Australia has been home to hopping kangaroos for 20 million years. An ancient group of kangaroo relatives called balbarids had multiple ways of getting around, including hopping, bounding and climbing. The finding may mean we have to rethink how modern day kangaroos came to hop.

At the time all continents were part of the super continent known as Gondwanaland. However, 180 million years ago, the continents split away occupying their present locations. Consequently, most of the kangaroos became natives of Australia. Therefore, the original home of the kangaroos was South America.

The kangaroo is endemic to Australia. The species is also found in Tasmania and nearby islands. Other marsupials can be found in some parts of Asia and the Americas, though the continent of Australia has by far the most, both in terms of species and population numbers.

Australia is the kingdom of marsupials, home to furry kangaroos, koalas and wombats. Except for mammals which can swim or fly, other mammals did not arrive in Australia, so the marsupials had the place to themselves. So, the kangaroos, koalas never had to go in search of other places for their survival.

Kangaroos and koalas are alike because both are marsupials and native to Australia.

Danger for koalas Koala predators include: dingoes, owls, lizards, and people. Koalas sometime get run over by cars. They also die because people cut Eucalyptus trees. Instead of jumping from tree to tree, they walk and dingoes or other predators get them.

13 – 18 yearsIn the wild

Koala Relatives. They belong to a group of pouched mammals, called “marsupials,” many of which, like the koala, are endemic to Australia. Its closest living relative is the wombat, but other koala relatives include kangaroos, wallabies and opossums.

Tree kangaroos live in lowland and mountainous rainforests in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the far north of Queensland, Australia. They have adapted to life in the trees, with shorter legs and stronger forelimbs for climbing, giving them somewhat of the appearance of a cross between a kangaroo and a lemur.

Tree kangaroos are unique macropods who have adapted to a life in trees. Loss of habitat and uncontrolled hunting have forced many species close to extinction.