Behavioral Adaptation
Kangaroos need very
little water to survive. The intestine of the Red Kangaroo reabsorbs water as
it passes through which means the little water they have available to them is
put to good use by being recycled by their body.
When they are hot, kangaroos pant to cool down. They also lick their chests and the inside of their forearms until those areas are quite wet. When the moisture evaporates it cools the blood, which circulates close to the surface at these points. This helps keep them cool.
Kangaroos hop over large distances to find food and water. Hopping is a fast, energy efficient way to travel. The kangaroo can cover large distances without using a lot of energy.
Kangaroos are mostly active in the early morning or evening, when it is cooler. During the day, when the temperature is most extreme, kangaroos spend the time lazing around under the shade of trees.
The female kangaroo’s efficient breeding cycle also assists them in surviving the harsh environment. They have the ability to put the growth of the unborn baby on hold until external conditions improve. This increases the chances of the young surviving. In times of drought, many kangaroos will die but when conditions are good female kangaroos can have three young ones with them at the same time: one as an embryo (not yet born), one in the pouch and one outside the pouch but still drinking the mother’s milk.
When they are hot, kangaroos pant to cool down. They also lick their chests and the inside of their forearms until those areas are quite wet. When the moisture evaporates it cools the blood, which circulates close to the surface at these points. This helps keep them cool.
Kangaroos hop over large distances to find food and water. Hopping is a fast, energy efficient way to travel. The kangaroo can cover large distances without using a lot of energy.
Kangaroos are mostly active in the early morning or evening, when it is cooler. During the day, when the temperature is most extreme, kangaroos spend the time lazing around under the shade of trees.
The female kangaroo’s efficient breeding cycle also assists them in surviving the harsh environment. They have the ability to put the growth of the unborn baby on hold until external conditions improve. This increases the chances of the young surviving. In times of drought, many kangaroos will die but when conditions are good female kangaroos can have three young ones with them at the same time: one as an embryo (not yet born), one in the pouch and one outside the pouch but still drinking the mother’s milk.
