Why do kangaroos have pouches?

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Kangaroos are one of the only animals built with a special pouch for carrying their young! All animals with these special pouches are types of mammals known as marsupials.      

The reason why kangaroos (and other marsupials) have pouches for carrying their babies is that their offspring are particularly tiny when they’re born, and the pouch gives them a safe place to stay until they grow larger. – In fact, a baby kangaroo (known as a joey) is only about the size of bean when it’s first born and moves into its mother’s pouch! 

Because the pouch is a place for keeping the young babies, only female kangaroos have them. The scientific name for the female kangaroo’s pouch is the marsupium!      

Kangaroo Krazy

What country is known for having lots of kangaroos? The answer is Australia! Do you know where Australia is? Take a look for it on a map or a globe.    

While a small joey is living in its mother’s pouch, it gets food by nursing from her milk. When the little joey needs to go to the bathroom, it does so right inside of the pouch! (Yuck!) Luckily, the Mommy Kangaroos know clean out their pouches when things start to get stinky.