One of the 6 kangaroos on WAnimals

Mammals · Diprotodontia · Macropodidae

Western Gray Kangaroo

Macropus fuliginosus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The western grey kangaroo is a diprotodont marsupial of the family Macropodidae. It is one of the largest and most abundant kangaroos in its genus. Its coat is coarse and thick and varies from pale greyish brown to chocolate brown; the chest and belly are paler. When moving slowly it takes long strides like a rabbit, using all four limbs with the tail as support, but when running at speed it bounds on its hind legs. Males grow to twice the size of females and can cover 10 metres in a single bound. This species feeds mainly at night, chiefly on grasses, but it also browses the leaves of shrubs and low trees. It lives in stable groups of up to 15 animals. The dominant male is generally the only one to breed. Gestation lasts 30 to 31 days.

Weight

17 kg – 72 kg

Size

85 cm – 1.4 m

Lifespan

20 years

Diet

Herbivore

Feeds mainly on plants.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

1countries7parks15same family

Fun facts

  • It is the only one of the large kangaroos unable to hold an embryo in diapause: while the red and the eastern grey always have a spare embryo in reserve, this one has to mate again after each joey.
  • Adult males give off a strong, characteristic smell, likened to curry, which has earned them the local nickname of stinker among Australian graziers.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type
Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment
Open eucalypt woodland, mallee scrub and grassland of southern and western Australia
Sexual maturity
22 months
Gestation / incubation
30 days
Litter / clutch size
1

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macropus_fuliginosus

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