Animals
Class: Mammal
Biome:
Conservation Status: Least Concern
About this animal
The Eastern Grey kangaroo lives in the grassland and open wood land of eastern Australia and Tasmania., as well as forested coastal areas of Eastern and South Eastern Australia. A big male can measure up to 2.8 meters from his nose to the tip of his tail, and can weigh up to 66kg. Females are much smaller only reaching approximately 32kg. Eastern Grey Kangaroos are herbivores and predominately a grazing animal eating mainly shrubs and grass. They feed mostly at night and early in the morning. During the day, Eastern Grey Kangaroos lie under the shade of trees or in scrapes they have dug. This is also where they sleep.Breeding occurs throughout the year but more births occur in the warmer summer months. A baby kangaroo is called a joey. The young kangaroo or ‘joey’ is born after a 36 day pregnancy and weighs less than 1 gram. Once born the joey will stay in its Mum's pouch for up to 8 to 10 months. At this age the joey will begin to start exploring its surroundings and will leave the safety of its mum’s pouch for short periods! It leaves the pouch after about 10 months weighing 5kg.
Did you know?
An extinct species of kangaroo once stood over 3 m tall.
