Do Kangaroos Lay Eggs? How Do Kangaroos Give Birth?

Kangaroos are unique animals and very different from other species and belong to the family Macropodidae. These marsupial animals are native to Australia and New Guinea. Kangaroos are mammals with a bag on their bellies called marsupials. 

So, for your information, not all mammals give birth. But, some mammal species lay eggs. Now, kangaroos really come in these mammals that lay eggs. Or Do Kangaroos Lay Eggs? 

No, kangaroos are not mammals that lay eggs. Although some mammal species lay eggs, kangaroos are marsupials (animals with pouches to nourish their children in their early days), meaning they do not lay eggs. Instead of laying eggs, the female kangaroo gives birth to joeys and nourishes them by keeping them inside the pouch for about six months. 

Do Kangaroos Lay Eggs? Let’s Explain Deeply 

Kangaroos are unique animals, and their reproduction differs from other animals. Due to this, many people query how kangaroos give birth. As we said earlier, kangaroos are marsupial mammals, which means they are part of the animals that only give birth to their children. 

Mammal animals that lay only eggs are also known as monotremes mammals, which include platypus and echidnas. Instead of them, fish, birds, and reptiles also lay eggs. 

The female kangaroos have a unique physical appearance to the males. If you want to identify the female, there will be a pouch on her belly. The male kangaroos have no pouches on their bellies. 

So, let’s discuss what joeys do in the pouches and how exactly the kangaroo’s reproduction works.

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Kangaroos Are Mammals | Give Birth To Childs

Mammals are vertebrate animals, and they all feed milk to their young. The milk is made up of the mother’s mammary glands. Instead of this, mammals also have contained some other characteristics.

Kangaroos are warm-blooded animals. Although, all vertebrate animals are warm-blooded. Most mammals contain fur in their body. But marine mammals do not have fur. Also, the majority of mammals use their lungs for breathing. But aquatic or terrestrial do not come on this list. 

We can sort the mammals into three subcatogires: placental, marsupial, and monotremes. Now, let’s discuss these:

Placental Mammals: In these mammals, different animals come, such as whales, elephants, shrews, and armadillos. Some of them are also very familiar to us, including pets like cats and dogs. The majority are placental mammals, including humans. These mammals gestate their children inside a uterus. In the uterus, the animal child nourishes with the help of placental tissue.  

Marsupial Mammals: In these mammals, typical Australian mammals include kangaroos, Tasmanian devils, and wombats. These mammal children are born inside the mother’s uterus. In these mammals, the uterus contains the placental tissue but works differently from the placental mammals. Children are getting born at the early stage of development. That’s why the children remain in the pouch of the mother’s body. The pouch contains nipples through which the child gets the milk. 

Monotreme Mammals are the predatory mammal animal group that lays eggs, including platypus and echidnas. Monottrme contains only five species within two families. The families are Ornithorhynchidae and Ornithorhynchus anatinus. They feed milk to their young through the skin. 

Kangaroos Birth Procedure

Reproductive Plan:

Kangaroos do birth at least once time in a year. But they are very opportunistic, and if the condition is suitable, then they can give birth twice a year. Kangaroos can give birth at any time of the year. But some of them reproduce seasonally. 

However, most kangaroos tend to reproduce after the drought-breaking rain because then vegetation becomes rich and lavish.  

Gestation:

On average, after egg cell fertilisation, the gestation period of a kangaroo is about 28 days to 34 days. However, the mother can suspend the pregnancy, which is also called embryonic diapause.

Normally, a mother delays pregnancy because she is already nursing a joey ( kangaroo child). Also, the mother has the ability to keep the embryo in the uterus for months. 

The kangaroo females have 2 uteri and 3 vaginas, and they have a common connection where excretion also occurs. This is an unusual feature that has in the female kangaroo.

Joey Birth:

When the time of birth comes, the joey ( kangaroo child) is still very small. It looks like an embryo. If we compare with the placental mammals, kangaroos contain little gestational periods, which is why joeys are born very small, and their weight is about 1 gram. 

After that, the child comes out from the birth canal, and then the child follows the saliva trail made by the mother. After that, the joey enters the pouch. The mother gives birth only one joey at a time. Although, some reports also mention the report of two baby’s births at a time.

The Development Process In The Pouch:

As mentioned earlier, the mothers contain the pouches because they nurse the joeys. The pouch is not as ordinary a pocket. The pouch contains all the necessary things needed for development of joey.  

Within the pouch, there are four nipples that provide milk to the baby. Milk is the main food for a joey because it contains all the necessary nutrients and water, but it also contains the antibodies that help a lot in the growth of a joey’s immune system. 

The mothers can provide different milk through 4 nipples because each nipple independently provides milk for a particular life stage. It means the mother provides the two types of milk to different ages of joeys. 

The pouch is hair-free and contains sweat glands that produce antimicrobial molecules. These glands protect babies from different infections. 

The birth timelines are different in kangaroos species, but the given following line in general:  

• Within 3 Months, the fur starts to grow.
• Within 5 Months, the child starts to get his head out of the pouch.
• Within 6 Months, the joey starts to get out of the pouch and then return to it after some time.
• Within 8 to 11 Months, Leave the pouch permanently, but for a few months, the joey suckles milk.

Can Kangaroos Nourish Twins?

When the mother gives birth to the first baby, then after 1 to 2 months, the female is ready to mate again. When the second joey is born, the first one continues to grow in the pouch. At that time, the mother nourishes children of different ages. 

When the second joey comes, the first one starts to drink the milk from the second nipple. As we already mention, different nipples provide milk to children of different ages. 

Conclusion:

Kangaroos are unique species that live in our beautiful world. This species is native to Australia and New Guinea and live only in these places. Kangaroos are marsupial mammals which means that they give birth instead of eggs.

FAQs:

Does a kangaroo lay eggs?

No, they do not lay eggs. Instead of laying eggs, kangaroos give birth. They are marsupial mammals, and these mammals give birth to children.

How much time does a joey stay in the pouch?

A joey stays within the mother pouch for at least 6 months. During this time, joey grows its body, including fur, limbs, ear, and other necessary body parts. But, if the young joey feels threatened, then it will stay inside the pouch for a few more months until they become completely independent. 

Can kangaroos throw their childrens?

Yes, kangaroos throw their children. But, they do it only in some critical situations, for example, when they face by a predator. Sometimes, the mother has multiple babies, so the mother sacrifices one baby to protect other babies.