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How does a kangaroo joey reach its mother’s pouch after birth?
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kangaroo
A group of red kangaroos (Macropus rufus) using their powerful hind legs and feet to hop.
A kangaroo joey is born in a highly immature state, measuring only about 2 cm (1 inch) in length and weighing less than a gram. Immediately following birth, the tiny, undeveloped joey uses its well-developed, clawed forelimbs to crawl upward along the mother’s body until it reaches and enters her marsupium, or pouch.1
Once inside the pouch, the joey attaches its mouth to one of the mother’s four teats, which then enlarges to hold the young animal securely in place. The joey remains attached for several weeks as it continues to develop, eventually becoming more active and spending increasing amounts of time outside the pouch before leaving it completely between 7 and 10 months of age.1