What does the kangaroo excel in?
Answers
Among the world’s most curious creatures is Australia’s amazing kangaroo. He appears standing proud and tall on the Australian coat of arms, and has been a rallying symbol for national sporting teams.
Benign of face, bottom-heavy of build, kangaroos outclass most of the animal kingdom in the long and high jump, boxing, and karate. Born a mere 1-1.5 centimetres (half-inch) long, and weighing less than a gram, kangaroos can grow taller than a man. As with most other marsupials, one of the three orders of mammals, they raise their young in body pouches. But kangaroos have another advantage - an expectant female can retain an embryo in ready reserve for months, until the conditions are right for its continued development.
When it comes to marsupials, no place on earth can count a greater variety than the island continent of Australia. Of 250 existing species, some 170 of them - including wombats, bandicoots, and kangaroos live only in Australia or its immediate surroundings. All the rest, except the opossum found in the United States and Canada, are limited to Latin America.