- Any one of numerous species of jumping marsupials of the
family Macropodidae. They inhabit Australia, New Guinea, and adjacent
islands, They have long and strong hind legs and a large tail, while
the fore legs are comparatively short and feeble. The giant kangaroo
(Macropus major) is the largest species, sometimes becoming twelve or
fourteen feet in total length. The tree kangaroos, belonging to the
genus Dendrolagus, live in trees; the rock kangaroos, of the genus
Petrogale, inhabit rocky situations; and the brush kangaroos, of the
genus Halmaturus, inhabit wooded districts. See Wallaby.
Definition
[ n.]