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Which species are considered the large kangaroos of Australia?
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kangaroo
A group of red kangaroos (Macropus rufus) using their powerful hind legs and feet to hop.
The term "kangaroo" most specifically refers to six large species of Australian marsupials within the family Macropodidae. These species are:1
- Red kangaroo (Macropus rufus): The largest and most powerful of all macropodids, found throughout the interior grasslands of Australia.2
- Eastern gray kangaroo (M. giganteus): Commonly found in the open forests of eastern Australia and Tasmania.2
- Western gray kangaroo (M. fuliginosus): A stockier species found along the southern coast into southwestern Australia.2
- Antilopine kangaroo (M. antilopinus): A fast-hopping species that inhabits the tropical plains of northern Australia.2
- Wallaroo (M. robustus): Also known as the euro, this stockier species typically lives in hilly country.2
- Woodward’s wallaroo (M. bernardus): Also called the black wallaroo, this species replaces the common wallaroo in the far north of Australia.2
While the term is sometimes used more broadly to include all 14 species in the genus Macropus or even the entire family Macropodidae, these six are the species specifically identified as the large kangaroos.1