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Kangaroos are one of the most recognizable creatures on Earth. Rose, as they are fondly called in Australia, are large, furry marsupials with powerful legs and huge tails. There are currently four kangaroo species on Earth, and all of them are endemic to Australia.
although kangaroos are in the same family as wallabies and wallaroos, their overall size puts them in unique genera and species. wallabies are generally small, wallaroos are medium sized and kangaroos are large. tree kangaroos, the only tree-dwelling macropods, are generally not considered to be part of the four accepted kangaroo species, despite some notable similarities. Below we list the four recognized species of kangaroos from smallest to largest.
Like many animals, kangaroos are sexually dimorphic, meaning the males and females differ in size. For kangaroos, the males are generally larger than the females. When looking at the stats below, keep in mind that the sizes listed are for the males as they are the larger members of each species.
4. Antelope Kangaroo (Osphranter antilopinus)
- Avg. body length: ~3.9 ft. long (1.2 m)
- Avg. tail length: ~ 2.95 ft. long (0.9 m)
- Avg. Height: ~3.6 ft. Long (1.1m)
- Avg. weight: 85-108 pounds.
The Antilopine kangaroo is the smallest of the four kangaroo species and is also known as the Antilopine wallaroo. The Antilopine lives along the north coast of Australia from the Cape York Peninsula to the Kimberly region. The coloring varies but generally consists of a general gray with a reddish brown color covering the back and parts of the head. The underbelly is usually cream colored. A social grazer, the Antilopine usually belongs to a group of kangaroos where males try to assert dominance over one another. Like all roses, the Antilopine has a muscular tail, powerful legs, large feet, a small head with large ears, and a pouch for their young. Babies are called joeys. The Antelope kangaroo is locally abundant and the population is considered stable.
3. Western Gray Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus)
- Avg. body length: ~2.75-3.6 ft. long (0.84-1.1 m)
- Avg. tail length: ~2.6-3.3 ft. long (0.8-1 m)
- Avg. Height: ~4.26 ft. Long (1.3m)
- Avg. weight: 62-120 pounds.
this common marsupial lives along large parts of the south coast of Australia from Perth to the border with Victoria. A small portion of its range overlaps with the greater eastern gray kangaroo, but the two species never interbreed in the wild. There are two subspecies, with the smaller Kangaroo Island subspecies only found on Kangaroo Island, about seventy miles southwest of Adelaide.
The western gray has a gray to brown coat, with lighter shades around the chest, belly and front of the neck. It is often difficult to distinguish them from the eastern gray, but the westerns generally have a darker gray-brown coat and the occasional black patch around the elbow. The Kangaroo Island subspecies is also known as “soot black” kangaroos because of the dark fur around the nose and face. One of the more interesting nicknames for the species is stinker, given because adult male Eastern Grays give off a curry-like odor.
2. Eastern Gray Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus)
- Avg. body length: ~4.26 ft. long (1.3 m)
- Avg. tail length: ~3.3 ft long (1 m)
- Avg. height: ~4.9 ft. Long (1.5m)
- Avg. weight: 110-146 pounds.
The second largest kangaroo species, eastern grays, are found in the eastern third of Australia and are quite abundant. There is also a population on the island of Tasmania. Its habitat overlaps with the red kangaroo, but the two species are easily distinguishable, with the eastern gray sporting soft gray fur. Eastern gray kangaroos also prefer generally wetter climates than the red ones. Like all kangaroos, the eastern gray is crepuscular, meaning it is most active at dusk. During the heat of the day, the eastern grays usually take a siesta and rest under the cover of vegetation until temperatures become more manageable. A female eastern gray kangaroo set the record for fasted kangaroos ever, traveling at 40 miles per hour.
1. Red Kangaroo (Osphranter rufus)
- Avg. body length: up to ~5.25 ft. long (1.6 m)
- Avg. tail length: ~3.9 ft long (1.2 m)
- Avg. height: ~ 5.9 ft. Long (1.8m)
- Avg. weight: 121-198 pounds.
The red kangaroo is the largest kangaroo species on Earth; it is also Australia’s national animal. The range of the red kangaroo is enormous; it is found in most of the continent’s interior and along part of the northwest coast. Compared to the eastern gray, the red prefers drier climates with undergrowth, grasses and the occasional orchard to shelter under. Red kangaroos are also a highly adaptive species, adapting well to human presence and sometimes feeding in farmers’ fields.
Red kangaroos are powerful creatures with well-defined and muscular arms and legs capable of: jumping feet in the air. Like other kangaroos, males engage in fighting and boxing, using their arms and legs to kick and knock their opponents off balance. When kicking, the red can use its tail as a stabilizing appendage on the ground. Men usually fight only for women and to establish superiority in their social groups. The Reds who lose battles live alone and avoid other groups.
The largest kangaroo ever recorded
History has something to add about the largest kangaroo species. although now extinct, the Procoptodon was a genus of huge kangaroos that lived in Australia. Using fossil evidence, scientists think they were up to 6.6 ft long and weighed somewhere between 400 and 530 lbs.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest living marsupial was a red kangaroo. The world record was set in 2017 for a man standing eight feet tall and standing nearly six feet (5’11”). Roger the buff kangaroo, named for his physique, was also a huge kangaroo, weighing in at more over 200lbs!
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