Red kangaroo. Lifestyle and habitat of the red kangaroo. The harsh life of a large red kangaroo What does a red kangaroo eat?

home Large red kangaroo (lat. Macropus rufus

), also called the giant red kangaroo, is considered the largest of all kangaroo species. There is no such unique animal anywhere in the world except the arid Australian continent. And although life in the hot deserts of Australia can hardly be called heavenly, these marsupials feel great here. Moreover, they try to avoid fertile southern regions , do not settle on east coast and ignore rainforests

in the north. Partly because they do not want to meet people and predators living in more favorable conditions, and partly because they are already accustomed to the 40-degree midday heat. Big red kangaroo can for a long time

go without food and water. When it gets really bad from the scorching heat, he hides in the shade or digs a small hole in the ground, lies down there and generally tries to move less. Sometimes these animals lick their paws and muzzle so that the body can cool down faster. Kangaroos also love to swim if they are lucky enough to find a suitable body of water.

They move in huge 10-meter leaps, reaching a speed of about 55 km/h. True, they don’t run far, because such a pace gets tiring very quickly. But if they have nowhere to rush, they can travel considerable distances - up to 200 km, feeding on the grasses of the steppes and semi-deserts along the way.

By the way, only males can rightfully be considered red - their short fur is brownish-red, only their limbs are light. Females are usually gray-blue with a brown tint. Moreover, they are much smaller than their partners: if the male weighs about 85 kg with a body length of up to 1.4 m, then the female weighs no more than 35 kilos with a height of 1.1 m. The tail of both sexes can reach a length of 90-100 cm .

When two males meet who want to argue for the possession of a harem of females, they prefer to box with their front paws, inflicting quite noticeable blows on their opponent. And even if the upper limbs do not look as impressive as the lower ones, believe me, giant red kangaroos know how to use them quite well.

These marsupials live in small groups consisting of one male, several females and their offspring. Moreover, each female is capable of giving birth to three cubs twice a year. However, they do not appear all together, but one by one: after a 33-day pregnancy, one tiny 2-centimeter kangaroo weighing 1 gram is born. It is difficult to call it a cub - it looks more like an embryo with the rudiments of limbs. However, this tiny creature itself crawls into the pouch prepared by the mother and greedily clings to one of the four nipples.

However, this is where the baby’s efforts end. He doesn't even need to suck milk - from time to time it is injected into the kangaroo's mouth. The baby grows and develops, acquires hair, and already at 5 months of age begins to poke its curious face out of its mother’s pouch. After another month, he leaves her for a while, but at the slightest danger he jumps back head down, turns around and looks outside again. Interesting after all!

When the kangaroo becomes cramped, he leaves the bag, giving way to a warm place for his little brother. However, he continues to regularly attach himself to the mother’s nipple, whose body miraculously simultaneously produces full fat milk for the older and more gentle for the younger offspring. At the same time, the next baby is already waiting in her womb.

The gigantic red kangaroo (Macropus rufus) is today the largest marsupial animal. Kangaroos grow almost throughout their entire lives and reach a length of about 2.5 m from the tip of the tail to the tip of the nose. While males can reach a weight of 85 kg, females are much smaller, weighing 35 kg.

BREAK FOR DIGESTION PROCESS

The main occupation of red giants is grazing and resting. In the early morning hours they fill the pre-stomach, so that during the subsequent rest period during the day they have enough time and food to digest. The plant food of bush lands is cruel and difficult to digest, so mother kangaroos are constantly looking for tender, soft shoots for their young. The cubs lick saliva from the mother's mouth in order to obtain important microorganisms with it, without which they will not be able to digest solid plant food. These microorganisms are indispensable symbiosis partners in full-aged animals. Around noon, fur grooming and digging of so-called burrows begins, where the animals can cool off. Kangaroos usually rest in the early afternoon hours, and at later cool time years can take a break to rest between midnight and pre-dawn twilight.

NOT ONLY RED FUR

The gigantic red kangaroo lives almost throughout the entire territory of the central part, or rather where annual quantity precipitation does not exceed 500 mm.

