Eastern Grey Kangaroo
Macropus giganteus
They use their muscular tail as a 'fifth leg' for balance while walking and as a tripod while standing still.
- Scientific name
- Macropus giganteus
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Chordata › Mammalia › Diprotodontia › Macropodidae › Macropus
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Open woodlands, shrublands, and grasslands of eastern Australia.
- Diet
- Herbivorous, primarily consuming various grasses and forbs.
- Range
- Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania
- Size
- Up to 2.1 meters tall and 66 kilograms.
- Lifespan
- 8-12 years in the wild.
- Active
- crepuscular
- Threats
- Habitat fragmentation, vehicle collisions, and extreme drought.
- Safe to approach?
- Generally shy but can be defensive; large males may kick or scratch if cornered. Maintain a 10-15m distance. Do not feed. If approached aggressively, crouch low and retreat slowly. Seek medical help for deep scratches or blunt trauma from kicks.
The eastern grey kangaroo ( Macropus giganteus ) is a marsupial found in the eastern third of Australia, with a population of several million. It is also known as the great grey kangaroo and the forester kangaroo . Although a big eastern grey male can typically weigh up to 69 kg (152 lb) and have a length of well over 2 m (6 ft 7 in), the scientific name, Macropus giganteus (gigantic large-foot), is misleading: the red kangaroo of the semi-arid inland is larger,...
Photo: Shane Walker, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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