Red Kangaroo | Macropus Rufus | 3 - 9ft (0.9 - 2.7m) | 40 - 150 lbs (18 - 70kg)
Red kangaroo is the largest marsupial in the world.
The female is often called the "blue flyer" because of her blue-grey fur. In the eastern part males are usually red (pale red to brick red) and females a bluish grey, elsewhere, both sexes may be reddish/brown.
Red kangaroos normally move in groups ("mobs") ranging from a few dozen to several hundred animals. The Red kangaroo mob usually consists of a dominant male, a number of adult females, and juveniles of both sexes.
Red kangaroo females are sexually mature at about eighteen months, males at about two years. Red kangaroo joeys remain in the pouch for 5-6 months. Over a period of 2-3 months they gradually spend more time away from the pouch usually weaned by one year of age, but normally remain close to the mother for another 6 months.
Red kangaroo estimate population in 1996 was 10'000'000
Red kangaroos are distributed throughout inland Australia and occupy mixed habitats of open shrub lands, grasslands, malee scrubs, Mulga country, and desert absent from the wetter areas of eastern, northern and south-western Australia.