Home > Encyclopedia of Science > Kangaroos and Wallabies

• The difficult life of a newborn kangaroo
• The great kangaroos
• The smaller wallabies
• Tree kangaroos
• Disappearing rat-kangaroos

Kangaroos and wallabies are pouched mammals, or marsupials, of Australia and nearby islands that are famous for their great leaping ability. The name kangaroo is usually used for large species and wallaby for smaller ones. They all belong to the family Macropodidae, meaning "big footed," and they are mainly herbivorous, or plant-eating. Most members of the family are nocturnal, feeding at night. Some live on the ground and some in trees. The largest kangaroo is the male red kangaroo, whose head and body can grow up to 6 feet (almost 2 meters) tall and tail to about 3.5 feet (1...