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Red Kangaroo
Scientific nameOsphranter rufus
Conservation status (IUCN)
Least Concern
The Red Kangaroo (buru in Sydney First Language) is an iconic Australian animal of the outback and the world’s largest marsupial.
Sydney
Visitor tips for Sydney
Red Kangaroos can be seen in the Nura Diya Australia habitat any time during the day.
Fun facts about Red Kangaroos
64km
They're fast! They can hop at 64km per hour.
23yrs
Red Kangaroos can live up to 20 yrs in the wild and 23 yrs in care.
Where they live
Grassland, shrubland, desert, woodland and open forest.
92kg
Male Red Kangaroos can weigh from 65-92kg and females weigh 25-35kg.
What they eat
Native grasses and small green vegetation.
Where they're found
Central Australia.
1.8m
They can be from 1.25-1.8m long.
64km
They're fast! They can hop at 64km per hour.
23yrs
Red Kangaroos can live up to 20 yrs in the wild and 23 yrs in care.
Where they live
Grassland, shrubland, desert, woodland and open forest.
92kg
Male Red Kangaroos can weigh from 65-92kg and females weigh 25-35kg.
What they eat
Native grasses and small green vegetation.
Where they're found
Central Australia.
1.8m
They can be from 1.25-1.8m long.
Did you know?
We bet you didn't know these facts about these magnificent marsupials.
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Scroll across to reveal Red Kangaroos facts.
Not always red
Male Red Kangaroos are red, while females are blue/grey.
Hold up!
Female Red Kangaroos can delay giving birth if there isn’t enough food or water around for her young to thrive.
Kangaroo crew
A group of kangaroos is called a ‘mob’.
Drought-proof diners
During drought, kangaroos can obtain their hydration through eating grasses and foliage.
Boomer alert
A Red Kangaroo male is called a ‘boomer’.
Red Kangaroo deep dive
When moving fast roos hop on their hind legs, using their tail as a counterbalance, and when moving slowly they use their tail as an extra limb, taking their weight on their front limbs and tail while hopping their hind feet forwards.
Being a marsupial, Red Kangaroos give birth to underdeveloped young, about the size of a jellybean, that continues development whilst suckling milk inside the mother’s pouch. The joey will leave the pouch around 235 days old, but will continue to suckle until 12 months of age.
Female kangaroos can delay giving birth if conditions in their current environment are not ideal eg. food is scarce and there is drought or they already have a joey in their pouch. This process is called embryonic diapause. As a result of this process, when conditions are good, the female can simultaneously support a suckling joey outside the pouch, a suckling young within the pouch, and a dormant or developing embryo, and any young lost during drought can quickly be replaced when conditions improve.
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