September 2, 2022 • 20 mins
Amazing Wildlife is spotlighting one of Australia's most beloved endemic species... the kangaroo! This plant eating marsupial is known for its many familiar characteristics from its powerful kick to the female’s joey toting pouches. Hosts Ebone Monet and Rick Schwartz explore the marsupial’s lesser-known species, features and behaviors. Later, a young listener has an opportunity to find out how much Rick really knows about the popular hoppers.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi, I'm Appenney Money and I'm Rick Schwartz. Welcome to
Amazing Wildlife, where we explore unique stories of wildlife from
around the world and uncovered fascinating animal facts. This podcast
is a production of I Heart Radio and San Diego
Zoo Wildlife of Lions, an international nonprofit conservation organization behind
(00:23):
the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. Today's animal is
a plant eating marsupial. You might think you know all about,
but with fifty plus different species represented, I'm sure there
are at least a few facts that may surprise you.
We're talking about the kangaroo. Rick, It's surprising to learn
(00:45):
that there are fifty different kangaroo species. In an earlier episode,
we talked about the tree kangaroo, but there's also a
red kangaroo, and the western kangaroo, and and so many more.
Can you talk about the kangaroos that many of us
think that we're more familiar with the ones that are
that are more common, Well, Ebony, I do want to
(01:07):
start off with offering a few more details to our
listeners with regards to their being over fifty species. That
number reflects the number of species found in the Macropotaday family.
This is a scientific family of marsupials with similar skeletal
structures and include species with the common name kangaroo, wallaby, wallaroo,
tree kangaroos and more. Now, with that said, I think
(01:30):
most people might be surprised to hear that there are
three different species of kangaroo that make up the most
abundant group of kangaroos in the macro PoTA day family.
And often, because these three species look so similar, those
who don't know the subtle differences assume they're all just
one species of kangaroo. So let's hop into this. The
(01:50):
three most abundant species of kangaroo are the eastern gray kangaroo,
Western gray kangaroo, and the very famous red kangaroo. All together,
these three species cover most of Australia and their population
numbers are in the tens of millions. And one other
side note, although their common name does have the color
(02:10):
gray or red in it, their colorations can also look
very similar regardless of which species they are. Wow, So
let's reverse that question a bit. What are some of
the lesser known species of kangaroos? Oh? I like, how
you just pulled that one out of your pocket or
should I say pouch? Al right, Just in case you
(02:30):
are a new listener, this may surprise you, but there
are species of kangaroos that live in trees. If you
didn't know that, and then after you finished this episode,
go back a couple of episodes and learn about the
tree kangaroos, and that, of course leads us to the
answer of your question, ebony the lesser known species of
kangaroo tree kangaroos. Most people have never heard of such
(02:50):
a species, much less ever seen one, and even those
who live in areas where tree kangaroos live don't see
them very often, sometimes referred to as the ghost of
the rainforest. In fact, there's one species of tree kangaroos
so rare it was thought to be extinct for almost
a century. The Wanda Way tree kangaroo had not been
seen since the late nineteen twenties, but in one was
(03:13):
photographed in a remote New Guinea mountain range. I'd have
to do more research, but I believe this place is
the Wanda Way. As the all time champion of Hide
and Seek, definitely in the running, not the winner. So
how about the wallabies? Um, where does the wallaby fit?
Is it? A different species of a kangaroo, or is
(03:34):
it its own completely separate animal, or or are they cousins?
Ah fair enough, epeny, I think we can jump into
comparing and contrasting kangaroos and wallabies here. I mean to
start off with the most obvious differences. Size. Kangaroos are
much larger than wallabies. For example, red kangaroos can grow
as tall as six feet in height and way close
to two pounds now. The largest wallaby, on the other hand,
(03:56):
is not much taller than two and a half feet
and only ways in aroun forty forty five pounds now.
Beyond the size difference, there are also some differences in
tooth structure, but I don't recommend anyone who's not a
veterinarian or wildlife care specialists try to look at their
teeth to decide if it's a wallaby or kangaroo. And
the other subtle differences beyond that are the structure behind legs.
In general, if you saw a kangaroo and wallaby next
(04:19):
to each other, you could see these comparisons a little easier.
Kangaroos have more of a distance between their knee and ankle,
giving them better leverage for moving rapidly across open habitat,
whereas most wallaby species tend to have a shorter, more
condensed leg structure, allowing for better mobility and agility in
uneven rocky habitats and forest habitats. And interestingly enough, of course,
(04:39):
each of these are well adapted for the habitats they
live in. And that's all the more reason to visit
the San Diego Zoo or San Diego Zoo Safari Park
because honestly, these types of differences don't translate in pictures.
