Today is Australia Day, so I am writing about an iconic Australian animal and one that I've seen a few times in the wild, the eastern grey kangaroo. The gestation period lasts for around 36 days. Eastern and Western Gray Kangaroo The Eastern and Western Gray Kangaroos are the most commonly seen of the species in Australia.

Other articles where Eastern gray kangaroo is discussed: kangaroo: Descriptions of selected species: The eastern gray kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) is found mostly in the open forests of eastern Australia and Tasmania. The western gray kangaroo has a thick, coarse fur ranging from grey to brown.

Here are five interesting facts about them: They are the second largest marsupial in the world, with the large, muscular males often growing well over 2 … This is because rather than being nocturnal, these kangaroos are diurnal -- active most during early morning and early evening hours more so … One of the largest kangaroo species, the eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) has soft, thick, grey-brown fur, paler on the underparts, with a finely haired muzzle, and dark tips to the paws, feet and tail. Eastern grey kangaroos are seasonal breeders (spring and early summer), unlike some kangroo species such as the red kangaroo or even the closely related western grey kangaroo, which breeds continously as long as the conditions are good. It is also known as the great grey kangaroo and the forester kangaroo.Although a big eastern grey male typically masses around 66 kg (weight 145 lb.) The Eastern Grey Kangaroo, being slightly smaller than the red kangaroo, is steel grey in colour on the top, with the underside of the tail and front being lighter in colour. The eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) is a marsupial found in eastern third of Australia, with a population of several million.

The chest, throat and belly have a paler color compared to the rest of the body. They vary in colour, being anywhere from greyish-brown to chocolate brown. It is replaced by the western gray kangaroo (M. fuliginosus) along the southern coast into the southwest of Western Australia. It is hard to distinguish between this kangaroo species and the eastern gray kangaroo although the western gray kangaroo has dark coloration around the head. Kangaroo, any of six large species of Australian marsupials noted for hopping and bouncing on their hind legs. The Western grey kangaroo is one of the biggest and most abundant of kangaroos, and can be told apart from its close relative, the Eastern grey kangaroo by the browner fur, darker color of the head, long dark ears which are almost hairless on the backs, and in some of them, a blackish patch at the elbow.

Western grey kangaroo The Western grey kangaroo looks much like the Eastern grey kangaroo, and for many years was treated as a subspecies. The eastern grey kangaroo exhibits embryonic diapause, a condition in which development of the zygote is halted. There may also be a darker line along the back. The muzzle is covered in fine hair. Eastern grey kangaroos generally give birth to one infant at a time but twins have been reported.