Kangaroos have pouches to carry their babies, called joeys! 🦘👶 The pouch is like a cozy pocket where the tiny joey stays safe, warm, and close to its mommy. The joey drinks milk and grows big and strong inside the pouch until it's ready to hop around on its own!
Fun fact: Baby joeys are as small as a jellybean when they are born! 🍬
Kangaroos have pouches because they are marsupials—a special group of mammals that raise their babies in pouches! 🦘👶 When a baby kangaroo (called a joey) is born, it’s very tiny and not fully developed. It crawls into its mom’s pouch, where it stays warm, drinks milk, and grows for several months.
The pouch also protects the joey from predators and harsh weather. Once the joey is big enough, it starts hopping in and out of the pouch to explore the world!
Fun fact: A joey stays in its mom’s pouch for about 6 months before it starts hopping out! 🕒
Kangaroos have pouches because they are marsupials—a unique group of mammals that give birth to underdeveloped young. Unlike placental mammals (like humans or dogs), marsupial babies are born very tiny and must finish developing in the safety of their mother’s pouch. 🦘👶
After birth, the blind and hairless joey crawls from the birth canal into the pouch, where it latches onto a teat for milk. The pouch provides warmth, protection, and nutrients while the joey grows. Over several months, the joey becomes more independent, peeking out and eventually leaving the pouch for short periods.
This adaptation helps kangaroos survive in harsh environments like the Australian outback, where predators and extreme weather pose risks to vulnerable young.
Fun fact: A female kangaroo can have one joey in her pouch, another developing in her uterus, and even pause a third pregnancy until conditions are right! 🤯