The red kangaroo (or Macropus rufus) is a large species of marsupial mammal that lives throughout Australia, found everywhere except coastal regions and rainforests. Red kangaroos have large L-shaped back legs and small arms, large rabbit-like ears and a long face with a blunt snout. They are a sexually dimorphic species, meaning the males and females look different; the former being significantly larger, standing between 1.3 and 1.6m tall, with a 1.3m long tail, and weighing between 55 and 90kg; the latter are smaller, standing 0.85 - 1.05m tall and weighing 18 to 40kg. Males have red fur and a pale underside, as well as well-muscled legs, chest and arms, while females have grey fur and do not have large muscles.
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Macropus rufus
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red-kangaroo
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Animal Facts
Red kangaroos often live in the desert areas of Australia and as such can withstand temperatures up to 44°C.
Red kangaroos are the largest living species of marsupial.
Female kangaroos may be pregnant, have a new-born joey in their pouch and have an older joey still milk-feeding from them all at the same time.
Red kangaroos go through four sets of molars in their lifetime.
Female kangaroos can store a fertilised egg and delay getting pregnant until their previous joey has left the pouch; this is called ‘embryonic diapause’.
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