How do kangaroos care for their babies?

Answer 1

The first thing the mother kangaroo (jill or doe) does for her newborn joey is to prepare a path for it to crawl from the birth canal to the pouch. She does this by licking the fur down flat. The act of licking the fur also stops the tiny, hairless joey from drying out.

Once the joey reaches the pouch, it latches onto a teat which swells in its mouth. It stays there for six-seven months (depending on the species of kangaroo) until it is ready to become more independent. Another joey may be born in the meantime, but the mother kangaroo is able to produce two different types of milk to meet the different needs of her two young joeys.

Answer 2

The same way all mammals do.

To be more specific:

Most kangaroos are able to breed all year round. Female kangaroos have two vaginas, or what are called paired lateral vaginae. These are for the purpose of transporting the sperm to the womb, but there is a midline pseudovaginal canal for actually giving birth. Male kangaroos have substantial penises that are used in the same fashion as with other species, but unlike most species of marsupial, they do not have a bifurcated penis. Female kangaroos can often be in a state of almost permanent pregnancy, with an embryo "suspended" until the mother's body is ready to release it - whether that be when another joey is sufficiently weaned, or feeding conditions have improved.

The gestation period lasts 31-36 days. Baby kangaroos are the size of a jellybean when they are born. They are born blind and hairless. A baby kangaroo is born from the female's uterus and then climbs up the outer fur of the female and into the upward facing pouch where it attaches itself to a nipple until it becomes stronger. The mother kangaroo licks a path to the pouch to help guide the joey. Baby kangaroos live in their mother's pouch and feed by drinking milk. The teat swells in the joey's mouth, securing it in place so it cannot be accidentally dislodged. The joey will usually stay in the pouch for about 6-9 months.