The color of males in most cases is rust-colored or dark brown, and during estrus the red color appears more clearly in some places. At this time, the skin glands of males produce especially a lot of red secretion, which they distribute throughout the body with their front paws. Females, on the contrary, are colored smoky blue. But in both sexes, the color varies between red and gray-bluish, which makes it difficult to recognize females and males that have not yet reached sexual maturity. The color, or rather its variants, depends on the habitat: in Eastern and Southern Australia the shades are more varied, in North-Western Australia, on the contrary, the red color dominates in both sexes.

LEGS FOR JUMPING AND FIGHTING

The gigantic red kangaroo uses its tail as a fifth leg: since the weak front legs cannot support the body, the tail creates a counterweight to the center of gravity that is strongly shifted forward. And yet, red giants are fast and hardy animals that can reach speeds of 70 km/h. They succeed in this thanks to their characteristic way of moving forward by jumping. The colossal strength allows the kangaroo to make three-meter jumps from a standstill, and at full “run” their length reaches 9 m. Such records are possible thanks to special structure hind legs. The Achilles tendons of red giants function like steel springs when jumping: when they collide with the soil, they accumulate kinetic energy and release it again when pushing. Thus, there is less loss due to friction than in running animals of similar sizes.

BOXING AGAINST DINGOS AND RELATIVES

The main weapon of animals, along with a powerful tail, is the fourth finger, equipped with a very large and sharp nail plate. If the dingo, the main enemy of the kangaroo, has driven the animal into a trap, then the kangaroo straightens up full height and boxes with his front legs first. But suddenly he leans only on his tail and uses his hind legs to strike the opponent’s lower torso. In this case, a sharp nail plate can rip open the abdominal wall and cause a fatal wound.

Along with dingoes, red giants have to fear their own relatives. First of all, fierce fights for areas occur between full-aged males. With the help of targeted “fist strikes,” opponents try to push each other out of the area. In the same way, subordination within the group is established. Young males watch such fights with great interest and at first jokingly imitate the adults. The first fight is important, otherwise you won’t be able to win a good place in the hierarchy. Males lower in the hierarchy have the opportunity to mate only when the dominant male is not vigilant enough.

A LONG WAY TO THE BAG

Kangaroos can mate all year round. Pregnancy lasts four to five weeks. When the embryo is ready to move into the pouch, it becomes approximately the same size as a cockchafer. An hour before, the mother licks her pouch clean, then she lies down on her back. In this case, the embryo moves towards the bag with snake-like movements. He must overcome this path alone. Completely blind, using only the front legs and guided by the sense of smell, it reaches the target within three to five minutes. Having arrived in the pouch, the cub attaches itself to one of the four nipples. It swells so much that it fills the entire oral cavity cub. Therefore, when the mother jumps sharply, the cub cannot break away from her.

After three months, the cub is separated from the nipple, since he is able to find it again on his own. At first, milk is not very rich in fats, but over time their concentration increases. Six months later, the baby dares to poke his head out of the pouch. At this time, the mother must teach the young kangaroo many things, for example, in response to special cries, immediately return to its shelter.

Constantly pregnant

The breeding strategy of kangaroos is unusual. Already at the time when one young animal is growing up in the pouch, another has nested in the uterus. However, its growth stops at approximately 100 cells. This embryo is a reserve in case the baby in the pouch does not survive. If the baby in the pouch dies, the embryo in the uterus begins to develop. If the baby develops normally in the sac, the “reserve embryo” dies after a few months. But it can begin to develop quite normally as soon as the first cub leaves the pouch.

At this time, the mother can be fertilized again, and then a new reserve embryo is created. If for weeks and months they dominate high temperatures and the ground dries out, the female kangaroo interrupts the development of the baby in the pouch to ensure her own survival. If there is not enough fresh food available, the females are not ready to conceive.

A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF

Giant red kangaroo ( Large red kangaroo (lat.)

Class mammals.
Order two-incisor marsupials.
Kangaroo family.
Spreading: inner part Australia.
Body length with head: males - 95-140 cm, females - 75-110 cm.
Height at withers: over 1 m.
Weight: males - 22-85 kg, females -17-35 kg.
Food: herbs, herbaceous plants, foliage and bark.
Puberty: males - from 2 years, females - from 15-20 months.
Duration of pregnancy: about 33 days.
Duration of carrying in a bag: about 235 days.
Number of cubs: 1.
Life expectancy: up to 20 years.

