A LITTLE WILDLIFE PERSPECTIVE
How tall is a red kangaroo?
Compare your height to a red kangaroo.
A large red kangaroo can stand about 1.8 m (5 ft 11 in) tall. Its posture changes how tall it looks.
A LITTLE PERSPECTIVE
Red kangaroo
next to the average.
Average U.S. adults, side by side.
- Average man (U.S.)5 ft 8.9 in
- Red kangaroo5 ft 10.9 in
- Average woman (U.S.)5 ft 3.5 in
How do you measure up?
Enter your height to stand beside a red kangaroo.
Side by side
- Red kangaroo5 ft 10.9 in
- Your placeAdd your height
The animal is an example adult in the pose shown. Its full outline is scaled to 180 cm. Shoulder height and body length are explained below.
Where do you stand?
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GET TO KNOW THE ANIMAL
Small facts. Big discoveries.
Red kangaroo
A red kangaroo has huge hind legs and a strong tail. The tail helps it balance and can support the body when it rests, like the third leg of a tripod.
Red kangaroos eat grasses and other green plants, obtaining some of their water from moisture in their food. That matters in dry country, where this large plant-eater may have to keep feeding through long periods with little access to drinking water.
- Males are much larger than females.
- A female raises her tiny young in a pouch.
How big do adults get?
- Male
- 1.3–1.6 m head-and-body length
- Female
- 0.85–1.05 m head-and-body length
These are body lengths without the tail, not upright heights. The male’s tail can add another 1–1.2 m; females have shorter tails.
Height, length, or weight?
Standing height runs from the ground to the top of the animal. Shoulder height stops at the top of the shoulders. Length runs along the body; it is not how tall an animal stands. Weight tells us how heavy it is.
Explore the science: Animal Diversity Web · University of Michigan ↗