Kangaroos outnumber people in Australia

THERE are more kangaroos than there are people in Australia. According to a statistics from Australian Government, there are roughly 25 million people living in Australia, while the population of kangaroos there is roughly 34 million.

Livescience.com lists other fascinating facts about kangaroos.

Kangaroos can only be found in Australia. They are the only large animals for whom hopping is the primary means of locomotion.

Kangaroos are social animals that live in groups called mob. When a kangaroo suspects danger, it stomps to alert the mob. Kangaroos’ primary defense is kicking, but they also punch their opponents.

Kangaroos are herbivores. Like cows, they re-chew their food before they swallow it.

Arguably the best-known fact about kangaroos is that females carry their young in a pouch on their belly. Pregnant for 21-38 days, she can give birth to up to four offspring, called joeys. At birth, joeys can be as small as a grain of rice, or as big as a bee.

Kangaroos have relatively few predators. Aside from different species of canine, the most dangerous threat to them is actually humans. •

TRIVIA PA MORE (Various Sources): Termites dig out clay and bring it up to the surface, thus enriching the soil.

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To farmers, clay contains minerals useful to plants. Clay also improves capillary (upward movement of water in between soil particles), moderates soil acidity and bind soil particles thus minimizing erosion.

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An African clawed frog is a kind of frog that doesn’t have teeth and tongue. Despite this setback, it can still eat a lot as long as food fits in its mouth. These frogs have humanlike fingers in their front arms. They have claws like those of Wolverine’s in their hind legs. They easily heal and can camouflage because of a certain mucus called “magainins” that their body releases.

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