Kangaroos fascinate me.  They don’t live on this continent, so I’ve never encountered one outside of a zoo.  They’re marsupials, which is rare here too – though not on their own continent of Australia, where there are many species of marsupials (the distinguishing feature of which is carrying the young in a pouch).  Interestingly, I read that during the Mesozoic they were more common on this continent than “placentals” (i.e. animals who deliver their young in a placenta). (1)

Their powerful hind feet, on which they stand, appear to have fewer toes than I assumed.  I’m not sure why I thought they’d have toes like us, but I did; from what I could gather it looks like one large claw and at least one, maybe two smaller ones.  But looking down at him like this, you can’t really see the power of the haunches.

These two ‘roos show you the sheer power of the butt. But in all seriousness, the mass seems mostly concentrated in the hindquarters; they clearly can pack a helluva wallop.

Which leads me to my story.  My friend in Australia and I were talking by chat one day, and she commented that there was a ‘roo in the front yard.  “Cool!” I said.  “We can’t leave the house.”  Pause.  “Why not?”  I’m thinking, at this point, what’s the big deal?  We had deer in our yard growing up and you just walk outside, the deer run away, no problem.  “She delivered young.”  “Cool!” I said again.  “You don’t understand.  She’ll attack us if we go out the front door.”  The light bulb went on.  Never mess with a mother and young.  It’s one of the first rules of hiking in the wild.  Stay away from rattlesnakes and don’t bother bears.  Especially mammas.  Any mamma.

But not leave the house?

“What about work?”  She seemed resigned to it.  “We can get out the back, as long as we’re careful.  It’ll take animal control a couple days to come get her.”  Meanwhile, they had a mamma with a baby in their front yard, near enough to touch.

Cool!

Tomorrow, it’s the King of the Jungle – Lions!

References

(1) “Marsupial Mammals,” Dave Smith: New photos; modification of Thylacinus graphic; application of UCMP style sheet; addition of footer includes; minor text editing 10/10/05; from University of California, Berkeley, website retrieved from the following link, 04/13/2016.

Thank you for joining me for the A-Z Blog Challenge.  If you’re blogging in the challenge, please leave me a link so I can come visit you too.  If you have a moment, please check out these other fine blogs:

My theme on my Knoontime Knitting craft blog is Letterforms In Nature and the Built Environment.  I’ll be exploring my daily round, looking for shapes in the natural world and build environment.

The theme at Noon & Wilder is The A To Z of Chicago.  Since I live here in the city and we have our Chicagoland Shifters based here, I figured I’d share a window into the city, Noon & Wilder style.

The Nice Girls Writing Naughty have a new home, and we’re blogging in the challenge again this year.  Throughout the month you’ll be hearing from each of the Nice Girls, and during the RT Booklovers Convention from April 12^th to the 17^th, you’ll be getting live convention reports.  Join the conversation!

The Writer Zen Garden’s brand new website is up and running, and we’re bringing you posts from me, Noony; my partner in crime, Rachel Wilder (the Wilder half of Noon & Wilder); the talented Darla M. Sands – a blogger in her own right, see below; as well as Grace Kahlo, Evey Brown, and author Tina Holland.  Check it out!

My friends who are participating in the challenge (and if you’re not on this list, tell me and I’ll add you!):

• Darla M. Sands, Awakening Dreams and Conquering Nightmares with a Pen
• Kari Trenten, The Cauldron of Eternal Inspiration

Write on, and Happy Blogging!