How does a red kangaroo stay alive in the desert?

Answer 1

It doesn't. Red kangaroos do not live in the desert. They live in semi-arid areas, and keep cool by sheltering under trees and lying quietly in hollows in the ground during the day. They are essentilly nocturnal and crepuscular, the latter meaning they feed at dawn and dusk.

The only desert-dwelling kangaroos are the much smaller members of the kangaroo family which burrow underground during the day, and feed on insect larvae and plant roots and seeds, obtaining all their water needs from their food. These tiny creatures are rarely even recognised as members of the kangaroo family.

Answer 2

The Simpson Desert is not the dry wasteland many people imagine it to be. Although parts of it are sandy and very dry, much of it is actually well-vegetated. Red kangaroos can be found in parts of the Simpson desert, but they are not found among the sandy dunes. They are only found in the semi-arid regions where there is plenty of vegetation, as well as permanent waterholes.

Red kangaroos are particularly suited to survive in semi-arid areas. The mother Red kangaroo spends most of her adult life pregnant, but in drought times, she has the ability to indefinitely "freeze" the development of the young embryo until food sources are sufficient. The embryo simply will not develop until there is enough food to sustain it through its growth.

The Red kangaroo, like almost all marsupials, is nocturnal and crepuscular, feeding mainly at dusk and dawn. Red kangaroos are more active in the cooler hours of the early morning and the late afternoon, so this helps protect them from the heat.

Answer 3

Red kangaroos are uniquely adapted to life in Australia, a country that suffers frequent droughts.

• The mother kangaroo spends most of her adult life pregnant, but in drought times, she has the ability to indefinitely "freeze" the development of the young embryo until food sources are replenished.
• The mother can also produce two different types of milk to suit the needs of two different aged joeys. She might have a more mature joey that spends less time in the pouch, while a very young embryo has attached itself to a teat. Each joey has different milk requirements - which the mother is able to supply.
• Kangaroos are able to travel long distances at a high speed, expending very little energy. They are very energy-efficient, and this is linked directly to the physical action of bringing their hind legs up with each hop. Every hop literally refills the lungs.
• Kangaroos have large, strong tendons in their hind legs which act as "springs". The springing motion requires less energy than running does, so kangaroos are able to bound for longer distances than other mammals with the standard four legs can run. They have strong back legs and elongated hind feet for bounding.
• Kangaroos are strong swimmers. Many parts of Australia are subject to seasonal flooding rains, but the kangaroo's body shape does not prohibit it from swimming. In fact, kangaroos have been observed swimming to offshore islands off the southern coast. This is the only time the kangaroo's hind legs move independently of each other.
• Kangaroos are more active in the cooler hours of the early morning and the late afternoon. During the heat of the day they are more sedentary, lying around quietly and chewing their cud.
• The teeth of the kangaroo are continuously being worn down by the tough grasses they eat. Instead of continuously growing, once a kangaroo's front teeth are worn down completely, they fall out, and the back teeth move forwards to take the place of the worn front teeth. Kangaroos have four such pairs of chewing teeth.
• Kangaroos have the ability to hear very well: kangaroos can twitch their ears. around to determine the direction of specific sounds, much as a cat does
• They have long, strong tails for balancing.
• Kangaroos are able to move their ears at a variety of angles to hear if there is any danger close to them.
• In hot weather, kangaroos use saliva to cool down, licking their forearms where there is little muscle tissue and blood veins run close to the surface. When the saliva evaporates from the fur, it cools down the kangaroo.