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Kangaroo: Portrait of an Extraordinary Marsupial
The remarkable social, anecdotal, and historical story of Australia's most famous marsupial, recognized the world over for its adorable pouch and trademark hopping
From their ancient origins and prehistoric significance to current-day management and conservation, this book describes the ecology, history, and behavior of these unique animals. The amazing diversity of this group of animals is revealed, from tiny forest dwellers and tree kangaroos to large majestic animals living on the open plains of central Australia and the giant kangaroos that once roamed the Pleistocene landscape. It describes their interaction with both the original inhabitants and the European settlers of Australia and addresses the issue of how the population of these animals can be best managed, making the points that some species are heading for extinction due to habitat loss while others have increased in numbers since humans first settled in Australia. The authors also investigate the animal's natural history—their unique reproduction methods, intriguing behaviour, varied diet, and trademark hopping ability; and examines humans' sustained fascination with kangaroos—spanning 40,000 years—that allows these engaging marsupials to be instantly recognized.
From their ancient origins and prehistoric significance to current-day management and conservation, this book describes the ecology, history, and behavior of these unique animals. The amazing diversity of this group of animals is revealed, from tiny forest dwellers and tree kangaroos to large majestic animals living on the open plains of central Australia and the giant kangaroos that once roamed the Pleistocene landscape. It describes their interaction with both the original inhabitants and the European settlers of Australia and addresses the issue of how the population of these animals can be best managed, making the points that some species are heading for extinction due to habitat loss while others have increased in numbers since humans first settled in Australia. The authors also investigate the animal's natural history—their unique reproduction methods, intriguing behaviour, varied diet, and trademark hopping ability; and examines humans' sustained fascination with kangaroos—spanning 40,000 years—that allows these engaging marsupials to be instantly recognized.
- GenresNonfiction
338 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2010
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June 10, 2018
Not really impressed w/ this book but I certainly learned about about marsupials, probably more than any normal non-Aussie should know. There is so much to know about the kangaroo species & their popularity which the author explains. It goes through the entire history of what they know along w/ how all the different species came about, because there are tons which they give the scientific name/data on as well. It's a shame that people don't know better than to kill off species of animals generation after generation, will we ever learn to stop doing that? Doubtful. The way they are eaten is disturbing but it's equated to deer in this country which I still find problematic & just plain gross.
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