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- Kangaroos' Digestive System
- What does the kangaroo eat?
- How does the kangaroo eat?
- How much does the kangaroo eat?
The term kangaroo is used to talk about the largest species of macropodinos, a subfamily of marsupials to which the three main species of kangaroos belong: the red kangaroo, the eastern gray kangaroo and the western gray kangaroo.
Anyway we are talking about the Australia's most representative animal, which has large dimensions and can weigh up to 85 kg and another feature is that it moves through jumps that sometimes reach a dizzying speed of 70 km/h.
This animal has other characteristics like the marsupium, and in its entirety it is a species that attracts our curiosity and is able to fascinate us, so in this article by the Animal Expert we show you everything you need to know about kangaroos feeding.
Kangaroos' Digestive System
The kangaroo has an important resemblance to the sloth as well as to cattle, this is because your stomach is structured into several compartments that allow you to take advantage of all the nutrients you acquire through the foods you eat.
Once the kangaroo has ingested its food, it is able to regurgitate it, chew it again, but this time it is the bolus, which it then re-swallows to finish the entire digestion process.
As we will see below, the kangaroo is a herbivore and this characteristic of its digestive system is of vital importance to be able to digest the cellulose that exists in vegetables.
What does the kangaroo eat?
all kangaroos are herbivores, however, depending on the particular kangaroo species, the foods that are part of your diet can show a certain degree of variability, so let's look at the main food groups that eat the most iconic kangaroo species:
- eastern gray kangaroo: feeds on a large amount and all kinds of herbs.
- red kangaroo: It mainly feeds on shrubs, however, it also includes several herbs in its diet.
- Western gray kangaroo: it feeds on a wide variety of herbs, however it also ingests the leaves of shrubs and low trees.
Smaller kangaroo species may also include certain types of fungus in their diet.
How does the kangaroo eat?
In addition to having a stomach perfectly adapted to ingesting cellulose, the kangaroo has specialized dental parts as a consequence of their herding habit.
The incisor teeth have the ability to pull out grass crops from the ground and the molar parts cut and grind the grass, as the two sides of its lower jaw are not joined together, which in addition gives it a wide bite. .
How much does the kangaroo eat?
The kangaroo is usually a nocturnal and twilight animal, which means that during the day he spends time resting in the shade of trees and bushes, and sometimes even digs a shallow hole in the earth where he lies down and refreshes himself.
Therefore, the ideal time to move around in search of food is at night and in the morning.
