kangaroo

Introduction
Form and function
- Common features
- Reproduction and development
- Dentition
Behaviour
Descriptions of selected species

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

A mother kangaroo stands on grass with a baby joey peeking out from her pouch in an outdoor setting in Australia.

Two kangaroos standing upright in tall grass, facing each other and boxing with their forearms and kicking with their legs.

Watch a kangaroo carrying its joey while feeding

Watch red kangaroos interacting with people

Three eastern gray kangaroos, Macropus giganteus, graze on grass in a sunlit clearing with trees and tall grass in the background.

At a Glance

kangaroo summary

Quizzes

Sea otter (Enhydra lutris), also called great sea otter, rare, completely marine otter of the northern Pacific, usually found in kelp beds. Floats on back. Looks like sea otter laughing. saltwater otters

Animal Group Names

Deadliest Animals Quiz

Young chimpanzee dressed in a shirt and sweater vest, scratching his head thinking. (primates)

Wild Words from the Animal Kingdom Vocabulary Quiz

Match the Baby Animal to Its Mama Quiz

Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) in a zoo, Australia. (marsupial, koala bear)

Animals Down Under

Related Questions

At what age does a kangaroo joey leave the pouch completely?
How can a kangaroo defend itself with its hind legs?
How can red kangaroos be distinguished from gray kangaroos?
How did European pastoralism contribute to increases in kangaroo populations?
How did introduced foxes affect smaller members of the kangaroo family?
How do kangaroo forelimbs help during feeding and fighting?
How do kangaroos cool themselves during hot weather?
How do kangaroos differ from wallabies?
How do kangaroos digest tough grasses and other plant materials?
How do kangaroos reproduce differently from placental mammals?
How do kangaroos use biting and kicking in fights?
How do kangaroos use their long tails while hopping?
How do male kangaroos establish dominance during mating season?
How does a kangaroo joey reach its mother’s pouch after birth?
How have Aboriginal burning practices affected kangaroo habitat?
How is a kangaroo’s stomach similar to a cow’s stomach?
How large can an eastern gray kangaroo grow?
How many toes are on a kangaroo’s hind foot?
How small is a newborn kangaroo joey?
What is embryonic diapause in kangaroos?
When are kangaroos usually most active?
Where are red kangaroos found in Australia?
Where do eastern gray kangaroos live?
Where do western gray kangaroos live?
Which natural predators hunt kangaroos?
Which species are considered the large kangaroos of Australia?
Why are kangaroo harvesting and hunting controversial in Australia?
Why do kangaroos box each other?
Why do kangaroos sometimes use water when escaping dogs?
Why do marsupial young continue developing after birth?
Why do smaller kangaroo species often browse rather than graze?
Why does hopping become more energy efficient for red kangaroos at higher speeds?
Why does the fourth toe carry most of a kangaroo’s weight?
Why is embryonic diapause useful to kangaroos after droughts?
What is a polar bear?
What are some examples of polar bear adaptations?
Are polar bears an endangered species?
What is a pride of lions?
Why do dogs bark?
Why do dogs sniff other dogs’ rear ends?
How are dog years calculated?
When do dogs need shots?
What is a dog?
What is the lineage of cats?

Science Mammals Marsupials

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External Websites

San Diego Zoo Animals - Mammals - Kangaroo and Wallaby
National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Kangaroos at maximum capacity: health assessment of free-ranging eastern grey kangaroos on a coastal headland
Animal Diversity Web - Macropodidae
A-Z Animals - Kangaroo
The Royal Society Publishing - Biology Letters - Kangaroos display gazing and gaze alternations during an unsolvable problem task

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

kangaroo - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
kangaroo - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

kangaroo

marsupial

Also known as: Macropodidae

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

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Last updated

Nov. 8, 2026 •History

kangaroo, any of six large species of Australian marsupials noted for hopping and bouncing on their hind legs. The term kangaroo, most specifically used, refers to the eastern gray kangaroo, the western gray kangaroo, and the red kangaroo, as well as to the antilopine kangaroo and two species of wallaroo (see below). Less specifically, kangaroo refers to all 14 species in the genus Macropus, some of which are called wallabies. In its broadest usage, kangaroo...

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