I wouldn't have known that there was such a big
size difference. Yeah, and it's kind of cool when you
do go to walk about Australia the Safari Park, they
do have shared space with kangaroos and wallabyes, so you
can actually see the inferences. So when you think about kangaroos,
(05:03):
many of us think of Australia, but are all species
of kangaroos endemic to the land down under. Well, I
believe there's a good reason why we think of Australia
when we think of kangaroos. Terrestrial kangaroos like the reds
and grays we were talking about, they are, as you said,
endemic or native only to Australia and a few of
the surrounding islands. In fact, you'll even find kangaroos on
(05:24):
the coat of arms for Western Australia and on many
coins of the Australian currency. And within the culture of
Australia you'll find many sculptures, songs, books, and so much
more with the kangaroo at the center of it all. Well,
it makes sense that kangaroos in Australia go hand in hand.
So speaking of things that you think of when you
(05:45):
think of kangaroos, the second thing that comes to mind
for me is their pouch. Is that a feature that
is needed to be considered a kangaroo? Do kangaroos need
that front pouch? Oh? Yeah, they absolutely do need a pouch, Ebony.
Do you know not all kangaroos have pouches? No? I didn't, so,
so wait, you just said kangaroos knee pouches, but not
(06:07):
all of them have pouches. So how does that work? Well, Ebony, Um,
that was kind of my goal is to kind of
throw a little confusion there because I want to draw
attention to this very important fact about all marsupials are
you ready, ready? Okay, here it is not all marsupials
have pouches. You see, only the females have pouches, not
the males. So all our supials that are alive today
(06:30):
are here because they were raised in a pouch. That's
because when marsupials, including kangaroos, are born, they are very
underdeveloped and need the protection of the pouch, where they
also nurse on mother's milk to finish developing. So the
lesson is to be on our supio means you were
raised in a pouch, not that you have one. Now
it all makes complete sense. At first I was a
(06:52):
bit confused, but now I get it. Another reason why
kangaroos are so well known because like our friend from
episode forty, the Tasmania and Devil, kangaroos are very popular
and even depicted in things like cartoons. Their images used
to market products and sports teams. But how much do
we really know about kangaroos? Rick, Can you help us
(07:13):
we through some of the perceptions or or misconceptions about
kangaroos to help us determine what's really true. Well, I'm
sure I'm ready to jump in if you are, Ebony,
I'm ready all right. I think one of the biggest
ones and sort of perceptions around kangaroos is boxing. For
whatever reason, people got it in their head that kangaroos box. Now,
it might come from when males are sparring with each
(07:35):
other for dominance over the mob or group. What they'll
do is they will square off and they do reach
out with their forelimbs or their front legs to measure
the distance between them and their opponent. They may even
grapple a little bit or grab onto each other with
those forelimbs, but they aren't truly taking a swing like
a box or punching. What they're really measuring for is
when they're at the right distance and at the right time,
(07:58):
they'll rear up on their tail and kick with their
powerful back legs into the stomach of their opponent. So
it's not really boxing. It's more of a kickboxing I guess. Well,
thanks for clearing that up. I'm sure many of us
have seen some of those images. Kangaroos are often depicted
hopping around. Is this accurate? What's the kangaroo's primary method
(08:19):
of mobility? Well, yes, Evany, I think it's fair to
say that for most kangaroo species, hopping around is a
primary method of movement. Kangaroos have impressive body adaptations that
really allow them to maximize the efficiency of hopping, such
as enlarged hind feet, powerful leg muscles, and a strong
tail to help them hop. And I know what kind
of sounds odd to think that a tail would help
(08:41):
them hop, But get this, Although the kangaroos spine is
in a more I don't know, I guess you'd say
vertical position when standing. When they hop, the head lowers
and the spine tends to be closer to a horizontal position.
The tail than acts as a counterbalance to the upper
body while the head and fore limbs are forward this
position and allows for more efficient hopping. Without that big tail,
(09:03):
they would not be able to move into that position
and their hops would not be nearly as efficient. And
to give you an idea of how well these adaptations
work for the kangaroos, red and great kangaroos can hop
ten ft vertically as in straight up, and when traveling
at full speed about thirty miles an hour, they usually
cover a distance of thirty five feet between each hop.
(09:25):
And you mentioned that the strong tail helps them hop.
I've heard it described as like a fifth leg. Is
that accurate? Well, I mean yeah, I guess you could
say that, because not only does the kangaroo's tail help
it balance its body when hopping at high speeds, the
tail is also kind of used as a kickstand when
they lean back on it or when they stand to
(09:47):
get the tall in their toes to get a better view.
