not very smart, they are very resourceful and know how to adapt well: if food is familiar to them, go to the other feed, feeding with plants that do not eat even in eating animals (for example, dry, rigid And even barbed grass).

Food

Feeding with the leaves of trees and shrubs, bark, roots, shoots, some species hunt for insects and worms. Food, they are either digging, or cut off with teeth, while it is worth noting that the upper fangs are usually or not at all, or they are weakly developed, but there are two large cutters on the lower jaw (another interesting fact is that they are, in The difference from most mammals, the teeth are constantly changing).

The chascies are very well adapted to drought, so it can be quite a few days and even months to do without water (most of the liquid they take from plant food).

If they still really feel thirst, the paws are pulled down the well meter of depth, and get to precious moisture (in general, helping others suffering from lack of water, animals). At this time, they are trying not to waste energy: in the months of drought they move less and spend more time in the shade.

Reproduction

The ability to reproduce offspring begins in one and a half - two years (they live from 9 to 18 years, there were cases when individual copies have survived to thirty). At the same time, males lead so cruel fighting for the female that the collision often ends with heavy injuries.

The female is born mostly only one kengourok, less often - twins. Before the baby appears on the light, the mother carefully licks the bag (leather fold on the belly, designed for the development of a kangaroo a kangaroo), and brings purity.

Pregnancy lasts from one to one and a half months, so the kengurian is born blind, without wool, its weight does not exceed one gram, and the length is no more than three centimeters in large species. I barely appeared on the light, it instantly clings to maternal wool and crashes into a bag in which he holds about eleven months.

In the bag, he immediately grabs one of the four nipples and does not break away from it for two and a half months (on initial stage It is not yet able to suck the milk, the fluid under the influence of a special muscle is allocated by itself). By this time, the kid develops, grows up, twisters, turns the fur and begins to leave the shelter briefly, while it is very wary and jumps back with the smallest sound.

After Kengourok begins to leave the bag for a long time (aged 6 to 11 months), the mother gives birth to the next cub. Interestingly, the female is able to delay the birth of a young kangaroo, as long as the previous kid does not leave the bag (it is either too small, or adverse weather conditions are observed, for example, drought). And then, in case of danger, for a few more months, it will be asylum.

And then there is an interesting picture when the milk in female begins to produce two types: from one nipple already grown baby gets more fatty milk, from the other - a newborn feeds with a smaller fatty milk.

Relationships with people

In nature, a large kangaroo enemies a little: the kangaroo meat attracts except that foxes, Dingo dogs and birds of prey (and then the chascia are completely able to protect themselves with the help of the rear legs). But the relationship with a person is tense: the cattle breeders are not without reason accuse them in the spurry of crops on pastures, and therefore shoot them or scatter poisoned bait.

In addition, the majority of species (only nine are protected by law) are allowed hunting for regulation of numbers: kangaroo meat, containing a huge amount of proteins and only 2% fat. It is worth noting that the kangaroo meat has long been one of the main sources of food in the natives. Animal skins make clothes, shoes and other products. Animals are often suitable for sports hunting, so many species are found only in unnecessary localities

On our planet a huge number of different animals, but, perhaps, without a kangaroo, life on earth would be less interesting. Kangaroo – marsupial And his race has more fifty species.

Kangaroo inhabit many arid areas of the Earth. There are a lot of them in, New Guinea, they burned the island of Bismarck, they can be found in, Germany and even in old good England. By the way, these animals have long adapted to life in countries where in winter it is quite cold, and snow drifts sometimes reach the belt.

Kangaroo - unofficial symbol Australia And their image in a pair with Ostrich Ema entered into the emblem of this continent. Probably, they were applied to the coat of arms due to the fact that these representatives of the fauna move can only forward and steal back not in their rules.

In general, the movement of the kangaroo back is impossible, because it prevents a thick tail of a large length and massive rear paws, the form of which is very unusual. Huge strong hind limbs enable the kangaroo to jump at the distance, which are not under the power to take an animal in the earth.

So, the height of the kangaroo jumps three meters, and in the length of his jump fits 12.0 m. Yes, it should be noted that the speed of these animals can develop very decent - 50-60 km / hour, which is the allowed speed of movement a passenger car in the city. The role of some balance in the animal performs the tail, which helps to keep the balance in any situation.

Animal Kangarooit has an interesting body structure. Head, something resembling appearance Deer, extremely small sizes, if you compare it with a torso.

The shoulder part is narrow, the front short paws, coated with wool, are weakly developed and have five fingers, at the ends of which are sharp claws. And the fingers are very movable. They may have enough kangaroo and keep everything that decides to use for lunch, as well as to make a "hairstyle" - a kangaroo combs wool with the help of long fingers.

The body at the bottom of the animal is developed much better than the upper part of the body. The thigh, the rear paws, the tail - all the elements are massive and powerful. On the hind limbs four fingers, but what is interesting for the second and the third finger combines the membrane, and the fourth ends with a chain strong claw.

All torso kangaroo covers a thick short wool, which protects the animal from the heat and heats into the stub. Color color is not too bright and only a few colors - gray sometimes with ashes, brown and muffled red.

The dimensional series is distinguished by a variety. In nature, there are individuals of a large magnitude, their mass reaches a hundred kilograms with an increase in one and a half meters. But also in nature there are types of kangaroo, which are the size of a large rat and this, for example, is characteristic of a kangaroo from the family of rats, however, they are often called kengurovy rats. At all, mir KangarooAs animals are very diverse, there are even the sample living on trees - wood kangaroo.

