Home
Evolution: A New Theory
Blog
Evolution Timeline
Human Evolution
Reference: Biology Dictionary
Biology Prefixes
Biology Suffixes
Prefixes & Suffixes
Biology Roots
Fields of Biology
Famous Biologists
News Pages: Environment
Animals
Molecular Biology
Biotechnology
Marine Biology
Health
General Biology
Astrobiology
Fossils
 Help Pages: Biology Websites
Biology Journals
Mitosis Tutorial
Meiosis Tutorial
  Site Info: About this Site
About Me
Site Plan
Contact
Privacy Policy
 

What do kangaroos eat? - It depends on the kangaroo



Red Kangaroo Macropus rufus
Red Kangaroo Macropus rufus
Eastern Wallaroo Macropus robustus
Eastern Wallaroo Macropus robustus
Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo Dedrolagus goodfellowi
Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo
Dedrolagus goodfellowi
What do kangaroos eat? That depends -- there are many different kinds of kangaroos and kangaroo habitat varies accordingly. Some live up in trees, some in the desert, others stick to open grasslands. The major dietary difference is between tree kangaroos and terrestrial kangaroos.

In both tree kangaroos and terrestrial kangaroos, the stomach is large, containing zymotic bacteria capable of breaking down tough fibrous food. The digestive process is similar to what goes on in a cow's stomach, although the anatomy differs. But terrestrial kangaroos (upper two figures at right) apply their high-power digestion tools to grass primarily, while leaves and fruit are the main foods of tree kangaroos (lower figure at right). Also, tree kangaroos have a broader diet that may include bark, sap, and flowers. When they can get them, they eat eggs, birds, and other small animals, too. Terrestrial kangaroos are strict vegetarians.

Three general types of terrestrial kangaroos are recognized, wallabies, wallaroos, and ordinary kangaroos. In terms of weight, wallaroos are about the same size as ordinary kangaroos, but they are stouter and shorter. Wallabies are generally smaller than either wallabies or ordinary kangaroos.

Tree kangaroos, as their name indicates, spend most of their time in trees, but they also come down to the ground from time to time to feed. Like terrestrial kangaroos, they have strong hind legs and long, narrow feet, but they have longer tails. Their stronger forelegs, longer claws, and rubbery soles allow them to get a good grip on trees.

Most terrestrial kangaroos drink very little water. They can get most of the water they need by eating green plants. Red kangaroos can go without water for two or three months (red kangaroo habitat is generally quite xeric). The tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii) is able to live even off saltwater.

More about animals   >>


What Do Kangaroos Eat? - Macroevolution.net



About this Website | Biology Dictionary | Biology News | Famous Biologists | Home








728 strip
What Do Kangaroos Eat? (Top of Page)


footer for what do kangaroos eat page