| SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION |
| COMMON NAME: | Western gray kangaroo |
| KINGDOM: | Animalia |
| PHYLUM: | Chordata |
| CLASS: | Mammalia |
| ORDER: | Diprotodontia |
| FAMILY: | Macropodidae |
| GENUS SPECIES: | Macropus (big foot) fuliginosus |
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| FAST FACTS |
| DESCRIPTION: | These large, muscular animals are grayish-brown to reddish-brown with a small head, large ears, and a long thick tail used for balance. It also has short forearms, strong hind legs, and long broad back feet for hopping and standing upright. |
| FEMALE | The females have a pouch used to carry the baby |
| SIZE: | Approximately 2 m (6.6 ft) long head to tail; 6-7 ft (180-210 cm) in height |
| WEIGHT: |
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| MALE | About 54 kg (121.5 lbs) |
| FEMALE | About 28 kg (63 lbs) |
| DIET: | Includes grass and shrubs |
| GESTATION: | Gestation lasts approximately 31 days; usually one joey (offspring) is born after a gestation period of only 31 days. The joey climbs from the birth canal to the pouch in three minutes. It leaves pouch at 8½ months and is independent at 10 months. |
| NURSING DURATION | After leaving the pouch, the joey continues to nurse for another 6 months. |
| SEXUAL MATURITY: | Approximately 2-3 years |
| LIFE SPAN: | 9-13 years |
| RANGE: | |
| HABITAT: | Inhabits grasslands near water and with a nearby forest or woodland |
| POPULATION: | GLOBAL | Unknown |
| STATUS: | IUCN | Species not listed; subspecies M. f. fulginosus listed as Lower Risk/near threatened |
| CITES | Not listed | |
| USFWS | Not listed |
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