SCIENCE FACT OF THE DAY • Kangaroos' Third Leg

in #science7 years ago (edited)

Scientists discovered this unusual feature back in 2014, yet it keeps on amazing me. The tail actually exerts as much force as its front and hind legs combined. In other words, kangaroos use their tail as a third leg to push them forward! Besides propelling the animal to a top speed of 65km per hour, males also use their tail for fighting, sometimes balancing on it completely in order to kick another kangaroo. Yet another reason to avoid conflict with kangaroos. However, any real Aussie would just fight back like this dude:

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If you're interested and want to learn more about kangaroos, click here.

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Source
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jul/02/kangaroo-tail-a-third-leg-that-gives-speed-not-just-balance-says-study
Picture taken from pixabay.com and edited by myself