Large red kangaroos are large animals, long ago and well known to man. They live in much of the arid, inland, central part of Australia. This extensive area includes forest and tree-shrub habitats, grasslands and deserts. It is the red kangaroos, along with other representatives of the genus Macropus, that are the very “kangaroos” that we usually imagine when mentioning the Australian fauna, those kangaroos that are depicted on the coat of arms of Australia.

Great red kangaroos live in much of central Australia where rainfall averages less than 500 millimeters. They prefer to live in open, flat habitats without trees or bushes, but are less common in regions where there is shade and shelter under sparse trees.

Large red kangaroos weigh up to a maximum of 90 kg. The body length of males ranges from 1300 to 1600 mm and for females from 850 to 1050 mm. The tail length ranges from 1,000 to 1,200 mm for males and from 650 to 850 mm for females. Standing, they can reach 1.8 meters in height, weighing up to 90 kg. The coat color is usually reddish-brown in males and bluish-gray in females, although these colors may vary in some areas of its range. Large red kangaroos are strongly built, with large, well-developed muscles, powerful tail and hind limbs.

The tail of the red kangaroo is strong enough to support the kangaroo's heavy body, and acts as a balance when jumping, and also uses two tripod-shaped legs when resting. The second and third toes of red kangaroos fuse to form a claw for grooming. Their shortened upper limbs have evolved into clawed paws, which they use with great dexterity for feeding, grooming, and self-defense. Females have a forward-facing pouch with 4 mammary nipples.

Given favorable conditions, a mother red kangaroo produces and raises an average of three young every two years. The breeding season is not pronounced and therefore the large red kangaroo can breed all year round. After an average of 33 days of pregnancy, the female gives birth to one, maximum two cubs. Weaning time is on average 12 months. The age of sexual or reproductive maturity in females is from 15 to 20 months, in males - from 20 to 24 months.

IN mating season Male great red kangaroos compete for the opportunity to mate with multiple females. Males will try to monopolize access to several samuas and will actively threaten other males. This competition sometimes leads to "boxing" matches, where males hit each other with their front paws and kick each other. There is no permanent association of males and females. The mating system of red kangaroos is polygynous.

A large red kangaroo has short period pregnancy. The young are born 33 days after mating, and mating may occur again on or the day after birth. As a result of mating in the postpartum period, the fertilized egg develops only to the blastocyst stage, and then goes through a period of embryonic diapause. Development resumes when the previous young, which are still feeding on milk from the pouch, reach an average of 204 days, or sooner if it dies or is removed. Newborn baby kangaroos, when born, are on average just 2.5 centimeters long and weigh 0.75 grams. After birth, the baby crawls through the mother's fur into her pouch and immediately attaches itself to the nipple. During this period, lactation and suckling act as a stimulus to prevent the onset of rapid development eggs. Under favorable conditions, a mother red kangaroo produces and feeds an average of three young every two years. In this case, often in individual females, at the same time there is a young kangaroo outside the pouch, another one is feeding in the pouch, and there are blastocysts awaiting implantation. Compared to the length of the gestation period, the lactation period is longer; in large red kangaroos it lasts about a year.

An adult female great red kangaroo that is properly nourished and has no young in her pouch is ready to breed at around day 35, while males are potentially ready to mate throughout the year.

Newborn babies of the great red kangaroo are very tiny, and when they are born they need to make their own way from the birth canal to the pouch and to the nipple, to which they are attached permanently for a period of about 70 days. They are born with a well-developed tongue, jaw muscles, nostrils, forelimbs and toes. All other organs and external functions are in their infancy. The female nurses her young for about a year and they spend about 235 days in the pouch.

The lifespan of a large red kangaroo is up to a maximum of 22 years. average duration life in captivity - 16.30 years. The lifespan of red kangaroos is potentially long, although most babies probably do not survive and die in their first year of life.

Behavior. The great red kangaroo is found in small groups, with an average of 10 individuals. These groups consist primarily of females and their offspring, with one or more males. Sometimes a large number of Red kangaroos gather in areas with excellent and plentiful food, sometimes there are up to 1,500 individuals. The large red kangaroo is mainly crepuscular and night look life, resting in the shade during the day - but, as is known, it also travels during the day. Most their active period days are spent on pasture. Most kangaroo species are relatively sedentary image life while remaining within a relatively well-defined habitat. This also applies to the red kangaroo population, but they can disperse widely in response to unfavorable conditions environment. The large red kangaroo was observed to travel 216 km. Population density is usually within two, with individual studies– up to 4.18 individuals per square kilometer, i.e., one individual usually accounts for an area of ​​89 hectares.

