Red Kangaroo

Description: An iconic symbol of the Australian outback, the red kangaroo is the largest living marsupial, and one of the most abundant and striking of all kangaroos. Standing up to an impressive two metres tall, the male red kangaroo is much larger and more powerfully muscled than the female, with larger shoulders and forearms, more heavily clawed forepaws, and thickened skin over the belly, which helps absorb the impact of kicks during fights. The male also has a rather large, bow-shaped nose.

Habitat: This kangaroo occurs in arid and semi-arid habitats, in areas of less than 500 to 800 mm annual rainfall. It may be found in scrubland, grassland, woodland and desert, tending to prefer open grassy plains with scattered trees for shade and shelter.

Status: Classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List.

Threats: There are no major threats to the red kangaroo, and it remains a widely distributed and abundant species, which has generally benefitted from the spread of agriculture and the associated reduction in dingo numbers and provision of artificial watering holes for livestock. Although intensive agriculture is not beneficial to the species, little of its habitat has so far been affected by this. However, some argue that competition with livestock and introduced rabbits, particularly during drought conditions, could present a threat.