The Eastern grey kangaroo looks very similar to the red kangaroo but is slightly smaller though they may be heavier. They have a small head with large ears. They are usually a steel grey color on top and the underside of their tail and their belly is a lighter color. Eastern grey kangaroos have a long tail (up to 4 feet long) that is used for balance and as a prop when standing.
They are very powerful jumpers and can jump 30 feet in one bound. When grey kangaroos are not jumping they move on all four limbs. The front limbs of the grey kangaroo are much smaller than their hind legs and have five digits that they can use to grasp objects.
Food
Eastern grey kangaroos are herbivores. They primarily eat shrubs, leaves, grass and herbs.
Habitat
Eastern grey kangaroos are found in the eastern parts of Australia and in Tasmania. They live on grasslands or in open woodlands.
Predators
The predators that the Eastern grey kangaroo has to deal with are the dingo, python, goanna, and some of the larger carnivorous birds. Also, farmers often shoot them since they jump fences and eat on sheep grazing land.
Social Structure
Eastern grey kangaroos live in groups called mobs. A mob is led by a mature male and consists of younger males and females with their young. The older male stays in control through force. They eat primarily at night and sleep during the day either in shade or in holes they have dug. When an Eastern grey kangaroo senses danger, it will thump the ground with it hind legs to warn the rest of the mob.
Birth & Offspring
Female grey kangaroos give birth after a gestation period of around 35 days. The young kangaroo is less than an inch long and its first act is to crawl up its mother’s belly into the pouch. There, it latches onto a teat and nurses. It will stay in the pouch for about 300 days. Joeies, young kangaroos, will usually nurse for 18 months after they leave the pouch.
Senses
Easter grey kangaroos have excellent senses of smell, sight and hearing. They can swivel their ears around to focus on a specific direction.
Lydia King is a huge animal lover and has always been fascinated with learning about the animal kingdom. She enjoys writing about anything animal related from scientific information about rare species to animal references in pop culture.
