Raising A Kangaroo: Knowing Your Pet Is Important

Raising a kangaroo at home isn't something that you can take lightly. In order for you to become an effective pet owner to this exotic animal, you have to prepare yourself through research and studying. Knowing important details about your pet is vital as this will help you deal with it effectively.

Learning about raising a kangaroo basically starts with knowing the background of your exotic animal. Kangaroos are considered as amazing members of the Australian fauna. They are marsupials that are closely related to wallabies, Quokka, wallaroos, and pademelons. All in all, there are around 63 different species of the Macropodidae family in the wild today. Kangaroos are endemic to the lands of Australia. However, some members of this family specifically the smaller marcopods have also been found in New Guinea. They thrive on the landscape of Australia. They're not farmed. Instead, they're sought because of their meat. This animal has become a national symbol for Australia and is often observed on the Australian Coat of Arms, the country's currency, and on the tail of its national airline called the Qantas.

Males are referred to as kacks or bucks while females are called jills or does. The young ones or the babies on the other hand are called joeys. Among the different types of species existing today, red kangaroos are the largest ones. In fact, they are the largest surviving marsupial on the face of the planet. They thrive in the arid and semi-arid regions that are located at the center of the continent. The Eastern Grey Kangaroo on the other hand, which is another famous species, is commonly seen in the fertile eastern region of Australia. The Western Grey Kangaroo, which is also another species is a native of Western Australia and Southern Australia as well as of the Darling River basin.

Let's discuss some cool facts about these types of exotic animals. These animals are equipped with large feet and strong hind legs. Their physical adaptation helps them to leap. They have a muscular tail, which functions just like a tripod leg. Their tails come in handy for balance. The most unique feature of these exotic animals would be their marsupium or stomach pouch. This is physical characteristic that's common to all marsupials. The pouch is used to serve as a home for joeys during their postnatal development.

Kangaroos hop for locomotion. They can hop at speeds that average at 70 km/h especially when they're looking for food and water and when they're running away from predators. Their most common predators include goannas, feral cats, foxes, and wedge-tailed eagles. These animals usually live around for 4 to 6 years. Their diet varies depending on their species. In general, they are known as herbivores. They love feeding on a wide variety of grasses, hypogeal fungi, and shrubs. They are known to be both crepuscular and nocturnal. This means that they are most active during the night and by twilight.