Wildlife Guide · Australia

Kangaroo

Macropus and Osphranter spp.

The world's largest marsupial, hopping across Australia with a joey in the pouch.

Varies by species (most Least Concern; one species Near Threatened)

A red kangaroo standing upright on its hind legs and tail in the Australian outback, with a joey's head peeking out of the mother's front pouch

Image: Source: Wikimedia Commons via Wikipedia “Kangaroo” — verify license before production

In brief

A kangaroo is a large hopping marsupial native to Australia and the world's biggest marsupial, carrying its young, called a joey, in a pouch; the main kangaroo species are widespread and assessed as Least Concern.

By the WARN Research & Conservation TeamChecked against IUCN Red List & CITES sourcesLast updated June 2026

Kangaroos are large, hopping marsupials found only in Australia and are the biggest marsupials alive today. The name is usually applied to the four largest species in the family Macropodidae: the red kangaroo, eastern grey kangaroo, western grey kangaroo, and antilopine kangaroo. These plant-eaters travel by powerful two-footed hops, balance on a thick muscular tail, and raise tiny, jellybean-sized young called joeys inside a forward-opening pouch. Most kangaroo species are abundant and listed as Least Concern, but they sit at the centre of ongoing debates about welfare, commercial harvesting, and government-managed culling.

Large species commonly called kangaroos

~90 kg

Weight of a large male red kangaroo (about 200 lb)

>70 km/h

Top hopping speed in short bursts

~50

Smaller related macropod species in the same family

Figures sourced from IUCN Red List - Red Kangaroo (Osphranter rufus), Wikipedia - Kangaroo, Wikipedia - Red kangaroo and other references on this page.

Kangaroo: Quick Facts

Vital statistics and key facts about the Kangaroo
Lifespan	About 6 years in the wild; 20+ years possible in captivity
Weight	Large male red kangaroo up to ~90 kg (200 lb)
Size	Largest males stand up to ~2 m (6.5 ft) tall
Diet	Herbivore, mainly grasses and other low plants
Gestation	About 1 month (roughly 30-34 days)
Young	Usually one joey at a time
Baby name	Joey
Group name	Mob (also court or troupe)
Top speed	Bursts over 70 km/h; cruising ~20-25 km/h
CITES	Not listed on CITES appendices

Scientific Classification

Scientific classification of the Kangaroo
Kingdom	Animalia
Phylum	Chordata
Class	Mammalia
Infraclass	Marsupialia
Order	Diprotodontia
Family	Macropodidae
Genera	Macropus and Osphranter

Conservation Status

IUCN Status: Least Concern (for the four large kangaroo species)
Population: Tens of millions across Australia; the large species number in the millions
Trend: Stable for the main kangaroo species
Assessed: 2016 (red kangaroo, Osphranter rufus, assessed 2014)
CITES: Not listed on CITES appendices

Status varies across the ~50 species in family Macropodidae; most are Least Concern, but a few relatives such as the black wallaroo are Near Threatened.

Did you know?

Female kangaroos can hit pause on pregnancy: through embryonic diapause they keep a tiny embryo on hold until the joey in the pouch is ready to leave, letting them breed efficiently in Australia's unpredictable climate.

Key Facts: Kangaroo

Kangaroos are marsupials found only in Australia and are the largest living marsupials.
The term usually refers to four big species: red, eastern grey, western grey, and antilopine kangaroos.
They move by hopping on two hind legs, using a muscular tail for balance, and can briefly exceed 70 km/h.
Females raise a tiny joey in a pouch; after birth the joey nurses and grows in the pouch for around eight to nine months.
Most kangaroo species are common and listed as Least Concern, though the black wallaroo is Near Threatened, so status varies across the wider group.
Kangaroos are not threatened with extinction, but commercial harvesting and government culling raise ongoing animal-welfare questions.

What is a kangaroo?

A kangaroo is a hopping marsupial mammal in the family Macropodidae, a name meaning "big foot." In everyday use the word kangaroo describes the four largest members of the family: the red kangaroo (Osphranter rufus), the eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), the western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus), and the antilopine kangaroo (Osphranter antilopinus). Around fifty smaller relatives, including wallabies, wallaroos, and tree-kangaroos, belong to the same family. The red kangaroo is the largest of all, with big males standing up to about two metres tall and weighing roughly ninety kilograms. As marsupials, kangaroos give birth to extremely undeveloped young that complete their early growth attached to a teat inside the mother's pouch.

How kangaroos hop, eat, and live

Kangaroos are built for energy-efficient hopping. Long elastic tendons in their hind legs store and release energy like springs, letting them cover ground cheaply at cruising speeds of about 20 to 25 km/h and reach more than 70 km/h in short sprints. The thick tail acts as a fifth limb for balance and, when moving slowly, as a prop. They are grazers, feeding mainly on grasses and other low plants, and can survive long dry spells by being active in the cooler parts of the day. Kangaroos are social and gather in groups known as mobs, which can number ten or more animals and offer extra eyes to watch for danger.

