What is a Kangaroo?

This Teaching Wiki is all about kangaroos for kids. Keep reading to find out more about these fantastic creatures from down under!

What is a kangaroo?

A kangaroo is a marsupial which is only found in Australia and New Guinea. The largest of all marsupials, this iconic animal is probably the first image that comes to mind when we think of Australia.

Kangaroos have short, soft furry coats. Their front paws are quite short and small, but they have large and powerful hind legs. They have long faces and large ears, and a very long tail that helps them balance when leaping long distances.

Let's bounce straight into the wonderful world of these marvellous marsupials! Here are some quick kangaroo facts to start our journey.

Here's a quick introduction to the kangaroo from the wildlife experts - National Geographic Kids.

How many types of kangaroo are there?

There are four types of kangaroo:

• Red kangaroo - this is probably the image that comes to mind when you think of a kangaroo. The largest of all kangaroo types, the red kangaroo is known for its reddish-orange fur, which is more pronounced in males - females tend to be more grey. Red kangaroos live in Australia's Northern Territory.
• Eastern grey kangaroo - found predominantly along Australia's east coast, the eastern grey kangaroo is smaller than the red, with light grey fur on its body and darker fur on its face. Eastern grey kangaroos live in herds, or mobs.
• Western grey kangaroo - these small, dark brown kangaroos are found in Western Australia, western parts of Victoria and on Kangaroo Island. They're particularly placid, friendly kangaroos.
• Antilopine kangaroo - with its long, lean limbs, the antilopine kangaroo has a very distinctive appearance, different from other kangaroos. It lives along Australia's top coast, where it can be seen grazing in the fields.

Wallabies and wallaroos are closely related to kangaroos, but they are different species. Interestingly, the tree kangaroo, found in parts of Queensland and New Guinea, isn't technically a kangaroo, either; although it is a marsupial.

Why are kangaroos special to Australia?

If there's one animal that's synonymous with Australia, it's the kangaroo. Most Australians just call them 'roos', but they have other names too, such as the Aboriginal Australian word 'Marlu' from the Warlpiri language group in Central Australia.

In fact, the name 'kangaroo' derives from the Aboriginal Australian word 'Gangurru'. This is the name given to these animals by the Guuga Yimithirr People of Far North Queensland. Kangaroos have always been of special significance to Aboriginal Australians. They feature in the Aboriginal Dreaming Story, 'How the Kangaroos Got Their Tails'.

What is a baby kangaroo called?

A baby kangaroo is called a joey. Could it have a cuter name than that?

Adult males are boars, bucks, or boomers, and females are referred to as sows, does, or flyers.

Perhaps one of the most fascinating things about kangaroos is the way that they carry their young. Baby kangaroos - joeys - are born live into the mother's pouch, which is a flap of skin at the front of her belly. They start out the size of a jelly bean, and after about four months of growing, their cute little heads pop out to say hello. The joey will spend a lot of time in the pouch with its mother for the next six months or so, gradually spending more time outside exploring, but always staying close enough to Mum to hop back into her pouch at short notice.

When the joey reaches about ten months old, it is old enough to leave the pouch for good and start leaving its own mark on the dusty plains of the outback. Mother kangaroos usually give birth to one joey at a time, as there's only enough real estate room for one in her pouch.

Fun kangaroo facts for kids

Kangaroos can jump a long way

Kangaroos are known for the way they bounce! These locomotive wonders have short front legs, powerful back legs, huge back feet and strong tails that are perfectly designed for moving from place to place with great leaping bounds.

A fully grown kangaroo can leap 9m in a single bound. If you got everyone in your class to lie down next to each other, a kangaroo could easily leap over them in one jump.

Kangaroos can swim, too

Kangaroos are pretty good swimmers. Swimming is the only time their legs can move independently of each other, and their powerful strength helps propel them through the water whilst their tiny front feet do the paddling.

