Eastern Grey Kangaroo

  • Eastern Grey ("EG") joeys are born 36 days after conception. After birth the joey climbs through its mother's fur up to the pouch using a swimming motion. It then climbs over the rim of the pouch and down to attach to its mother's teat
  • The EG joey's pouch life is approximately 11-12 months
  • The EG joey first puts its head out of its mothers pouch at approximately six months of age
  • From eight months of age, the EG joey starts hopping in and out of its mothers pouch
  • The EG joey is dependent on its mothers milk for approx 18 months
  • The EG female adjusts the protein level of the milk as the joey grows to suit the joey's changing requirements
  • When grown up, EG females stay with their mob, while the boys leave and join 'bachelor' mobs
  • Only the Alpha male in the mob has the right to mate
  • Fully grown EG females weigh between 25-30kg
  • Fully grown EG males weigh between 55-65 kg. Alpha males reach about 80kg
  • EG kangaroos live in groups called a “mob”
  • Only 25% of EG joeys make it to adulthood. The reasons for this range from not succesfully reaching their mother's pouch when born, to disease, to predation
  • 'Faces in the mob' is a 1992 documentary on the kangaroo