OceaniaLeast concern
Red kangaroo
Osphranter rufus
The largest marsupial. It hops across the dry Australian outback, using its tail for balance.
- Weight
- Up to 85 kg
- Size
- 1.6 m tall
- Lifespan
- About 22 years
- Top speed
- 56 km/h
- Diet
- Herbivore
- Mammal group
- Marsupial
How heavy is that?
As heavy as 2 kids (40 kg each)
Where it lives
Three things to know
- Can cover 8 m in a single hop.
- A newborn joey is about the size of a jellybean.
- Uses its tail like a fifth leg when moving slowly.
Compare with…
- Weight
- Red kangaroo85 kgA 10-year-old kid40 kgThe red kangaroo weighs about 2.1× as much as the kid
- Size
- Red kangaroo1.6 mA 10-year-old kid1.4 mAbout the same
- Top speed
- Red kangaroo56 km/hA 10-year-old kid20 km/hThe red kangaroo is about 2.8× as fast as the kid
- Lifespan
- Red kangaroo22 yrsA 10-year-old kid80 yrsThe kid can live about 4× as long as the red kangaroo
Food chain
- GrassProducer
Red kangarooThis animal- Dingo