Red Kangaroos Diet

Red kangaroos are vegetarians and graze in order to gather food.

Red kangaroos, or Macrofus rufus, are native to central Australia. They live in the deserts, scrublands and grasslands. The male red kangaroo has a red/brown coat while the female's fur has a blue tint. Because of this, Australians often refer to the female kangaroos as "blue fliers." Kangaroos are vegetarians, eating only plants. They graze together in large groups.

Diet

Red kangaroos feed on grasses, shrubs, leaves and even tree bark.

Red kangaroos feed on plants exclusively. They gather plants by grazing in areas with abundant vegetation. Their most common food sources are wild grasses and dicotyledonous flowering plants. They are also known to eat leaves, shoots, herbs, plant stems and even tree bark.

Water

Red kangaroos can go for long periods of time without drinking water.

Adult red kangaroos can go long periods of time without drinking water because they gather moisture from the plants they eat.

Joeys

Baby kangaroos drink their mother's milk for about 70 days before moving on to solid food.

Baby red kangaroos are born only about one month after mating. They emerge from the womb no larger than the size of a cherry and immediately climb into the mother's pouch to nurse. The joey nurses for about 70 days. When a joey is nursing, this action produces hormones which prevent the mother kangaroo from entering into a new reproductive cycle. When a joey is not nursing, females become fertile about once a month.

Grouping

Red kangaroos gather in groups called mobs.

Red kangaroos are nocturnal. They sleep most of the day and usually spend the nighttime hours grazing. Red kangaroos gather together in groups called "mobs" when they graze. This behavior helps protect the kangaroo as they warn each other of dangers by stomping their feet against the ground.

Kangaroos as Pests

Red kangaroos often graze in livestock pastures when food is scarce.

In some parts of Australia, red kangaroos are thought of as pests because they can feed on grain and other food left out for livestock. In areas with minimal vegetation, red kangaroos often graze in pastures maintained for livestock and can reduce the availability of vegetation considerably.

References

• National Geographic: Red Kangaroo
• University of Michigan Zoology: Red Kangaroo
• Animal Planet: Australia Zoo: Kangaroos and Wallabies
• Wildlife at Animal Corner: Red Kangaroo
• Kids Planet: Kangaroo

Resources

• Kangaroo Protection Coalition: Facts About the Kangaroo Industry