5 Incredible Facts About Kangaroos

Few animals symbolize their continent quite like kangaroos, which serve as global icons for Australia. Yet despite their international fame, kangaroos are also commonly misunderstood, both at home and abroad.

In hopes of shedding more light on the complexity of these distinctive marsupials, here are just a few lesser-known facts about kangaroos.

1. Kangaroos Are the Largest Marsupials on Earth
   dominant male red kangaroo looking at the camera
   A dominant male red kangaroo at Sturt Stony Desert. Jami Tarris / Getty Images
   Kangaroos are the largest marsupials alive today, led by the red kangaroo, which can stand more than 5 feet (1.6 meters) tall — plus a 3-foot (1 m) tail — and weigh 180 pounds (82 kilograms). Eastern gray kangaroos can be even taller, with some adult males reaching nearly 7 feet (2.1 meters), but they're also leaner, only weighing up to 120 pounds (54 kg).

2. They Come in Many Shapes and Sizes
   Kangaroos belong to the genus Macropus, which means "large foot." Other members of that genus include several smaller but similar-looking species known as wallabies or wallaroos. That distinction is a bit arbitrary, however, since the animals we call kangaroos are simply the larger species in the Macropus genus. The smallest members of the genus are known as wallabies, while species of intermediate size are called wallaroos.
   The term "kangaroo" is sometimes used broadly for any of these animals, although it's generally reserved for the four largest species: red, eastern gray, western gray, and antilopine kangaroos. It's also used for tree kangaroos, which belong to a different genus but are members of the wider taxonomic family known as macropods, which includes kangaroos, wallaroos, wallabies, tree kangaroos, pademelons, and quokkas. Outside the macropod family, tiny marsupials called rat kangaroos also bear a resemblance to their much larger relatives.

3. Most Kangaroos Are Left-Handed
   Humans and some other primates exhibit "handedness," or the tendency to use one hand more naturally than the other. Scientists once thought this was a unique feature of primate evolution, but more recent research suggests handedness is also common in kangaroos.

Based on research with red kangaroos, eastern grays, and red-necked wallabies, researchers have found the animals are primarily left-handed, using that hand for tasks such as grooming and eating about 95% of the time. Their hands also seem to be specialized for different types of work, with kangaroos typically using their left hand for precision and their right for strength. This challenges the idea that handedness is unique to primates, researchers say, noting it may be an adaptation to bipedalism.

1. A Group of Kangaroos Is Called a Mob

Kangaroos travel and feed in groups known as mobs, troops, or herds. A kangaroo mob may include a handful or several dozen individuals, often with loose ties that allow shifting membership among mobs. Males may fight over females in mating season by kicking, boxing, or even biting, but the group tends to be dominated by its largest male. Male kangaroos are known as bucks, boomers, or jacks, while females are called does, flyers, or jills.

1. Some Kangaroos Can Hop 25 Feet
   Hopping is an energy-efficient way for kangaroos to move, helping them cover large distances in arid Australia as they search for food. They usually travel at moderate speeds, but they are capable of sprinting when necessary. A red kangaroo can hop at 35 mph (56 kph), leap about 6 feet (1.8 m) off the ground, and cover 25 feet (8 m) in a single bound.