Steve Parish

Red kangaroos hop along on their powerful hind legs at speeds of up to 35 miles per hour. Their bounding gait allows them to cover 25 feet in a single leap and jump 6 feet high. They are the only kangaroo truly suited to arid environments, though they prefer the greener plains and open woodlands where there are plenty of herbaceous plants to forage.

Males, or boomers, are heavily muscled with a rich, rusty red coat, though some may also be a dark grey. Females, often called blue-flyers, are much smaller and range in colour from grey-blue to reddish.