Do Male Kangaroos Have Pouches?

Kangaroos are marsupials that are known to have pouches where their young are kept after birth. In marsupials, the pouch is meant for nursing the newborn till it is able to fend for itself.

If you are one of those people asking whether male kangaroos have pouches, then you are in the right place. In this article, we will ask that question and also give reasons for the answer.

Kangaroo Information

Genus: Macropus

Kangaroos are large macropods native to Australia and New Guinea. There are four known types of kangaroos: the red kangaroo, the antilopine kangaroo, the eastern grey kangaroo, and the western grey kangaroo.

Red kangaroos are the largest and most popular out of the kangaroo family due to their buff appearance.

Do Male Kangaroos Have Pouches?

Male kangaroos do not have pouches. Only female kangaroos have pouches, which help them carry or nurse young ones.

Pouches are designed in such a way that they are favoured for raising premature baby kangaroos. The young kangaroo (a joey) will grow inside the pouch with the help of the mother’s milk.

Male kangaroos are known as bucks, boomers, or jacks, while the females are called does, flyers, or jills.

Bucks are known for their muscular bodies. Many people, like myself, have wondered how they got so buff, but it is just nature doing its thing.

Why Do Only Female Kangaroos Have Pouches?

Female kangaroos have evolved a unique way of caring for their young since they are born prematurely without the features to survive outside of a pouch.

When the joey is born, it will immediately crawl to its mother’s pouch. Inside the pouch, the newborn will attach itself to one of the mother’s teats and remain there until it is mature enough.

Female kangaroos have pouches because they take care of their young. Male kangaroos do not take part in the nurturing of their young; hence, there is no need for a pouch.

Male kangaroos can mate with multiple female kangaroos within a period of time, but each female kangaroo can only have one joey at a time.

The job of male kangaroos is to protect the family, which includes their mates, young, and other adult kangaroos.

Do Any Male Marsupials Have a Pouch?

Kangaroos are not the only marsupials out in the wild. There are others like koalas, opossums, possums, Tasmanian devils, wombats, and wallabies.

Most of the marsupials have pouches, but they are found in females with the aim of taking care of their young.

Male marsupials are not known to have pouches except for the water opossum. Unlike female pouches, the pouch found on male water opossums is not meant to take care of their young.

The pouch found on male water opossums is meant to protect their reproductive parts when they are in the water. This is useful in preventing their reproductive part from getting tangled up with aquatic vegetation.

What You Didn’t Know About Male Kangaroos

They engage in boxing

I do not mean the way professional boxers do it in the ring. Male kangaroos fight each other for mates by boxing and kicking.

The winner of the fight gets the right to the females as the strongest. Female kangaroos are attracted to the strongest male kangaroo in the group.

They are larger

Male kangaroos are larger than female kangaroos. They can grow up to 6.6 feet tall and weigh over 200 pounds.

This height and build add to their appearance, making them look more muscular and intense than females.

They are slower runners

Male kangaroos are slower than female kangaroos when running. This is because they are heavier and have a more muscular build.

Even while carrying their young in their pouch, female kangaroos can run pretty fast by hopping and jumping.

Conclusion

Now you have the answer to the question of whether male kangaroos have pouches. In this article, I also provided reasons and other information about male kangaroos.

In summary, male kangaroos do not have pouches. Only female kangaroos have pouches meant for caring for their young.

FAQs

Do male kangaroos carry their young?

No, only female kangaroos have pouches and carry their young, known as joeys.

How can you tell a male kangaroo from a female?

The most effective way to tell male and female kangaroos apart is the presence of pouches in females. Only female kangaroos have pouches located in their abdomen.

Male kangaroos are more buff and have more muscles than female kangaroos.

Why don’t male kangaroos have pouches?

Male kangaroos don’t have pouches because they don’t carry or nurse young ones.

How long do joeys stay in the pouch?

Once the joey is born, it crawls into the pouch and stays there for about six to eight months before leaving to fend for itself.

How are rabbits and kangaroos related?

Rabbits and kangaroos are not related in any way. They may share the same facial features and hop around, but rabbits are placental mammals, whilst kangaroos are marsupial mammals.