Difference Between Eastern Grey Kangaroo And Red Kangaroo
Eastern Grey Kangaroo
The eastern grey kangaroo is a large marsupial. It has soft fur that is gray on top and white on the belly. As you might suspect, this creature lives in eastern Australia. It is usually found in forests, woodlands, and open fields. The kangaroo is commonly found in groups called mobs. During the day, the mob rests in the shade. The kangaroos begin to move after the sun goes down. Then they forage for food and will feed until early morning.
The eastern grey kangaroo is a vegetarian. It eats only grasses and other small plants. It does so in one of two ways. The kangaroo can graze from the ground like cattle. It can also pick up the vegetation with its front feet and carry the food to its mouth. What happens when a kangaroo is frightened or disturbed? It straightens up and leaps off on its powerful back legs. It may leap 40 feet at a bound. It uses its massive tail as a balance.
Kangaroos give birth at a very early stage of development. A pregnancy lasts only five weeks. At birth an eastern grey kangaroo is less than 1 inch in length. The kangaroo is blind and has no fur when it is born. Its back legs and tail are only tiny buds. The front legs, however, have large, clawed feet. It uses these feet to crawl up its mother’s belly to her pouch. The baby is called a joey. Once the joey is in the pouch, it fastens onto a nipple with its mouth. It remains in the pouch for about 11 months. The kangaroo has the longest pouch time of any marsupial.
Red Kangaroo
The kangaroo’s front legs are very short. Yet its hind legs are long and powerful. When it stands straight on its hind legs, the kangaroo is taller than a human being! It can move forward in great leaps.
The female can give birth in all seasons. The newborn weighs only a few ounces. It is blind, hairless, and not completely formed. But its front paws already have claws. It uses these to crawl along its mother’s fur into the pouch. Once inside, it stays there until its growth is complete. This usually takes eight months. It then weighs about nine pounds. It will spend four more months beside its mother. It will occasionally nurse. It nurses even if there is a newborn inside the pouch.
The red kangaroo lives on the hot, dry plains of central Australia. It is the most common large animal there. It eats short, dry grasses and other vegetation. It lives in groups of 6 to 12. An older male acts as the leader. During the day kangaroos rest. They like resting at the foot of a tree or a rock. At night they go out to look for food and drink. They are not protected by law. The kangaroo is Australia’s national animal.