Kangaroos use their big hind legs and thick tail for hopping.The hind legs of the red kangaroo are about ten times the size of the small front legs.Kangaroos use all four legs when they move slowly.When they need to move fast,they rise up on their hind legs and start hopping.
Some kangaroos can leap really far.Red kangaroos moving at top speeds can spring 16feet (5meters)or more in a single hop.They can hop at more than 31miles per hour (50kilometers per hour)for short periods of time.The kangaroo uses its tail for balance when it hops.It uses the tail for support when it sits.
The only kangaroo that does not hop is the musky rat kangaroo.
What Do Kangaroos Eat?