The red kangaroo is an icon of the Australian outback. It thrives in dry country, able to survive on little water and travel long distances to find fresh grass after rain. Populations rise and fall dramatically with droughts.
Interesting facts
- The red kangaroo is the largest living marsupial.
- Hopping is very energy-efficient at speed, because tendons in the legs store and release energy like springs.
- Kangaroos cannot walk backwards easily, which is why the kangaroo appears on Australia’s coat of arms.
- A female can have a young in the pouch, another at foot, and a dormant embryo waiting to develop.
- Males box with each other to compete for females.
- They lick their forearms to cool down in the heat.
Behaviour
Red kangaroos live in loose groups called mobs, led by a dominant male. They are most active at dawn, dusk and night, resting in shade during the heat of the day.
Breeding and young
After a gestation of only about 33 days, a tiny joey weighing under 1 g crawls into the pouch, where it attaches to a teat. It leaves the pouch at around eight months.
Threats and conservation
Widespread and abundant. They are culled and harvested under management programmes and face drought, vehicle collisions and fencing.
Where to see it
- Sturt National Park, New South Wales
- Flinders Ranges, South Australia
- Alice Springs region, Northern Territory
Status source: IUCN Red List. Profile last reviewed September 2026.
Where to see the red kangaroo
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