And like I mentioned before, males will lean back on
that muscular tail to deliver those powerful kicks from the
hind legs to fight for dominance. And here's a fun
fact for everyone. Kangaroos can not move their hind legs
independently like you and I can. You know we can
step forward left foot, right foot. They have to move
their back feet at the same time no matter what
(10:07):
speed they're going. So even when they're just kind of
browsing on grass and leaves or doing little movements forward,
it requires a back feet to move at the same time.
But instead of making little mini hoops, they simply reach
forward with their front limbs, lift their hind end with
their tail, and move the back legs forward at that time.
So you mentioned that males fight for dominance with kicks
(10:29):
and not punches, but are they considered aggressive animals. Are
they aggressive towards humans overall? In general? The answer to
that is no. Like most species, they tend to avoid
conflict when possible and would rather leave humans alone. But
that said, like in the animal, if they feel threatened, cornered,
or endangered, they will do what they feel is necessary
to defend themselves. And in that case, yes, kangaroos can
(10:52):
be really dangerous. They pack quite a punch of you will,
or in this case, a kick. And there are pictures
online circulating of buff kangaroos with smaller front arms compared
to their hind legs, and other pictures depicting these really,
really muscular kangaroos as you mentioned, that almost look unbelievable.
Which species of kangaroos are particularly muscular? Ah? Yes, the
(11:17):
Internet memes influencing our education. As much as I'd like
to say this is a myth that we can just bust,
it isn't completely bustable. Although some images of really muscular
kangaroos may be enhanced with photo editing software, the truth
is they are very muscular animals. In fact, of the
terrestrial kangaroo's body mass is muscle, and when it comes
(11:39):
to attracting a mate. Well, female kangaroos fancy a mate
with visible muscles. Males will fight in a way that
looks like boxing like we mentioned before, more appropriately kickboxing,
and the bigger and stronger male usually wins. And get this,
it has been documented that when these males win, they
will flex their muscles to gain attention from the females.
(12:02):
And that's because female kangaroos are attracted to more muscular
male kangaroos. And all this means is that the bigger
muscular boys get to pass their genetics onto their offspring,
increasing the odds of more muscular kangaroos in the future.
That's funny that they will actually like flex their muscles
for for females. Yep, it's not just humans that do that,
(12:24):
not just humans. So kangaroos are described as social animals.
What does that mean? What can you tell us about
the structure of the kangaroo mobs? Oh? I really love
talking about kangaroos social structures evening because it's kind of
similar to a species of herbivore we have here in
the US. And by the way, nice job using the
(12:44):
proper term for a group of kangaroos. A side note here,
a mob of kangaroos can also be called a troop
or court of kangaroos, depending upon which culture you're talking to. Now,
these mobs can have just a few individuals, or a
mob can reach numbers close to an individuals. And these
mobs are mostly made up of females and their offspring
and just a few males. And as we mentioned before,
(13:07):
males fight for dominance to basically lead or be in
charge of the mob. Once they settle on who's the
most dominant male, he leads the group and is the
one who mates with all the females, well all of
the females. Okay, so wait, you can't just say they're
kind of similar to a species of herbivores here in
the US and not tell us what you're referring to.
(13:28):
What do you mean by that? Ah, yes, sorry about that.
It's the deer that we have here in the US.
It's really interesting how many parallels you can draw between
the deer that we have here in the United States
and the kangaroos in Australia. Both species are herbivores that
have found ways to live in a variety of different
climates and ecosystems. They have very similar social dynamics, and
the deer herd functions much like the kangaroo mobs with
(13:50):
females offsprings and the dominant male in charge of the group.
It's in the further you look into it. It's really fascinating.
It is fascinating. That's what's the fun about talking to you,
because I would have never connected the deer and the kangaroo. Well,
there you go. So the terrestrial kangaroos that we've been
mostly talking about today sound like they're doing pretty well
in the wild with their large mobs that are similar
(14:12):
to herds of deer. But when we were talking about
the tree kangaroos just a few episodes ago, many of
those species are endangered. So what's causing this discrepancy? What
causes some species of kangaroos to be endangered while others
seem to be thriving. That is a really good observation, ebony,
(14:33):
and it does make you wonder how or why that
is happening, And like many situations, it is a complex answer.
