Dateline: Sunday 16th March 2025. Female Kangaroos - The Original Milk Bars!!

My nature education didn't end with the drive but with a 'Kangaroo Experience' at 1730hrs local time led by one of the team from the Sea Dragon Lodge we walked around the estate whilst being told about the local breed of Kangaroo which is the only species of kangaroo that occurs on the Island. They have evolved differently from mainland kangaroos and are a subspecies of the Western Grey Kangaroo. There are plans to name it as a new sub-species.

Noticeably different from their mainland cousins, with a shorter and stockier build and much darker chocolate brown fur. Adult male kangaroos can stand up to 105–140 cm tall and females up to 85–120 cm tall. Being very agile, they can leap up to 12 metres in a single hop and reach speeds of 60 km/h.

Kangaroo Island Kangaroos are herbivores, feeding on grasses and native shrubs. They have adapted to require very little water. Common in a variety of habitats right across the Island, they can be found in open woodland, scrubland, grassland areas and pastureland.

Breeding can occur right throughout the year, particularly when conditions are good, however often the peak is in summer. Kangaroos live in groups called a 'mob', where there is one dominant male, who is the head of the mob. Sometimes the head of the mob will be challenged by another male leading to a fight for the right to be the leader. These fights can get quite aggressive with large adult males 'sitting back' on their tails and punching their strong hind legs forward into their opponent in a boxing-style fight.

Kangaroo Island kangaroos are nocturnal, during the day they often rest under vegetation, coming out to graze in the early morning and late afternoon.

They are particularly common on the Sea Dragon Estate at Cape Willoughby where they were to be found under the shea-oak trees. One amazing fact to emerge from this experience is that Kangaroos have four teats (nipples).  

An AI summary of a Google search on this fact reads as follows:

A joey's development progresses through several stages, starting with a tiny, underdeveloped stage inside the pouch, where it nurses and grows, eventually emerging to explore and eventually become independent.

Tiny Beginnings (Embryo-like):

A joey is born in a very immature state, about 2 cm long and weighing less than a gram, resembling a pink jellybean.

Pouch Development:

Immediately after birth, the joey instinctively crawls into the mother's pouch using its well-developed forelimbs.

Nursing and Growth:

Inside the pouch, the joey attaches to a teat and nurses, growing and developing rapidly.

Emergence and Exploration:

After several months (around 6-9 months for some species), the joey starts to emerge from the pouch for short periods, exploring its surroundings.

Independent Living:

Eventually, the joey leaves the pouch permanently and becomes independent, though it may continue to nurse occasionally.

First Hops:

Joeys take their first hops around 8-10 months old, but their wobbly leaps require practice before they master the iconic kangaroo bounce.

Suckle time;

Joey may suckle at the teat until nearly 2 years of age.

So, just like a human baby as the Joey develops it will need more minerals and different nutrients in its milk to promote its development.  Each nipple, therefore supplies a different 'milk formula' - Incredible. Who knew, well I certainly didn't.