The world's largest marsupial is the red kangaroo. They live in groups, called mobs, in the Australian deserts and open grasslands.
The red kangaroos hop on their powerful hind legs and can reach speeds of over 35 miles an hour. They can cover 25 feet in a single leap and can jump 6 feet high. Kangaroos' legs cannot move independently of one another, so they have to hop everywhere.
A baby kangaroo is smaller than a cherry at birth and stays in its mother's pouch and never emerges until it is four months old. Young kangaroos, if threatened, will dive into the pouch of the mother kangaroos until they are about eight months old.
The females of the species are smaller, faster and lighter than the males, but the males are more powerfully built and "box" each other with their strong hind legs when fighting over a potential mate. Kangaroos have sharp claws and can bite to defend themselves against enemies like the dingo.
Millions of red kangaroos can be found in Australia and many of them are killed each year for their skins and for their meat. Kangaroo meat is becoming more and more popular as a food source for humans.