But in an effort to make this episode shorter than
an hour long, I'll try to give sort of the
big picture explanation, so the larger terrestrial kangaroo populations were
kept in balance when they have their natural predator, the
Tasmanian tiger. These medium dog sized carnivore marsupials were found
(14:56):
in a wide variety of habitats across Tasmania, New Any
and Australia. Unfortunately, they were hunted into extinction, with the
last known living individual passing away in Nix. With the
removal of the main predator, read and great kangaroo populations
grew and grew, and continued to do so today. Now
on the other side of the population spectrum, we have
(15:19):
several species of tree kangaroos that have experienced population to clients,
with many being listed as endangered species. They live in
habitats that have experienced drastic changes from mining to deforestation
and unfortunately, illegal hunting of many tree kangaroo species further
impacts the declining populations. But likely mentioned in our tree
kangaroo episode, there is a lot of work being done
(15:40):
across several nations to support the conservation of tree kangaroos
and their native habitats, so there is hope for them
as we move forward. Coming up, we'll answer some questions
from a young listener. But first this now it's time
for the San Diego Zoom Minute, an opportunity for you
to learn what's new at the zoo. People continue to
(16:07):
enjoy the new Denny Stanford Wildlife Explorers Base Camp at
the San Diego Zoo, which is home to four unique
habitats and ecosystems. Explorers of all ages are able to
see animals from each ecosystem, including a coconut crab, a
prehensile tailed porcupine, an awesome lot tamandua, Cayman's Bennick, foxes, scorpions,
and so much more. Did you know Tree kangaroos are
(16:29):
the only kangaroos that can move their back legs independently
of one another and move backward, which is how they
climbed down a tree. Our young listener, Zion, wants to
know why do kangaroos have big eels like jack rabbits? Hey, Zion,
(16:54):
thanks for taking the time to send in some questions,
and I really like the comparison you just made between
the kangaroos ears and the jack rabbit. Like jack rabbits,
the kangaroo is a prey animal or an animal that
is hunted by other animals, and because they usually have
their head down when they are feeding on grasses or
low shrubs, they can't always see if a predator is around.
(17:15):
But with those big tall ears they can rotate around independently.
They can listen for any predator that might be trying
to sneak up on them, no matter what position their
head is in. You kangaroos sleep standing up, ordy, lay down?
You know what, Zion. I don't think I have ever
been asked that before, but I do think the way
(17:35):
animals sleep is very interesting. And in the case of
the kangaroo, they usually sleep laying down. But I say
usually because I have seen them nap or doze off
at times while standing upright. Oh and worth noting to
tree kangaroos, which we've talked about in the past. They
will sleep tucked up in a crook of a tree
instead of laying on the ground. Why do kangaroos hop
(18:00):
around so much? Hm, you know what, Zion, I'd have
to say they hop around because they have to. I
know that sounds kind of silly, but believe it or not,
the way the kangaroo's bodies are structured, specifically, the muscles
and tendons in the hip area. Their back legs cannot
move independently like humans can, so even when they are
(18:21):
moving slowly, those back legs move at the same time.
Oh and here's another fun fact about their hopping. Although
it takes you and I more energy to hop around
instead of walk, because of that structure we talked about
earlier in their hips, it's more energy efficient for the
kangaroos to hop instead of trying to step. It acts
almost like a spring which propels them forward, requiring them
(18:41):
to use less energy. Can people have kangaroos as pets? Oh, Zion,
I'm really glad you asked that, because I think a
lot of people really love wild animals and think it
would be fun to have these animals as pets. But
like other wildlife, kangaroos do not make good pets. They
require a special care, a unique diet, and behave much
(19:02):
differently than a domestic dog or cat. And adult kangaroos
are very strong, so even if they're just playing with us,
they have the potential to really hurt us. Honestly, the
best kind of pet is one you rescue from your
local shelter. Domestic dogs and cats have been bred for
thousands of years to live with people, and I can
tell you from my own experience, a rescued pet is
(19:22):
the best pet Zion. I want to thank you for
taking the time to send in your questions about kangaroos.
One of the best ways we get to learn more
about wildlife is to always be curious and ask questions.
And if any of our other young listeners have questions
about wild life, please send us an audio file of
you asking your questions to wildlife at i heeart Media
(19:44):
dot com. Then keep listening to see if we answer
your questions in an upcoming episode. Thanks for listening. We
hope you've enjoyed learning more about the kangaroo and be
sure to subscribe and tune into next week's episode and
which will bring you the story of how we learned
so much about chimpanzee's social behavior and who recorded these
(20:04):
amazing observations in the wild. I'm any Money and I'm
Rich Schwartz. Thanks for listening. If you would like to
find out more about San Diego Zoo wildlaf Alliance, please
visit sdz w A dot org. Amazing Wildlife as a
production of I Heart Radio. Our producer is Nikia Swinton
(20:25):
and Our executive producer is Marci de Peanut. Our audio
engineer and editor is Sierra Spreing. For more shows from
my Heart Radio, check out the I Heart Radio app,
Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Hi, I'm Appenney Money and I'm Rick Schwartz. Welcome to
Amazing Wildlife, where we explore unique stories of wildlife from
around the world and uncovered fascinating animal facts. This podcast
is a production of I Heart Radio and San Diego
Zoo Wildlife of Lions, an international nonprofit conservation organization behind
(00:23):
the San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. Today's animal is
a plant eating marsupial. You might think you know all about,
but with fifty plus different species represented, I'm sure there
are at least a few facts that may surprise you.
