Reproductive System of a Kangaroo
Reproduction
Female Red Kangaroos can have three babies on the go at once: a young joey hopping around at her feet, a small baby in the pouch and a tiny embryo, Within a few days of giving birth, she mates again. As long as there's another infant in her pouch, she'll keep this one in a state of suspended animation. If stops growing when it's about a quater of a millimetre long and won't start growing again until its siblings leaves the pouch. This is called embryonic diapause. This unique reproductive system helps roos cope with the ups and downs of life in the bush and maintain their numbers through tough times.
By Lydia
Koala’s Reproduction
Female Koalas reach sexual maturity at 2 - 3 years of age. Males reach maturity later at 3 - 4 years. Mating occurs between the months of December and March, which is summertime in the Southern Hemisphere. Female Koalas produce one young joey each year and continue to breed for up to 12 years if they are healthy. A female Koalas gestation period is 35 days. Baby Koalas are very vulnerable at birth and are hairless, blind and have no ears. Baby Koalas are so tiny at birth and only measure around a quarter of an inch long. After birth, the joey will crawl into its mothers pouch located on its mothers belly and attach itself to one of her teats. It will stay in the pouch for around 6 months feeding on the milk from its mothers teat. After this time, the joey will begin to consume its mothers 'pap' which comes from the mothers cecum (beginning of the large intestine). Pap is a specialized form of droppings which is soft and runny. The 'pap' will pass on micro organisms from the mothers digestive system to prepare the joey's gut for the digestion of its future diet of eucalyptus leaves. The joey will remain with its mother for another 6 months, riding on her back and feeding on both milk and eucalyptus leaves until it is fully weaned at 12 months of age. Females usually leave their mothers, however, males will remain with their mother until they are 2 - 3 years old. The life span of a Koala is up to 18 years.
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