JOEYS Female kangaroos give birth to a single offspring about one month after mating. The baby is called a joey. The new joey measures only about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters) long. It spends six to eight months in the mother’s pouch. It attaches to one of her teats (nipples) and feeds on her milk. The female has four teats. Older joeys often try to suck milk from the teats long after leaving the pouch. A joey (young kangaroo) spends the first six to eight months of its life inside its mother's pouch. The joey receives protection from its mother and gets nourishment from her milk.

HABITAT The three main species of kangaroos come from Australia. Kangaroos typically inhabit deserts and dry grasslands of central Australia. Eastern kangaroos live chiefly in forests and grasslands of southern and eastern Australia. Western kangaroos are found across the southern part of the country. Another group of macropods called tree kangaroos consists of several species. Tree kangaroos live mostly in forests of Australia and New Guinea.

KANGAROO EATS Kangaroos are herbivores, and they eat a wide variety of plants, including grasses, shrubs, tree leaves and shoots. Kangaroos are Australia's equivalent of bison, deer and cattle in North America. Kangaroos get much of the moisture they need from their diet, which means they can go for long periods of time without drinking water

ADULTS Adults weight about 110 pounds and about seven feet tall. They have small deer-like head. Males and females have gray or brown fur. They can hop as fast as 30 miles per hour.

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