Australia

  
 
Famous animal
 
Kangaroo is held up as the quintessential icon of Australia. Like Australians, the Kangaroo is an individualistic social animal. Although it congregates in groups, unlike a sheep or cow, the Kangaroo is not a herd animal. If a mob of roos is attacked, individuals run in different directions.
If a lone roo is chased by an animal such as a dog, the roo will try to jump into a body of water. If the dog follows, the Kangaroo will turn to face its assailant and then use it paws to to grab a dog's head, and drown it.
Kangaroos keen to survive when one considers that at any time they may have three children depending upon them. Its children may include:
1. One semi-adult discovering life outside the pouch, learning to eat grass, but still feeding off the mother;
2. An infant curiously watching what goes on from the safety of the mother's pouch;
3. One embryo the size of a thumbnail awaiting signals to be born.

 
With so many children depending on her, the mother needs a man she can depend on and true to form, the father Kangaroo doesn't let her down. When danger is sensed, the lady will crouch down in the bushes in relative safety. Meanwhile, the male will assume a position of prominence in the hope a predator will spot him, and then chase him. If pursued, the male Kangaroo will do his best to lead the assailant away from his family. If he survives, he will return at a later time to again watch over his lady and children.
Species of roo
There are 47 different varieties of Kangaroo. The largest six are referred to as roos while the rest are called Wallabies. The largest is the Red Kangaroo at a height of 1.8m and a weight of 90kg. It can clear nine meters in a single jump, has been known to jump over a nine foot high fence and has a top speed of 74 kilometres an hour. The smallest is the Monjon which grows to 35cm and weighs 1.4kg. One species, the Purple-neck Rock Wallaby [Petrogale Purpureicollis] secretes a dye that transforms its face and neck into colours ranging from light pink to bright purple.
The Kangaroo appears along with the Emu on the Coat of Arms. It is said that these animals were used as they can not walk backwards, thereby reflecting the great Australian trait to