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Kangaroo

Outside the Womb: The kangaroo is a member of the marsupial family, meaning they bear their young at an early embryonic stage. At this vulnerable time, the young kangaroo finds its way to its mother's pouch where, as in some species, it will remain for nearly 200 days.

Kangaroo Moves: Adult kangaroos have extremely long and powerful hind legs that can propel them across open savanna at amazing speeds. For short distances, red kangaroos can reach speeds of up to 30 mph, jump 6 feet in the air, and cover 29 feet between bounds.

Population Swings: The total population of red kangaroos in Australia varies from year to year, depending on rainfall. When rainfall is high, the population can exceed 12 million; when low, numbers can fall below 5 million. Females are unable to conceive during drought, and males may even stop producing sperm.

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MORE KANGAROO

VIDEO: Kangaroo Goes Berzerk

VIDEO: Sick But Kickin' Kangaroo

VIDEO: Kangaroo Babies

FACTS: "Roo Heaven" at Australia Zoo

SPECIES: Meet the Red Kangaroo

EXPERT: Surviving a Kangaroo Attack

DID YOU KNOW?

By Any Other Name: Kangaroos have some funny names. Males are called boomers, bucks or old men. Females are known as flyers, jills or does. And young kangaroos are called joeys.

Four Plus More: There are only four true kangaroo species: the red, eastern gray, western gray and antilopine kangaroos. There are roughly 50 other closely related species, including wallabies, tree-kangaroos and pademelons.

Few Predators: Most of the kangaroo's natural predators have gone extinct, including the thylacine and marsupial lion. Today, the dingo — introduced to Australia some 5,000 years ago — is one of the only predators they have to worry about.

How Stuff Works

Why Do Kangaroos Travel by Hopping?
Kangaroos are well-known for their preferred mode of transportation: hopping! Find out why kangaroos hop at HowStuffWorks.com.