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Animal profile

Red Kangaroo

Osphranter rufus

MammaliaArid and semi-arid scrub, grassland and desert of inland AustraliaLeast Concern

Field profile

The red kangaroo is the largest living marsupial, with big males standing over 1.5 metres tall and weighing up to about 90 kilograms. It grazes on grasses and forbs in dry country and rests through the heat of the day. Females can hold a dormant embryo in reserve, timing births to the arrival of rain.

Scope note

This is an editorial profile, not a diagnostic field-identification guide or a substitute for current conservation assessments. Follow the cited sources on each fact for the evidence trail.

Published field notes

2024-10-20

Red Kangaroo

Kangaroo hopping gets cheaper as it gets faster

For most running animals, going faster costs more energy per unit distance. In red kangaroos over a broad range of speeds the metabolic cost stays remarkably flat, because elastic tendons in the hind legs recycle energy from stride to stride.

Read with evidence →

Red Kangaroo | Daily Animal Facts