In the photo of the woody kangaroo

Regardless of the type of kangaroo, it can be moved only at the expense of the hind limbs. While staying on the pasture, when Kangaroo eats vegetable food, the animal holds the body in the position almost parallel to the ground - horizontally. And when the kangaroo does not eat, the body takes a vertical position.

It should be noted that moving lower limbs Consistently, as this usually makes many species of animals, can no kangaroo. They are moved by jumping, pushing at the same time at once with two rear paws.

Previously, it was already mentioned that it was for this reason that the kangaroo can not move - only forward. Jump occupation is complex and very expensive in terms of energy consumption.

If the kangaroo takes a good pace, then it will not be able to withstand it more than 10 minutes and exhale. Although this time will be quite enough to escape, or rather, to say, rush from the enemy.

Specialists studying Kangaroo, say that the secret of an incredible animal jumping lies not only in powerful massive hind legs, but also imagine in the tail, which was previously said is a kind of balancer.

And when sitting is sitting - this is a wonderful support and, among other things, when the kangaroo is sitting, leaning on the tail, they are thus allowed to relax the muscles of the back paw.

Character and lifestyle kangaroo

To understand deeper what a kangaroo. animal, It is better to go to Australia or visit the zoo in which there are these creatures. Kangaroo range to animals leading the stade lifestyle.

They are mainly knocked in groups whose number can sometimes reach 25 individuals. True, rat kangaroo, as well as mountainous - relatives from the kangaroo family by nature of a single and they do not intend to lead a group lifestyle.

Types of fine size prefer to actively live at night, but large varieties should be activity can both at night and during the day. However, they usually graze a kangaroo under the lunar light when the heat falls.

Nobody occupies the major positions in the herd of stems of silent animals. There are no leaders due to the primitiveness of animals and the underdeveloped brain. Although the instinct of self-preservation in Kangaroo is not bad.

It is worth one conifer to submit a signal about the risk of approaching, as the all herd rinses the swarming. The animal signal gives the animal, and his cry very much resembles cough when he coughes an avid smoker. The nature of the nature awarded the silent animals is good, therefore, even the low signal they recognize on a decent distance.

Kangaroo does not tear off in shelters. In Norah live only a kangaroo from the rats of the rats. In the wild, representatives of the sampling breed of enemies are neuroran.

When there were no predators in Australia (people were brought to the continent's predators for the continent) Wild Dingo dogs were hunted, wolves from the satellite family, and small types of Kangaroo There were a lot of silent, koi in Australia, are incredibly much and, from the detachment of predatory.

Of course, large kinds of kangaroo can give a good back to the beast attacked on him, but here are small individuals to protect themselves and offspring. The knee kangaroo call the language will not turn, they usually run away from the pursuer.

But when the predator pounds them into the angle, they defend very desperately. It is interesting to observe how defending itself a kangaroo as a retaliatory strike causes a series of stunning brace with his rear limbs at the same time "gentle" hugging the enemy with paws, front.

It is reliably known that the blow to the kangaroo is capable of killing the first time, and the person when meeting with an enraged kangaroo risks to be on a hospital bed with fractures of various severity.

Interesting fact: Local residents tell that when the kangaroo escapes from persecution, they try to lure the enemy to the water and drown it there. At least, Dingo's dogs have suffered this take into account repeatedly.

Kangaroo is often sitting near people. They are often found on the outskirts of small cities near farm. The animal is not a home, but the presence of people does not scare him.

They very quickly get used to the fact that the person feeds them, but the familiar attitude towards himself does not carry a kangaroo, and when trying to stroke always alert, and sometimes it can apply the attack.

Food

Vegetable food is a daily kangaroo diet. Herbivore animals are chewed twice as ruminants. First, they will overflow, swallow, and then rub off a small part and chew again. In the stomach of the animal, there are a special type of bacteria that significantly facilitate the digestion of rigid vegetation foods.

Kangaroo, living on trees, eat, naturally, leaves and fruits growing there. Kangaroo belonging to the genus of rat, prefer fruits, roots, plant bulbs, however, and insects them also tasted. It is impossible to call the Kangaroo to be called a kangaroo, because they drink very little and can do a long time without a lifeless moisture.

Reproduction and life expectancy kangaroo

The seasons of breeding as such in Kangaroo no. They may mate round year. But the processes of reproductive action nature endowed animals in full. The organism of the female individual is, in fact, the manufacturer of offspring, put on a wide stream, as a factory for the release of a young.

The males are, and the matter is arranged marriage fights and the one who comes out the winner of time does not lose. The period of hatching is very short - only 40 days lasting pregnancy and one appears one, less than two young, up to 2 centimeters. It is interesting: the female can delay the deadline for the appearance of the next offspring until the first brood out of the first brood.

The most amazing thing is that the offspring is born in fact underdeveloped embryo, but the instinct allows you to find my own way in the mother's bag. Mama helps a little to advance in the first way in the life of the path, licking the wool along the movement of the baby, but everything else overcomes himself.

Having reached a warm maternal bag, the baby spends the first two months of life there. The female knows how to control the bag with the help of muscle contraction and it helps her, for example, to close the silence compartment during the rain and then water can not soak the little kangaroo.

To live in the captivity of a kangaroo can be fifteen years old. Although there are cases when the animal has lived to old years - 25-30 years old and for the standards of Kangaroo became a long-liver.