We're talking about the kangaroo. Rick, It's surprising to learn
(00:45):
that there are fifty different kangaroo species. In an earlier episode,
we talked about the tree kangaroo, but there's also a
red kangaroo, and the western kangaroo, and and so many more.
Can you talk about the kangaroos that many of us
think that we're more familiar with the ones that are
that are more common, Well, Ebony, I do want to
(01:07):
start off with offering a few more details to our
listeners with regards to their being over fifty species. That
number reflects the number of species found in the Macropotaday family.
This is a scientific family of marsupials with similar skeletal
structures and include species with the common name kangaroo, wallaby, wallaroo,
tree kangaroos and more. Now, with that said, I think
(01:30):
most people might be surprised to hear that there are
three different species of kangaroo that make up the most
abundant group of kangaroos in the macro PoTA day family.
And often, because these three species look so similar, those
who don't know the subtle differences assume they're all just
one species of kangaroo. So let's hop into this. The
(01:50):
three most abundant species of kangaroo are the eastern gray kangaroo,
Western gray kangaroo, and the very famous red kangaroo. All together,
these three species cover most of Australia and their population
numbers are in the tens of millions. And one other
side note, although their common name does have the color
(02:10):
gray or red in it, their colorations can also look
very similar regardless of which species they are. Wow, So
let's reverse that question a bit. What are some of
the lesser known species of kangaroos? Oh? I like, how
you just pulled that one out of your pocket or
should I say pouch? Al right, Just in case you
(02:30):
are a new listener, this may surprise you, but there
are species of kangaroos that live in trees. If you
didn't know that, and then after you finished this episode,
go back a couple of episodes and learn about the
tree kangaroos, and that, of course leads us to the
answer of your question, ebony the lesser known species of
kangaroo tree kangaroos. Most people have never heard of such
(02:50):
a species, much less ever seen one, and even those
who live in areas where tree kangaroos live don't see
them very often, sometimes referred to as the ghost of
the rainforest. In fact, there's one species of tree kangaroos
so rare it was thought to be extinct for almost
a century. The Wanda Way tree kangaroo had not been
seen since the late nineteen twenties, but in one was
(03:13):
photographed in a remote New Guinea mountain range. I'd have
to do more research, but I believe this place is
the Wanda Way. As the all time champion of Hide
and Seek, definitely in the running, not the winner. So
how about the wallabies? Um, where does the wallaby fit?
Is it? A different species of a kangaroo, or is
(03:34):
it its own completely separate animal, or or are they cousins?
Ah fair enough, epeny, I think we can jump into
comparing and contrasting kangaroos and wallabies here. I mean to
start off with the most obvious differences. Size. Kangaroos are
much larger than wallabies. For example, red kangaroos can grow
as tall as six feet in height and way close
to two pounds now. The largest wallaby, on the other hand,
(03:56):
is not much taller than two and a half feet
and only ways in aroun forty forty five pounds now.
Beyond the size difference, there are also some differences in
tooth structure, but I don't recommend anyone who's not a
veterinarian or wildlife care specialists try to look at their
teeth to decide if it's a wallaby or kangaroo. And
the other subtle differences beyond that are the structure behind legs.
In general, if you saw a kangaroo and wallaby next
(04:19):
to each other, you could see these comparisons a little easier.
Kangaroos have more of a distance between their knee and ankle,
giving them better leverage for moving rapidly across open habitat,
whereas most wallaby species tend to have a shorter, more
condensed leg structure, allowing for better mobility and agility in
uneven rocky habitats and forest habitats. And interestingly enough, of course,
(04:39):
each of these are well adapted for the habitats they
live in. And that's all the more reason to visit
the San Diego Zoo or San Diego Zoo Safari Park
because honestly, these types of differences don't translate in pictures.
