Fun+Facts

=Fun Facts -- Did you know? =

**__What does "Kangaroo" mean__?**
====Kangaroos got their name in a funny way. When the first white settlers came to Australia, they asked the native aborigines what the new strange hopping animal was. The natives replied **"kanguru"**, which meant "I don't know". So that is what they were called, and still are to this day. **The "I don't knows" of Australia** became known in the western hemisphere as Kangaroos!====

**__What size are kangaroos and how far can they jump__?**
====Some are __tall__ like the **Red kangaroos ** that live here at the zoo, some are __medium-sized__ like the zoo's endangered **Tree kangaroos **, and some are as __small__ as a mouse.====

Yes, there are some interesting names for Kangaroos! Boys, girls and babies have these names:
**__Male kangaroos__: ** Bucks, Boomers, or Jacks
 * __Female kangaroos__:   **Does, Flyers or Jills
 * __Baby kangaroos__: ** Joeys (for both baby boys and baby girls)

====Kangaroos have a **special pouch**   to carry their babies until they get bigger. Having a pouch makes them **Marsupials !**====

Not sure? Check your answer by scrolling down to the bottom of this page.

 * ====**__Want a little fun__?**====

in a Mold-a-rama machine!
|| media type="youtube" key="VSgiFRcMvaU" width="301" height="249" ||  ||

**Pop Quiz Answer #1:** One of the tallest Red Kangaroos was almost as tall as which of these famous NBA players? If you answered **C,** for Lebron James, you would be right! One of the largest Red Kangaroos ever recorded was 6' 7" tall!
 * A)** Yao Ming: 7' 6" **B)** Tony Parker: 6' 1" **C)** Lebron James: 6' 8"

At birth, are baby kangaroos the size of one of these fruits or vegetables? If you picked **A**, the size of a cherry or a lima bean, you would be right.
 * Pop Quiz Answer #2:**
 * A)** A cherry or a lima bean **B)** a tomato **C)** a watermelon

, . "LeBron James". . . <http://www.celebritiesfans.com/showCELEB.php?celebID=2183>. 31 July, 2008.
 * __Image credits__: **

The "Standing Red Kangaroo" photo taken by our teammate, Marcia, at the Milwaukee County Zoo.

The "Kangaroo Mold-a-rama" video was also recorded by our teammate, Marcia, inside the Australia building at the Milwaukee County Zoo.