Male kangaroos love to box

If a kangaroo gets a little too cocky, it might be in for a box around the ears! Male kangaroos regularly compete in boxing matches when it comes to competing for the attention of a female. Their powerful hind legs with sharp toenails are formidable weapons.

Kangaroos are mainly active at night

Kangaroos are predominantly nocturnal, which means they're active between dusk and dawn. This enables them to sleep during the hottest parts of the day, as temperatures in parts of Australia can be fierce. If kangaroos do have to venture out during daylight hours, they lick their arms to keep themselves cool!

Kangaroos are a symbol of Australia

The kangaroo is one of only two animals included in the Australian Coat of Arms, along with the emu. Of course, the kangaroo is recognised is a symbol of Australia all over the world! However, its inclusion on the coat of arms has a special significance. Kangaroos are unable to jump backwards, so they represent Australia as a country that's constantly moving forwards.

There are more kangaroos than people in Australia

Australia has almost double the number of kangaroos as it has humans! There are approximately 25 million people living in Australia. It isn't known exactly how many kangaroos there are, but it's estimated to be between 46 and 50 million! Some people are concerned that there are too many kangaroos in Australia. This is because...

Kangaroos have few predators

As the world's largest marsupial, the kangaroo has very few animal predators in the wild. Despite hopping around the top of the food chain, the kangaroo's most dangerous predator is the environment, and we still lose many of these beautiful creatures every year. Heat, drought and hunger due to vanishing habitat are amongst the many dangers that these amazing animals face.

There are white wallabies and albino kangaroos

Tucked away at the base of Australia, over a wide bank of the Tasman Sea, lies an island named Bruny Island. This is home to a very special type of kangaroo - the white wallaby. While the white wallabies of Tasmania aren't technically kangaroos, there have been known sightings of actual albino kangaroos in the wild too.

White wallabies have a genetic albino mutation which gives them pure white fur. They are very striking, but this is not so great if you're trying to hide from predators in the grass, and you're sticking out like a sore thumb. Curiously, there have been sightings of other albino animals on Bruny Island too, such as echidnas and wombats.

Teaching Resources on Kangaroos for Kids

Twinkl's teaching library is jam-packed full of resources to help you teach kids all about kangaroos. We've got videos, colouring pages, fact files, reading and writing practice worksheets, and fun role-play activities.

Kids will be obsessed with kangaroos as soon as they learn about how cool they are, so it's time to become experts at drawing them. This awesome Twinkl video shows you exactly how to do it.

If you're teaching children about kangaroos, you can get started with this fantastic Kangaroo Resource Pack. It's bursting with materials all about kangaroos for kids. We've got everything from fact files, report writing templates, cloze writing tests, and fun games and activities such as the kangaroo word search and drawing activity.

This Kangaroo Fact Sheet is perfect for your EYLF children, giving them the ideal introduction to these amazing animals.

For a fantastic mindfulness activity, try this Kangaroo Mindfulness Colouring Page. Children will love having some relaxation time whilst they colour in their favourite animals.

This Kangaroo Life Cycle Poster beautifully illustrates the life cycle of a joey from birth to the moment it leaves the mother's pouch.

Keep up the kangaroo theme by using these excellent Kangaroo Page Borders for a writing assignment. Kids will be way more immersed in their writing activities if they have a lovely illustration of a kangaroo to look at.

We've also got this lovely Kangaroo Adaptations Poster that gets into the cool Science facts about how kangaroos adapt and thrive in their environment.

Twinkl Favourite - We love this Split Pin Kangaroo. He would make a great mascot for your lessons on Australian animals and is also a great activity for children to take home and do with their parents.

Here at Twinkl, we love to support you with whatever you need when it comes to teaching. Whether you're a teacher, parent, or carer - Twinkl helps those who teach! If there's a resource you would like that we don't yet have, just get in touch and our wonderful team will be happy to help.

Looking for teaching ideas on Australian animals? Take a look at this helpful Twinkl video.