I wouldn't have known that there was such a big
size difference. Yeah, and it's kind of cool when you
do go to walk about Australia the Safari Park, they
do have shared space with kangaroos and wallabyes, so you
can actually see the inferences. So when you think about kangaroos,
(05:03):
many of us think of Australia, but are all species
of kangaroos endemic to the land down under. Well, I
believe there's a good reason why we think of Australia
when we think of kangaroos. Terrestrial kangaroos like the reds
and grays we were talking about, they are, as you said,
endemic or native only to Australia and a few of
the surrounding islands. In fact, you'll even find kangaroos on
(05:24):
the coat of arms for Western Australia and on many
coins of the Australian currency. And within the culture of
Australia you'll find many sculptures, songs, books, and so much
more with the kangaroo at the center of it all. Well,
it makes sense that kangaroos in Australia go hand in hand.
So speaking of things that you think of when you
(05:45):
think of kangaroos, the second thing that comes to mind
for me is their pouch. Is that a feature that
is needed to be considered a kangaroo? Do kangaroos need
that front pouch? Oh? Yeah, they absolutely do need a pouch, Ebony.
Do you know not all kangaroos have pouches? No? I didn't, so,
so wait, you just said kangaroos knee pouches, but not
(06:07):
all of them have pouches. So how does that work? Well, Ebony, Um,
that was kind of my goal is to kind of
throw a little confusion there because I want to draw
attention to this very important fact about all marsupials are
you ready, ready? Okay, here it is not all marsupials
have pouches. You see, only the females have pouches, not
the males. So all our supials that are alive today
(06:30):
are here because they were raised in a pouch. That's
because when marsupials, including kangaroos, are born, they are very
underdeveloped and need the protection of the pouch, where they
also nurse on mother's milk to finish developing. So the
lesson is to be on our supio means you were
raised in a pouch, not that you have one. Now
it all makes complete sense. At first I was a
(06:52):
bit confused, but now I get it. Another reason why
kangaroos are so well known because like our friend from
episode forty, the Tasmania and Devil, kangaroos are very popular
and even depicted in things like cartoons. Their images used
to market products and sports teams. But how much do
we really know about kangaroos? Rick, Can you help us
(07:13):
we through some of the perceptions or or misconceptions about
kangaroos to help us determine what's really true. Well, I'm
sure I'm ready to jump in if you are, Ebony,
I'm ready all right. I think one of the biggest
ones and sort of perceptions around kangaroos is boxing. For
whatever reason, people got it in their head that kangaroos box. Now,
it might come from when males are sparring with each
(07:35):
other for dominance over the mob or group. What they'll
do is they will square off and they do reach
out with their forelimbs or their front legs to measure
the distance between them and their opponent. They may even
grapple a little bit or grab onto each other with
those forelimbs, but they aren't truly taking a swing like
a box or punching. What they're really measuring for is
when they're at the right distance and at the right time,
(07:58):
they'll rear up on their tail and kick with their
powerful back legs into the stomach of their opponent. So
it's not really boxing. It's more of a kickboxing I guess. Well,
thanks for clearing that up. I'm sure many of us
have seen some of those images. Kangaroos are often depicted
hopping around. Is this accurate? What's the kangaroo's primary method
(08:19):
of mobility? Well, yes, Evany, I think it's fair to
say that for most kangaroo species, hopping around is a
primary method of movement. Kangaroos have impressive body adaptations that
really allow them to maximize the efficiency of hopping, such
as enlarged hind feet, powerful leg muscles, and a strong
tail to help them hop. And I know what kind
of sounds odd to think that a tail would help
(08:41):
them hop, But get this, Although the kangaroos spine is
in a more I don't know, I guess you'd say
vertical position when standing. When they hop, the head lowers
and the spine tends to be closer to a horizontal position.
The tail than acts as a counterbalance to the upper
body while the head and fore limbs are forward this
position and allows for more efficient hopping. Without that big tail,
(09:03):
they would not be able to move into that position
and their hops would not be nearly as efficient. And
to give you an idea of how well these adaptations
work for the kangaroos, red and great kangaroos can hop
ten ft vertically as in straight up, and when traveling
at full speed about thirty miles an hour, they usually
cover a distance of thirty five feet between each hop.
(09:25):
And you mentioned that the strong tail helps them hop.
I've heard it described as like a fifth leg. Is
that accurate? Well, I mean yeah, I guess you could
say that, because not only does the kangaroo's tail help
it balance its body when hopping at high speeds, the
tail is also kind of used as a kickstand when
they lean back on it or when they stand to
(09:47):
get the tall in their toes to get a better view.
And like I mentioned before, males will lean back on
that muscular tail to deliver those powerful kicks from the
hind legs to fight for dominance. And here's a fun
fact for everyone. Kangaroos can not move their hind legs
independently like you and I can. You know we can
step forward left foot, right foot. They have to move
their back feet at the same time no matter what
(10:07):
speed they're going. So even when they're just kind of
browsing on grass and leaves or doing little movements forward,
it requires a back feet to move at the same time.
But instead of making little mini hoops, they simply reach
forward with their front limbs, lift their hind end with
their tail, and move the back legs forward at that time.
So you mentioned that males fight for dominance with kicks
(10:29):
and not punches, but are they considered aggressive animals. Are
they aggressive towards humans overall? In general? The answer to
that is no. Like most species, they tend to avoid
conflict when possible and would rather leave humans alone. But
that said, like in the animal, if they feel threatened, cornered,
or endangered, they will do what they feel is necessary
to defend themselves. And in that case, yes, kangaroos can
(10:52):
be really dangerous. They pack quite a punch of you will,
or in this case, a kick. And there are pictures
online circulating of buff kangaroos with smaller front arms compared
to their hind legs, and other pictures depicting these really,
really muscular kangaroos as you mentioned, that almost look unbelievable.
Which species of kangaroos are particularly muscular? Ah? Yes, the
(11:17):
Internet memes influencing our education. As much as I'd like
to say this is a myth that we can just bust,
it isn't completely bustable. Although some images of really muscular
kangaroos may be enhanced with photo editing software, the truth
is they are very muscular animals. In fact, of the
terrestrial kangaroo's body mass is muscle, and when it comes
(11:39):
to attracting a mate. Well, female kangaroos fancy a mate
with visible muscles. Males will fight in a way that
looks like boxing like we mentioned before, more appropriately kickboxing,
and the bigger and stronger male usually wins. And get this,
it has been documented that when these males win, they
will flex their muscles to gain attention from the females.
(12:02):
And that's because female kangaroos are attracted to more muscular
male kangaroos. And all this means is that the bigger
muscular boys get to pass their genetics onto their offspring,
increasing the odds of more muscular kangaroos in the future.
That's funny that they will actually like flex their muscles
for for females. Yep, it's not just humans that do that,
(12:24):
not just humans. So kangaroos are described as social animals.
What does that mean? What can you tell us about
the structure of the kangaroo mobs? Oh? I really love
talking about kangaroos social structures evening because it's kind of
similar to a species of herbivore we have here in
the US. And by the way, nice job using the
(12:44):
proper term for a group of kangaroos. A side note here,
a mob of kangaroos can also be called a troop
or court of kangaroos, depending upon which culture you're talking to. Now,
these mobs can have just a few individuals, or a
mob can reach numbers close to an individuals. And these
mobs are mostly made up of females and their offspring
and just a few males. And as we mentioned before,
(13:07):
males fight for dominance to basically lead or be in
charge of the mob. Once they settle on who's the
most dominant male, he leads the group and is the
one who mates with all the females, well all of
the females. Okay, so wait, you can't just say they're
kind of similar to a species of herbivores here in
the US and not tell us what you're referring to.
(13:28):
What do you mean by that? Ah, yes, sorry about that.
It's the deer that we have here in the US.
It's really interesting how many parallels you can draw between
the deer that we have here in the United States
and the kangaroos in Australia. Both species are herbivores that
have found ways to live in a variety of different
climates and ecosystems. They have very similar social dynamics, and
the deer herd functions much like the kangaroo mobs with
(13:50):
females offsprings and the dominant male in charge of the group.
It's in the further you look into it. It's really fascinating.
It is fascinating. That's what's the fun about talking to you,
because I would have never connected the deer and the kangaroo. Well,
there you go. So the terrestrial kangaroos that we've been
mostly talking about today sound like they're doing pretty well
in the wild with their large mobs that are similar
(14:12):
to herds of deer. But when we were talking about
the tree kangaroos just a few episodes ago, many of
those species are endangered. So what's causing this discrepancy? What
causes some species of kangaroos to be endangered while others
seem to be thriving. That is a really good observation, ebony,
(14:33):
and it does make you wonder how or why that
is happening, And like many situations, it is a complex answer.