The pouch, the joey, and reproduction

A newborn kangaroo is blind, hairless, and smaller than a grape after a gestation of only about a month. Guided by instinct, it climbs through the mother's fur into the pouch, latches onto a teat, and continues developing there for roughly eight to nine months before making its first short trips outside. Many female kangaroos can also pause the development of a tiny embryo until conditions improve or the current joey leaves the pouch, an adaptation called embryonic diapause that helps them breed efficiently in a harsh, unpredictable climate. A young kangaroo is called a joey, and even after it leaves the pouch it may keep returning to nurse for some time.

Conservation, welfare, and the culling debate

Unlike many smaller macropods, the large kangaroo species have generally thrived alongside farming and remain widespread and abundant; the red and grey kangaroos are all assessed as Least Concern. Because their numbers can be very high, several Australian states run regulated commercial harvests and government-approved population-control programs, and kangaroos are sometimes culled to protect crops, pasture, and habitat. These practices are legal and managed, but they are also the subject of serious animal-welfare discussion, particularly around humane killing methods and the fate of dependent joeys. Drought, bushfire, vehicle collisions, and habitat change also affect local populations, so management aims to balance healthy ecosystems with humane treatment.

The four large kangaroo species at a glance

Species	Scientific name	IUCN status	Where it lives
Red kangaroo	Osphranter rufus	Least Concern	Arid and semi-arid inland Australia
Eastern grey kangaroo	Macropus giganteus	Least Concern	Eastern and southeastern Australia
Western grey kangaroo	Macropus fuliginosus	Least Concern	Southern and western Australia
Antilopine kangaroo	Osphranter antilopinus	Least Concern	Tropical savannas of northern Australia

What WARN Does

The World Animal Rescue Network does not fund hands-on kangaroo projects. Kangaroos live only in Australia, which is outside WARN's current funded countries. At this launch stage we are honest about that scope: this guide is educational and search-focused content that supports WARN's broader mission of global wildlife awareness and accurate, welfare-minded information. It is not a claim that WARN runs or funds kangaroo conservation or rescue work in Australia.

Kangaroos are not part of WARN's funded work, but the habitats and wildlife they depend on face pressure worldwide. If this guide helped you, please consider supporting WARN's habitat protection efforts, which fund real on-the-ground work in the countries where the network currently operates.

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How does the kangaroo compare?

Kangaroo vs Wallaby →

Kangaroo: Frequently Asked Questions

Are kangaroos endangered?

No. The four large kangaroo species are widespread and abundant and are all assessed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Across the wider family of around fifty macropods the picture varies, and a few relatives such as the black wallaroo are Near Threatened, but the familiar kangaroos are not at risk of extinction.

Where do kangaroos live?

Kangaroos are native only to Australia, where they are found across grasslands, open woodlands, savanna, and arid inland country. Different species favour different habitats, from the dry interior preferred by red kangaroos to the wetter forests and woodlands used by grey kangaroos.

What is a baby kangaroo called?

A baby kangaroo is called a joey. It is born tiny, blind, and undeveloped, then crawls into the mother's pouch and grows there for about eight to nine months before venturing out and eventually leaving the pouch for good.

How fast can a kangaroo hop?

Red kangaroos cruise comfortably at around 20 to 25 km/h and can hit short bursts faster than 70 km/h. Their long hind tendons store and release energy like springs, making hopping a remarkably efficient way to travel.

What is the largest kangaroo?

The red kangaroo is the largest kangaroo and the biggest marsupial alive today. Large males can stand up to about two metres tall and weigh roughly ninety kilograms (around 200 pounds).

What do kangaroos eat?

Kangaroos eat Herbivore, mainly grasses and other low plants. A kangaroo is a large hopping marsupial native to Australia and the world's biggest marsupial, carrying its young, called a joey, in a pouch; the main kangaroo species are widespread and assessed as Least Concern.

Are kangaroos dangerous?

Most kangaroo species are abundant and listed as Least Concern, but they sit at the centre of ongoing debates about welfare, commercial harvesting, and government-managed culling. Give wild kangaroos space; do not corner or handle them.

How long do kangaroos live?

Kangaroos typically live About 6 years in the wild; 20+ years possible in captivity. A kangaroo is a large hopping marsupial native to Australia and the world's biggest marsupial, carrying its young, called a joey, in a pouch; the main kangaroo species are widespread and assessed as Least Concern. Wild and captive figures can differ; use the sources listed on the guide for the underlying studies.

How big is a kangaroo?

A Kangaroo is about About 6 years in the wild; 20+ years possible in captivity. A kangaroo is a large hopping marsupial native to Australia and the world's biggest marsupial, carrying its young, called a joey, in a pouch; the main kangaroo species are widespread and assessed as Least Concern.

Sources & References

Population figures, conservation status and biological facts on this page are drawn from authoritative scientific and intergovernmental sources.

Terms used on this page

Plain-English definitions, from our wildlife and conservation glossary.

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