Red kangaroo

The red kangaroo is the largest marsupial on Earth. A marsupial is an animal that carries its baby in a pouch. Big males can stand taller than a grown-up person and have strong, reddish fur, while the females are smaller and often a soft blue-grey.

Red kangaroos live in the dry, open middle of Australia, where the days can be very hot. To stay cool, they rest in the shade when the sun is high and come out to feed in the cool of the evening and the night. They eat grass and other plants, and they can go for a long time without drinking water.

Kangaroos move by hopping. Their big back legs work like springs, so they can bounce along quickly without getting tired. A red kangaroo can hop as fast as a car drives in town, and clear a huge distance in a single leap. Its long, thick tail helps it balance, and it can even lean on its tail like a third leg.

A baby kangaroo is called a joey. When it is born it is tiny, about the size of a jellybean, with no fur and closed eyes. It crawls up its mother's tummy and into her warm pouch, where it drinks milk and grows for many months before it is ready to hop about on its own.

Red kangaroos often gather in groups called mobs. Living together helps them stay safe, because many pairs of ears and eyes can watch for danger. There are still lots of red kangaroos hopping across Australia today, which is wonderful news for this remarkable animal.