Red kangaroos move in groups (mobs) ranging from a few dozen to several hundred animals. They are usually made up of a dominant male, a number of adult females and youngsters of both sexes.
The female, or doe, has blue grey fur, and the male, or buck, has reddish/brown. Males can be between 0.9 - 2.7m (3 to 9ft). They move by hopping on their strong hind legs using their muscular tales for steering.
The Red Kangaroo is the largest marsupial mammal and comes from the drier areas of inland Australia. The word Marsupial describes animals that give birth to premature young and rear them in a pouch, which contains teats for nourishment. A young kangaroo that still uses its mother’s pouch is called a ‘Joey’.
They are growing in number in their natural habitat, thanks to the extinction of their only natural predator, the Tasmanian Wolf (also a marsupial) some 65 years ago.
