Kangaroo Facts: If you lift the kangaroo tail off the ground, it won't be able to jump
No Australian animal is more famous than the cute kangaroo. You may be familiar with these hopping marsupials, but we bet you don't know these wonderful facts.
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- Kangaroos are unable to jump if their tails are lifted off the ground, as they rely heavily on their tails for balance and propulsion.
- In slow movements, kangaroos use their strong tails like a fifth leg, contributing significant force along with their limbs.
- Due to the structure of their legs and tails, kangaroos are physically incapable of walking or jumping backward.
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- Studies reveal that kangaroos demonstrate left-handedness, using their left hand predominantly for tasks requiring precision like grooming and eating.
- Kangaroos hold the title of the largest surviving marsupials, with red and eastern grey kangaroos reaching impressive sizes.
- Surprisingly, kangaroos may use water as a tactical defense, attempting to drown predators by luring them into deep areas.
- Although kangaroos don't face many natural predators, threats such as dingoes and invasive species still occasionally hunt them.
If you lift a kangaroo's tail off the ground, it won't be able to jump
Kangaroos use their tails for balance, and they jump with their legs, not their tails. If you catch a kangaroo's tail, you can control it: although it may try to jump, it won't be able to.
This is the best way to control a kangaroo if it tries to attack you: grab its tail and beat it, but the problem is that sooner or later you have to let it go.
Kangaroos use their tails as a fifth leg
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When kangaroos move short distances at a slow pace, they often use their tail as a fifth leg. It may sound strange, but research on red kangaroos shows that their large, muscular tails can provide a driving force equivalent to that of their front and hind legs combined.
When a kangaroo needs to move more than about 15 feet, it usually stops using the tail and starts jumping.
Kangaroos can't jump or walk backwards
Unlike many animals, kangaroos cannot rotate or move their hind legs independently of each other. In other words, they must turn their whole body to change direction.
Their long tails act as a counterweight, helping them jump forward but making it difficult for them to move backwards.
Kangaroos are left-handed
Humans and some other primates show handedness—the tendency to favor one hand over the other. Scientists once thought this was unique to primates, but recent research suggests one-handedness is also common in kangaroos.
Based on research on red kangaroos, eastern grey kangaroos, and red-necked wallabies, researchers found that the animals primarily use their left forepaw, using that paw for tasks such as grooming and feeding about 95% of the time. Their forepaws also seem to specialize in different types of work, with a kangaroo usually using the left for precise tasks while the right is used for strength. The researchers say this challenges the idea that handedness is unique to primates, suggesting that this characteristic could have resulted from an adaptation to bipedal walking.
Kangaroos are the largest marsupials on Earth
Kangaroos are the largest surviving marsupials today. The largest kangaroo species (by weight) is the red kangaroo, which can grow to more than five feet long—not including the three-foot tail—and weigh 180 pounds. Eastern grey kangaroos can be taller, with some adult males reaching nearly seven feet, but they are more slender, weighing about 120 pounds. Red, eastern grey, and western grey kangaroos are the most common species.
Sometimes kangaroos drown their enemies
Kangaroos don't have many natural predators in Australia, especially after the extinction of large carnivores such as the Tasmanian tiger and the marsupial lion. Few animals are known to prey on kangaroos; when they do, they usually target young animals or adults of smaller species. These predators include dingoes as well as introduced species such as red foxes, feral dogs, and cats.
When a kangaroo is chased by a predator, it often escapes into the water. This can be simply an escape strategy, since the kangaroo is a surprisingly good swimmer (again, thanks to its large tail). In some cases the prey may lead its pursuer into deep water. Once a kangaroo reaches water deep enough to cover its chest, it sometimes turns to face the predator, grabs it with its forelimbs, and tries to drown it.