Kangaroo SVG is a mammal that belongs to the group of Diprotodontia, a family of Kangaroos (Macropodidae). Among these animals there are many endangered and rare species.
The term “kangaroo” is also used to refer to the family of Kangaroo rats, or Potoroidae, which are described in another article.
In a broad sense, the term “kangaroos” is used for the whole family of Kangaroos, and in a narrow sense, it is used only for large, present, or giant representatives of this taxon, the foot of which is longer than 25 cm. Smaller animals are more often called wallabies and wallabies. The common name “giant kangaroos” can be equally referred to as real kangaroos as well as wallabies, because their height is also high.
The Kangaroo SVG family consists of 11 genera and 62 species. The maximum length is registered in the eastern gray kangaroo (Latin Macropus giganteus): it is 3 meters. The second place is occupied by a giant red kangaroo (Latin Macropus rufus) with a body size of up to 1.65 m without tail. However, the giant redhead loses by weight. Its maximum weight is 85 kg, with the eastern gray kangaroo weighing 95 kg.
The smallest members of the Kangaroo SVG family are the philanderers, the striped rabbit and the short-tailed kangaroo (kwokka). For example, the body length of a mini kangaroo, a red-nosed philander (lat. Thylogale thetis), reaches only 29-63 cm. The tail of the animal grows to 27-51 cm. The average weight of females is 3.8 kg, males – 7 kg.
Quockeys (lat. Setonix brachyurus) have a total body size with a tail from 65 cm to 1.2 m. Their weight is less: females weigh from 1.6 kg, and the weight of males does not exceed 4.2 kg. The body length of the striped wallaby hare (lat. Lagostrophus fasciatus) is 40-45 cm, tail length is 35-40 cm, and the weight of the mammal is from 1.3 to 2.1 kg.
Usually males are much larger than females in size. Female growth is halted shortly after the start of breeding, and males continue to grow, resulting in a much larger number of older females than younger ones. A female gray or red Kangaroo SVG, weighing 15-20 kg and participating in breeding for the first time, can be cared for by a male who is 5-6 times heavier than she is. Sexual dimorphism is most pronounced in large species. On the contrary, small wallabies have similar sizes for adults of different sexes.
Large kangaroos are very interesting animals that are difficult to recognize. Their heads are small, with large ears and large almond-shaped eyes. Eyes are framed by long dense eyelashes, reliably protecting the cornea from dust. Animals’ nose is black and naked.
The lower jaw of the kangaroo has a peculiar structure, its back ends are bent inside. In total, the animals have 32 or 34 teeth, which have no roots and are adapted to eating coarse plant food:
- one wide, forward facing incisor on each half of the lower jaw;
- small blunted canines reduced in some species;
4 pairs of molar teeth alternating with abrasion and with blunted tubercles. When the last teeth wear out, the animal starts to starve.
The neck of a kangaroo is thin, the chest is narrow, the front legs seem to be underdeveloped, while the legs are very strong and massive.
Thick at the base and narrowing towards the end of the tail of the kangaroo serves as a balancer for jumping, and in the case of large individuals it supports the body during fights and seating. It does not perform a gentle function. The tail length of the kangaroo varies from 14.2 to 107 cm, depending on the species. The tail of the philanderers is shorter, thicker and less pubescent than that of the wallaby.
Muscular hips support the narrow pelvis of mammals. Even longer shin bones have less muscle development and the ankles are arranged in such a way as to prevent the foot from turning sideways. When resting or moving slowly, the weight of the animal is distributed over long, narrow feet, creating a stalking effect. However, when jumping, the kangaroo only leans on two toes – the 4th and 5th toes. The second and third fingers were reduced and turned into one process with two claws used to clean the fur. The first toe of the foot is lost completely.
As a result of the evolution of the rock wallaby, the soles of the hind legs are covered with thick wool, which helps the animal to stay on a slippery, wet or grassy surface. Their bodies became massive, overgrown with coarse, thick wool.
Fillers and wood wallabies are slightly different from other kangaroos. Their hind legs are not as large as other kangaroos.
The Latin name of the Macropodidae family was given to the Macropus family, which includes the red kangaroo. From Latin this word is translated as “bigfoot”. The term is quite suitable for the largest mammal, which moves jumping on powerful hind legs. But this is not the only way to get around the Kangaroo family. These mammals not only jump: they can also walk slowly on four limbs, which move in pairs instead of alternately.
When large and medium-sized animals raise their hind legs to carry them forward, they rest on their tail and front legs. When jumping, kangaroos can reach speeds of 40-60 km/h, but for short distances. Because their way of travel is very energy intensive, they get tired and slow down as soon as 10 minutes after the start of the fast jump.