But in an effort to make this episode shorter than
an hour long, I'll try to give sort of the
big picture explanation, so the larger terrestrial kangaroo populations were
kept in balance when they have their natural predator, the
Tasmanian tiger. These medium dog sized carnivore marsupials were found
(14:56):
in a wide variety of habitats across Tasmania, New Any
and Australia. Unfortunately, they were hunted into extinction, with the
last known living individual passing away in Nix. With the
removal of the main predator, read and great kangaroo populations
grew and grew, and continued to do so today. Now
on the other side of the population spectrum, we have
(15:19):
several species of tree kangaroos that have experienced population to clients,
with many being listed as endangered species. They live in
habitats that have experienced drastic changes from mining to deforestation
and unfortunately, illegal hunting of many tree kangaroo species further
impacts the declining populations. But likely mentioned in our tree
kangaroo episode, there is a lot of work being done
(15:40):
across several nations to support the conservation of tree kangaroos
and their native habitats, so there is hope for them
as we move forward. Coming up, we'll answer some questions
from a young listener. But first this now it's time
for the San Diego Zoom Minute, an opportunity for you
to learn what's new at the zoo. People continue to
(16:07):
enjoy the new Denny Stanford Wildlife Explorers Base Camp at
the San Diego Zoo, which is home to four unique
habitats and ecosystems. Explorers of all ages are able to
see animals from each ecosystem, including a coconut crab, a
prehensile tailed porcupine, an awesome lot tamandua, Cayman's Bennick, foxes, scorpions,
and so much more. Did you know Tree kangaroos are
(16:29):
the only kangaroos that can move their back legs independently
of one another and move backward, which is how they
climbed down a tree. Our young listener, Zion, wants to
know why do kangaroos have big eels like jack rabbits? Hey, Zion,
(16:54):
thanks for taking the time to send in some questions,
and I really like the comparison you just made between
the kangaroos ears and the jack rabbit. Like jack rabbits,
the kangaroo is a prey animal or an animal that
is hunted by other animals, and because they usually have
their head down when they are feeding on grasses or
low shrubs, they can't always see if a predator is around.
(17:15):
But with those big tall ears they can rotate around independently.
They can listen for any predator that might be trying
to sneak up on them, no matter what position their
head is in. You kangaroos sleep standing up, ordy, lay down?
You know what, Zion. I don't think I have ever
been asked that before, but I do think the way
(17:35):
animals sleep is very interesting. And in the case of
the kangaroo, they usually sleep laying down. But I say
usually because I have seen them nap or doze off
at times while standing upright. Oh and worth noting to
tree kangaroos, which we've talked about in the past. They
will sleep tucked up in a crook of a tree
instead of laying on the ground. Why do kangaroos hop
(18:00):
around so much? Hm, you know what, Zion, I'd have
to say they hop around because they have to. I
know that sounds kind of silly, but believe it or not,
the way the kangaroo's bodies are structured, specifically, the muscles
and tendons in the hip area. Their back legs cannot
move independently like humans can, so even when they are
(18:21):
moving slowly, those back legs move at the same time.
Oh and here's another fun fact about their hopping. Although
it takes you and I more energy to hop around
instead of walk, because of that structure we talked about
earlier in their hips, it's more energy efficient for the
kangaroos to hop instead of trying to step. It acts
almost like a spring which propels them forward, requiring them
(18:41):
to use less energy. Can people have kangaroos as pets? Oh, Zion,
I'm really glad you asked that, because I think a
lot of people really love wild animals and think it
would be fun to have these animals as pets. But
like other wildlife, kangaroos do not make good pets. They
require a special care, a unique diet, and behave much
(19:02):
differently than a domestic dog or cat. And adult kangaroos
are very strong, so even if they're just playing with us,
they have the potential to really hurt us. Honestly, the
best kind of pet is one you rescue from your
local shelter. Domestic dogs and cats have been bred for
thousands of years to live with people, and I can
tell you from my own experience, a rescued pet is
(19:22):
the best pet Zion. I want to thank you for
taking the time to send in your questions about kangaroos.
One of the best ways we get to learn more
about wildlife is to always be curious and ask questions.
And if any of our other young listeners have questions
about wild life, please send us an audio file of
you asking your questions to wildlife at i heeart Media
(19:44):
dot com. Then keep listening to see if we answer
your questions in an upcoming episode. Thanks for listening. We
hope you've enjoyed learning more about the kangaroo and be
sure to subscribe and tune into next week's episode and
which will bring you the story of how we learned
so much about chimpanzee's social behavior and who recorded these
(20:04):
amazing observations in the wild. I'm any Money and I'm
Rich Schwartz. Thanks for listening. If you would like to
find out more about San Diego Zoo wildlaf Alliance, please
visit sdz w A dot org. Amazing Wildlife as a
production of I Heart Radio. Our producer is Nikia Swinton
(20:25):
and Our executive producer is Marci de Peanut. Our audio
engineer and editor is Sierra Spreing. For more shows from
my Heart Radio, check out the I Heart Radio app,
Apple podcast, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.
Hosts And Creators
Rick Schwartz
Marco Wendt
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