hatch at the same time, usually 56 days from when the male starts to sit. The downy chicks are distinctive in their brown and buff stripes, which gradually fade as they grow and the feathers are replaced. Emus communicate with deep grunts, booms and drumming sounds aided by a large air sac in the throat, which inflates and resonates soune Kangaroos, Wallaroos, Euros, Wallabies, Potoroos, Bettongs, Pademelons Quokkas, Rat Kangaroos The numerous names given to kangaroo-like animals depends to a large extent on their size and where they are found. The biggest Kangaroos are the red and the grey kangaroo. Wallabies and their relatives come next in size, while the smallest is the rat-kangaroo There are about sixty different species of kangaroos. While in general kangaroos are ground-living herbivores, there is considerable variety and some species are special ised. The burrowing Bettong, for example, constructs and lives in the company of others, in a series of burrows forming a warren. Much larger, but also with a restricted range, are the tree kangaroos, which are found in Northern Queensland These nocturnal kangaroos live high in the tree canopy. Their tail is very long and acts as a balanc ing organ. It is not prehensile, but the tip is bushy, and long haired. On small branches, their hind limbs move independently, one after the other; but on broad branches these kangaroos hop in a characteristic kangaroo fashion. The pouch is the distinguishing feature and an important characteristic of marsupials. The young is born in an immature state and crawls or rather pulls itself with its arms into the pouch, where it becomes attached to one of the mothers teats The teat becomes swollen inside the baby's mouth so it cannot be accidentally dislodged. There the baby remains until it matures sufficiently to move around by itself, although it may not be weaned until some time after this event. The larger Kangaroos are in no danger of extinction whilst smaller Kangaroos, which rely heavily on the natural state of the bush for shelter, are much more vulnerable. Some species have already become extinct within the relatively short time since the settlement of Australia just over two hundred years ago Kangaroos usually live in groups. Males are usually larger than females. The largest species are the grey and red kangaroos, followed by the wallaroo or euro. Red kangaroos live in the drier regions; grey kangaroos in the cooler forest, woodland and grassy areas, while the wallaroo lives over much of the continent, from hot to cold especially where there is rocky shelters or thick vegetation in which to hide. The front limbs are relatively short, and are only used for walking at low speed. There are five digits all clawed. The hands are used to dig. scratch, hold vegetation, and clutch opponent in a fight. The rear limbs are very strong and are used in conjunction witI the muscular tail to stand erect, and in high speed locomotion As a Kangaroo bounds forward with a hop of its hind feet, the tail rises and then descends helping to balance the body. In fights with other kangaroos, they will attempt to grasp the foe with their front limbs, balance on their tail and rip downwards into the body of the predator with their strong hind limbs. There are four digits on the hind limb, all with impressive claws ● Focal points:hatch at the same time, usually 56 days from when the male starts to sit. The downy chicks are distinctive in their brown and buff stripes, which gradually fade as they grow and the feathers are replaced. Emus communicate with deep grunts, booms and drumming sounds aided by a large air sac in the throat, which inflates and resonates the sound. Kangaroos, Wallaroos, Euros, Wallabies, Potoroos, Bettongs, Pademelons, Quokkas, Rat Kangaroos The numerous names given to kangaroo-like animals depends to a large extent on their size and where they are found. The biggest Kangaroos are the red and the grey kangaroo. Wallabies and their relatives come next in size, while the smallest is the rat-kangaroo. There are about sixty different species of kangaroos. While in general kangaroos are ground-living herbivores, there is considerable variety and some species are specialised. The burrowing Bettong, for example, constructs and lives in the company of others, in a series of burrows forming a warren. Much larger, but also with a restricted range, are the tree kangaroos, which are found in Northern Queensland. These nocturnal kangaroos live high in the tree canopy. Their tail is very long and acts as a balancing organ. It is not prehensile, but the tip is bushy, and long haired. On small branches, their hind limbs move independently, one after the other; but on broad branches these kangaroos hop in a characteristic kangaroo fashion. The pouch is the distinguishing feature and an important characteristic of marsupials. The young is born in an immature state and crawls or rather pulls itself with its arms into the pouch, where it becomes attached to one of the mother's teats. The teat becomes swollen inside the baby's mouth so it cannot be accidentally dislodged. There the baby remains until it matures sufficiently to move around by itself, although it may not be weaned until some time after this event. The larger Kangaroos are in no danger of extinction whilst smaller Kangaroos, which rely heavily on the natural state of the bush for shelter, are much more vulnerable. Some species have already become extinct within the relatively short time since the settlement of Australia just over two hundred years ago. Kangaroos usually live in groups. Males are usually larger than females. The largest species are the grey and red kangaroos, followed by the wallaroo or euro. Red kangaroos live in the drier regions; grey kangaroos in the cooler forest, woodland and grassy areas, while the wallaroo lives over much of the continent, from hot to cold, especially where there is rocky shelters or thick vegetation in which to hide. The front limbs are relatively short, and are only used for walking at low speed. There are five digits, all clawed. The hands are used to dig, scratch, hold vegetation, and clutch an opponent in a fight. The rear limbs are very strong and are used in conjunction with the muscular tail to stand erect, and in high speed locomotion. As a Kangaroo bounds forward with a hop of its hind feet, the tail rises and then descends helping to balance the body. In fights with other kangaroos, they will attempt to grasp the foe with their front limbs, balance on their tail and rip downwards into the body of the predator with their strong hind limbs. There are four digits on the hind limb, all with impressive claws. ⚫ Focal Points: