Fun Facts about Kangaroos for Kids

For more than a decade, A maze’n Farmyard has been providing families with fun amusement experiences. The park is located in Eden Valley, Minnesota, and maintains a huge range of attractions and activities, including bounce houses, a giant slide, and hands-on animal interactions. A maze’n Farmyard houses more than 30 different animals, including a kangaroo and a joey.

Kangaroos are a type of marsupial that are largely found in New Guinea and Australia. Below are a few fun facts about these interesting animals:

- There are four different species of kangaroo: the eastern grey kangaroo, antilopine kangaroo, red kangaroo, and western grey kangaroo.

- Kangaroos can grow to more than six feet in height and can reach top speeds of 45 miles per hour. This makes them faster than some racehorses. Further, kangaroos can jump nearly 10 feet high in the air.

- A “joey” refers to a baby kangaroo. Meanwhile, male kangaroos are called bucks and females are called does. Kangaroos often live in groups, known as mobs, that may have anywhere from 10 to 25 kangaroos.

- While on land, kangaroos move both of their hind legs at the same time to hop. Hopping is the main way that kangaroos move, but they can move more slowly by walking on all fours. Kangaroos can also swim, and they move each of their hind legs separately when in water.

- Kangaroos have an average lifespan of 23 years when in captivity. However, some kangaroos living in the wild may only live for around six years.