What does a kangaroo rat den look like?

Answer 1

It depends on the species. There are over 60 species of kangaroo, and their land, or habitat, varies according to the species.

Kangaroos' habitats include grasslands, mulga scrub, open bushland and open plains - wherever there is food, and shade trees. Red kangaroos prefer this type of habitat. They will generally not frequent rocky slopes and hillsides, this being more territory for wallabies and wallaroos. However, they will shelter under cliffs and in caves in bad weather.

Some members of the kangaroo family can be very small, and these smaller members dig burrows in desert and semi-arid areas, living on insects, larvae, fungi and plant roots. Larger kangaroos, such as the reds and greys, do not live in the desert (despite what some overseas websites report) because there is insufficient food there.

Wallabies, another member of the kangaroo family, are commonly found in scrubland and bushland throughout Australia (including Tasmania), and rock wallabies and wallaroos may be found in hilly, rocky areas.

Answer 2

The Tree kangaroo is a marsupial that lives in the rainforests of Australia and New Guinea. It has a long, cylindrical non-prehensile tail, which is used as a rudder as it jumps from branch to branch in the trees. Its body size averages 66cm in length, excluding the tail, which is about as long as the body. It has larger forelegs and smaller hindlegs than kangaroos and wallabies, and shorter, rounded ears compared to its ground-dwelling counterparts. Its fur is short and brownish-grey, and it is dark coloured on its face, toes and tip of tail.

Answer 3

The musky rat-kangaroo is the smallest of the 60 or so kangaroo species. Its average body size is about 23cm (ranging from 15 to 30 cm), and its head to tail length averages 30-43 cm. The weight, which is similar for both males and females, ranges between 337 and 680 grams.

It tends to be a rich brown in colour, with its head tending more to grey-brown. Unlike other marsupials, its tail and feet does not have fur, but are covered instead with skin that features numerous tiny scales. It is also different from the other members of the kangaroo family because it has 5 toes on each of its hind feet.

Answer 4

Kangaroo rats are rodents. They are rat-like mammals with long tails and large feet like a miniature kangaroo. However, they are very much smaller than kangaroos, with Giant kangaroo rats having a body length of only 15cm (6 inches). Kangaroo rats are not even remotely related to kangaroos, or rat-kangaroos of Australia.

Kangaroo rats are placental mammals so they do not have abdominal pouches, but they do have fur lined cheek pouches which are used for storing food. Depending on the species of kangaroo rat, they may vary in shades of brown and grey from a light creamy tan to cinnamon coloured.

Answer 5

Newborn kangaroo joeys are about the size of a jellybean. They are tiny, pink and hairless, with their eyelids fused shut.

Answer 6

Baby kangaroo rats aren't nearly as cute as their parents. They are tiny, bald, pink, veiny, and their eyes are still closed.