The hind legs of the great red kangaroo are powerful, and the tail acts as a balance for the body when bipedally jumping forward. Large red kangaroos can reach speeds of 64 km/h, with jumps of up to 8 meters in length and 3 meters in height, although they are more typical for average speed jumps from 1.2 to 1.9 meters. The large red kangaroo uses its tail as a 5th "leg" when moving, with the forelimbs and tail serving as balance for the animal moving forward on its two hind legs.

Communication and perception. Little information is available about the relationships between different individuals of red kangaroos. Like most mammals, red kangaroos probably make extensive use of chemical sensing and communication. They also have excellent vision and hearing, making extensive use of these important sensory modes.

The large red kangaroo is an exclusively plant eater, preferring green grasses in its diet, including dicotyledons. flowering plants. These herbivores can go without water for long periods of time, consuming moisture stored by succulent plants.

The great size of the great red kangaroo reduces the predation risks they face. A very young baby kangaroo is kept securely in the pouch of its mother, who can use her trusty legs and clawed forefeet to protect herself and the baby from attacks with firm kicks and blows. Very young independent red kangaroos can be hunted by dingoes. People used to hunt kangaroos widely for their meat and pelts, and human hunting is still the main source of predation for the great red kangaroo.

Big red kangaroo playing important role in the formation plant communities in the ecosystems in which they live by acting as herbivores. Kangaroos are sometimes viewed as pests by livestock owners because they compete for food with livestock. In areas where vegetation is limited, kangaroo feeding can lead to a significant reduction in food supply. A fairly large Australian industry exists around the use of kangaroo skin and meat. The great red kangaroo is also an integral part of the healthy ecosystem in which they live.

The great red kangaroo is not endangered. Almost 3 million square miles of Australian territory are currently contained within national parks. All Australian states regulate the hunting of these kangaroos

The red kangaroo or red giant kangaroo belongs to the genus giant kangaroos and is largest representative marsupials not only in Australia, where they live, but throughout the world. This type lives in the lands of Western and Central Australia. These vast areas include shrubland, tree-shrub savannas, and deserts. That is, the area is dry and open with trees for shade.

The animal is large with pointed ears and a square muzzle. The front legs are small, the hind legs are powerful and muscular. With their help, animals move by jumping. The tail is strong. It is used as a third support. Males jump 8-9 meters in length and 1.2-1.9 m in height. Females are smaller than the stronger sex, so their jumps are less impressive. While moving, the animal can reach a speed of 65 km/h.

The body length of males is 1.3-1.6 m without a tail. The tail adds another 1-1.2 m to the total body length. Females reach a length of 85-105 cm with a tail length of 65-85 cm. They weigh from 20 to 40 kg. The weight of males is 55-90 kg. If the animal is standing, its height is on average 1.5 m. Mature males grow up to 1.8 m. The largest officially recorded height is 2.2 m with a weight of 91 kg. The fur is short. In males it is red-brown, noticeably paler on the limbs. Females have a gray-blue skin with a brown tint. The lower part of the body is light gray. The eyes of representatives of the species are designed so that their vision is 300 degrees.

Reproduction and lifespan

The breeding season continues all year round. The female has developed the ability to delay the birth of the cub until the previous one leaves the pouch. This is the so-called embryonic diapause. Pregnancy lasts 33-34 days. There is 1 cub in the litter. He is naked and blind, and his length is 2 cm and weighs 1 g. The newborn clings to the mother's fur and crawls into the pouch. Here he attaches himself to the nipple. There are 2 of them in the bag.

The baby sits in the pouch for 70 days and during this time it grows and becomes covered with fur. He begins to make short excursions from his mother's pouch. Completely leaves the pouch at the age of 8 months. The female immediately gives birth to a second cub. It is attached to the 2nd nipple. And the first one is fed from the 1st nipple for up to a year. At the same time, the female’s body produces more nutritious milk for the newborn, and less fatty milk for the adult calf. Sexual maturity in females occurs at the age of 15-20 months, in males at the age of 20-24 months. IN wildlife The red kangaroo lives 20-22 years. The maximum life expectancy is 27 years.

