Mountain kangaroos
The mountain kangaroos or wallaroos are a group of three kangaroo species from the genus Macropus . Together with the red giant kangaroo , they form the subgenus Osphranter .
General
Mountain kangaroos are between the giant kangaroos and the wallabies in terms of size . Their body length (without tail) is around one to 1.4 m, with the males being considerably larger than the females. The fur is long and dense, the colors range from reddish brown to black. They inhabit hilly or mountainous regions across Australia and Tasmania .
Mountain kangaroos prefer dry areas with sparse vegetation. However, they are not as climbing specialists as the rock kangaroos . Mountain kangaroos are nocturnal and hide in caves or crevices during the day. Apart from the antelope kangaroo, they are solitary animals.
Like all kangaroos, the mountain kangaroos are herbivores that feed on grass and leaves. They are used to poor food and hardly need any water to drink. The reproduction corresponds to that of the other kangaroos. After around 32 days of gestation, a single young animal is born, which remains in the pouch for around 8 to 9 months. “Delayed birth” is also found in them .
Mountain kangaroos are widespread and not endangered, only the black mountain kangaroo is classified as low endangered.
species
- The (actual) mountain kangaroo ( Macropus robustus ) is distributed all over Australia.
- The black mountain kangaroo ( M. bernardus ) inhabits the Arnhem region in the Northern Territory .
- The antelope kangaroo ( M. antilopinus ) is found all over northern Australia . In contrast to the other mountain kangaroos, it lives in groups.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 1999. ISBN 0-8018-5789-9
- Don E. Wilson, DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World . A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .