The largest species of macropodinos, a group of marsupials to which the red kangaroo, the eastern grey kangaroo, and the western grey kangaroo all belong, are referred to as kangaroos.
We are discussing the largest and heaviest mammal in Australia, which can weigh up to 85 kg. Its other distinctive feature is that it moves through jumps that can occasionally reach a head-spinning speed of 70 km/h.
This animal also possesses other traits, like the ability to carry babies, and as a whole, it belongs to a species that piques our interest and has the power to enchant us.
In this short article, we will answer the question “What do kangaroos eat?” and explain everything you need to know about feeding kangaroos.
What do kangaroos eat?
Although all kangaroos are herbivores, the things that make up their diet might vary to some extent depending on the specific type of kangaroo.
- The eastern grey kangaroo consumes a variety of herbs and a lot of them.
- Red kangaroo: Its diet consists primarily of shrubs, but it also includes a number of herbs.
- The Western Gray Kangaroo consumes a wide range of plants in addition to low shrubs and trees’ leaves.
Some varieties of fungi may also be consumed by smaller kinds of kangaroos. The kangaroo’s grazing behaviour has led to specialised teeth in addition to a stomach that is perfectly equipped for the consumption of cellulose.
Due to the fact that the two sides of its lower jaw are not linked, it has incisor teeth that can pull grass crops out of the ground and molar teeth that can cut and grind grass. It also has a wide bite.
How does a kangaroo’s digestive system work?
The reason the kangaroo shares many characteristics with both cattle and the sloth is that it has a stomach with several compartments that enable it to absorb all the nutrients from the food it consumes.
The kangaroo can vomit its meal after it has been swallowed, and chew it again, but this time it was the food bolus, which it later re-swallows to complete the digestion process.
The kangaroo is a herbivore, as we will see below, and this aspect of its digestive tract is crucial for it to be able to digest the cellulose found in vegetables.
How much food does a kangaroo consume?
The kangaroo is typically a nocturnal and crepuscular mammal, which means that during the day it sleeps in the shade of trees and plants and occasionally burrows in a little hole in the ground to cool off.
Therefore, at night and in the morning are the best times to roam around in quest of food.
A few interesting kangaroo facts
- They stamp their feet on the ground as a warning signal when they feel threatened.
- Although they are mostly active at night, kangaroos can also be observed moving around in the morning and late in the day.
- In their natural habitat, kangaroos typically reside in groups of up to 50 animals.
- Pictures of a large kangaroo smashing a metal pail went viral in 2015 on social media. It was Roger, a kangaroo who was raised in an Australian sanctuary after his mother perished when he was still a youngster after being hit by a car.
- Roger eventually grew to be more than 2 metres tall, weighed 89 kg, and was quite muscular, which was highlighted in the movie and helped him become well-known throughout the world after being included in various news articles.
For a long time, Roger acted as the sanctuary’s alpha male. In December 2018, Roger passed away. He was twelve years old. Both arthritis and visual loss affected him. He passed away from old age, which resulted in a lot of controversies.
- Some members of the genus Macropus are referred to as kangaroos in the generic sense. Here, we’ll focus on two of these species: Macropus giganteus, also known as the eastern grey kangaroo, and Macropus rufus, often known as the red kangaroo.
Conclusion:
In this short article, we have answered the question “What do kangaroos eat?” and also explained everything you need to know about feeding kangaroos.