Behavior and nutrition

Animals live in groups with an average of 10 individuals. These are mainly females with offspring and a couple of males. In areas where food is plentiful, large numbers of red kangaroos congregate. Sometimes their number can reach up to 1.5 thousand. Their lifestyle is twilight and nocturnal. During the day the animals rest. They are sedentary and live all the time within certain territory. They move only when there is no food. Such movements can be tens or even hundreds of kilometers.

Young males engage in ritual fights with each other to secure leadership and access to females. At the same time, they hit each other with their paws, leaning on their tails. The diet consists of plant foods. These are grass, cereals, flowering plants. Leaves and bark of trees are also eaten. Representatives of the species mainly obtain water from lush greenery.

This type is protected by law. You can kill an animal only with permission from the authorities. However, animals die under the wheels of cars, blinded by headlights, and are also sometimes shot by farmers defending their farmland. There are so many red kangaroos that commercial fishing is allowed. Up to 1.5 million of these animals are killed per year. Skin and meat are in demand. The turnover of this industry is 270 million dollars per year. 4 thousand people are involved in it. The meat contains only 2% fat, and the skin is used to make leather.

The red kangaroo is the largest animal marsupial mammal on the planet.

Thanks to his great height and incredibly strong hind legs, he is the undisputed long jump champion among animals.

The kangaroo is the unofficial symbol of Australia - it is even depicted on the coat of arms of this state.

The body size of an adult male is one and a half meters, not counting the tail, which reaches another meter in length. The animal weighs 80–85 kilograms. The fur is short and thick, brownish-red in color.

Powerful hind legs and a large, heavy tail allow kangaroos to jump superbly. In case of danger, in one jump he can cover a distance of up to 12 meters in length and up to 3 meters in height. If it is necessary to fight back, the animal suddenly leans on its own tail, and with its freed hind legs it painfully hits the enemy.

The front clawed legs are excellent for digging up edible roots. Females have a convenient pouch - a deep fold of skin on the abdomen, in which the mother carries the kangaroo.

The only continent where kangaroos live is Australia. Animals are accustomed to arid conditions in steppes and semi-deserts, so they can go without water for a long time. During long droughts, they dig wells and extract water from them. These wells are then used by pink cockatoos, marsupial martens, emus and other steppe inhabitants.

Kangaroos forage at night and rest in burrows or grass nests during the day. They live in groups of 10–12 individuals. At the head of a small herd is a male, he has several females and small cubs. The leader is very jealous - he strictly ensures that other males do not enter his territory. Otherwise, it ends in a serious fight.

During sweltering heat, they try to move less, breathe frequently, open their mouths wide and lick their paws. If there is no way to hide in the shade from the scorching sun, they dig shallow holes in the sand.

Kangaroo animal eat plant foods. In addition to steppe grass, they love to find cereals, roots and tubers in pastures and homesteads, which causes significant harm to Australian farmers.

Enemies

In the wild, the red kangaroo has few enemies: dingoes, foxes and. If necessary, the marsupial can perfectly stand up for itself, using fighting techniques with the help of its hind legs. They successfully escape, reaching speeds of up to 60 kilometers per hour.

The main enemy of the kangaroo is man. Farmers and herders different ways fight against annoying animals that eat pastures. The Australian red kangaroo is of great interest to hunters - its dietary meat is rich in proteins and contains only 2% fat. The skin is used to make clothes, shoes and other products.

Kangaroo pregnancy does not last long - from one to one and a half months. A tiny and completely helpless baby is born, measuring only 3 centimeters. He is immediately placed in the pouch and spends the next two and a half months there, feeding on his mother's milk.

Having gotten a little stronger, the little kangaroo begins to make short forays, instantly jumping back at the slightest danger. Usually he hides in a bag for up to 8 months or simply warms himself in it. After this, the cub begins to gradually gain independence. The lifespan of a kangaroo is about 20 years.

1. The history of the word "kangaroo" is associated with a fascinating legend. James Cook, finding himself on a new continent for the first time and noticing an unusual animal, asked local resident, what is it called. The aborigine replied: “Ken-gu-ru,” that is, “I don’t understand you,” and Cook decided that this was the name of an exotic animal.
2. The principle of carrying a baby in a pouch on the stomach formed the basis of modern baby carriers, which are called kangaroo backpacks.