Can Kangaroos Run?
Kangaroos are unique animals that have a large number of features. But their main distinguishing features are a bag on the belly and the ability to move quickly with the help of jumps. And they push off from the ground with two hind legs. This may raise the question: can a kangaroo run?
Origin
This type of animal lives on the territory of Australia, and it is considered to be the youngest among all herbivores. Probably, the first ancestors of kangaroos began to appear 12.5 million years ago, but in appearance and lifestyle they were far from modern individuals. During this period, global warming began, which caused the area of Australian forests to decrease significantly.
And if the distant ancestors of kangaroos used to eat soft leaves of trees, subsequent generations had to adapt and switch to hard grass growing out of the ground. Over the course of a long evolutionary process, the animal was retrained and changed its way of life. Along with this, its appearance changed.
It is believed that the first kangaroos with a modern appearance appeared about 3 million years ago. Even then, they had a bag on their torso and moved by jumping. It is not known what size those individuals were. It is likely that they had smaller dimensions. Now adult kangaroos can grow up to 2.8 meters and have a predominantly gray color. Approximately 30 million individuals live in Australia.
Can They Really Run?
The animal’s body is designed in such a way that it is not able to run. Even in order to move a couple of meters, kangaroos are forced to lean forward, lean on the ground with their front paws and simultaneously move their hind legs forward. However, while moving, the animal does not feel any need to run. Kangaroos have powerful legs that can push off the ground for a long time without interruption.
They can reach speeds of up to 60 km/h while jumping 5-7 meters. The hind legs of the animal are well developed, so it can move quickly even with a baby in a bag. Although visually the feet seem quite thin, strong muscles are hidden under the fur.
