10 Awesome Kangaroo Facts You Never Knew

The original word kangaroo originated from the Native Australian language known as Guugu Yimithirr. The animal was referred to as the gangurru. Captain James Cook and his crew set foot on the island, discovering the odd animal in all its splendor, which they then renamed to kangaroo. Adult males are known as boomers, adult females as flyers, and baby kangaroos are joeys. Today, the kangaroo is almost synonymous with all of Australia, as they are such a common beast wandering the wild. Here are ten kangaroo facts that will make you hop with joy.

Paused

An adult female kangaroo is capable of pausing her pregnancy, stopping the newborn growth in a suspended animation. This generally happens when the female kangaroo is busy caring for another newborn baby.

Kick

The power involved within a single kick from a kangaroo is known to kill adult humans. The sharp claws on their hind feet can easily disembowel almost any animal.

Fifth Leg

Despite being a long-running joke, the kangaroo does have a fifth leg – kind of. They use this fifth appendage to balance their large bodies while hopping. This appendage is their muscular tail.

Dominance

During a fight for dominance between two males, the sub-dominant male can be seen kicking. The dominant male tends to use their “fists.”

Bizarre Birth

The birth of a kangaroo is considered one of the most bizarre in the entire animal kingdom. At the seven weeks, a pink worm enters the female birth canal of the kangaroo. This creature must grab onto the mother with barely there front legs and climb up into the thick fur of her front pouch.

Attachment

Upon reaching the pouch, the kangaroo worm will permanently attach to a nipple for around 34 weeks. As it grows, the baby joey will detatch itself and attach to another nipple.

Eight Months

A lot of joeys won’t leave the mother’s pouch for eight months after first entering in. By this point, they are relatively mature, covered in fur, and can hop around.

Red Kangaroo

The red kangaroo is capable of jumping 10 feet into the air and 25 feet forward. Add this to their impressive 40 mile per hour run speed and the kangaroo is a terrifying creature.

Falling Off

When a baby kangaroo falls from the mother’s fur, it is generally too small to survive. The mother will often abandon the baby. If she were to pick it up or move it, the baby would be crushed.

Defense

A kangaroo is known to defend themselves by leading their attacker into water and attempting to drown them, oddly enough.