Red Kangaroo

In this exhibit you will see a small "mob" of kangaroos. Mobs are what Australians call a group of kangaroos. In the wild, they may travel in mobs of up to 100 individuals. Red kangaroos are also known as the great kangaroos. They are one of the largest group of marupials. Marsupials are pouched mammals. Red kangaroos may stand about 5 feet tall and weigh 55-200 pounds. Their tail is 3 feet long and very strong. The kangaroos back legs do not move independently meaning they don't walk, they must either jump or walk. Using these powerful back legs kangaroos bound over feet in one jump. They can also reach 30 miles per hour for short periods. While moving at faster speeds the heavy tail moves like a pendulum swinging up and down providing momentum and the kangaroo actually becomes more energy efficient this way.

Information from: http://www.miamimetrozoo.com/map2.htm