In the land Down Under, a large, odd-looking creature dominates the landscape, bounding across the dry, dusty plains. With its tiny arms, giant feet and long, thick tail, the red kangaroo looks like a stuffed animal that's been sewn together using spare parts! The female even has a built-in transport system for her young.
Balance of Power: The red kangaroo uses its thick, muscular tail for balance when it hops. The tail, which can reach up to three feet long, props the kangaroo up when it's standing still.
Hop to It: The red kangaroo can't walk-it can only hop. Its powerful z-shaped hind legs and long feet make it the best jumper of any mammal. The largest of all kangaroos, the red roo can leap six feet high, cover a distance of up to 30 feet in a single bound and reach speeds of up to 30 mph.
Pocket Pals[]
Red kangaroos are marsupials, which means that their young develop inside a mother's pouch. At birth, a kangaroo baby (called a joey) is only about the size of a peanut, and it is hairless and blind. Once it leaves the birth canal, the baby follows a trail of saliva left by its mother to her pouch, where it does nothing but drink milk for 70 days straight. The joey is big enough to leave its mother's pouch for short periods after 190 days and is ready to give up its free rides for good after about seven months.
Chew on This: Red kangaroos swallow grass and shrubs without chewing so that the bacteria in their stomachs can break down the tough vegetation. Kangaroos throw up the food later on and chew it then.
Handy Paws: Kangaroos have very short, weak front legs, but their clawed paws are very useful. The animals use their paws mainly for feeding and grooming.
Put Up Your Dukes[]
Red kangaroos don't fight at all for defense-they prefer to run away from trouble. But when it comes time to find a mate, the males, called bucks, compete by kickboxing (right). The bucks' common mode of attack is to get a tight grip on each other with their front claws, balance themselves on their tails and kick each other in the belly.
Trading Card[]
Trivia[]
- The red kangaroo is featured on several Monster Mania cards:
- It is first featured in National Pride on Monster Mania 86.
- It is then used in one of the example creatures for Create-A-Monster on Monster Mania 89.
- It is again featured in Savage Serengeti on Monster Mania 92.