How Tall Do Kangaroos Get? (Based On 11 Examples)
The size of kangaroos can be pretty impressive. You’ve probably seen some kangaroo videos where the kangaroo is as tall as the man next to it. Not every kangaroo is this big, though. This article will show you how tall a kangaroo can get.
The largest kangaroo ever confirmed was about 2.1 m (82 in) tall and weighed 91 kg (200 lbs). In short, the average kangaroo is about 0.8 to 1.8 meters (31 to 71 in) tall. Females tend to be significantly smaller than males. There are significant differences between the different species, though.
Roger The Gigantic Kangaroo
One of the most famous kangaroos was called Roger. Roger the kangaroo lived in Alice Springs in a kangaroo sanctuary after his mother got hit by a car. The animal was one of the most famous kangaroos on earth after videos of it got viral that showed its muscular appearance, massive size, and weight. Roger was an Australian red kangaroo that grew 2 m (6.5 ft) tall and weighed 91 kg (200 lbs). The kangaroo died in 2018 at 12 years old. You can learn more about this impressive kangaroo in this video:
How Tall Does A Red Kangaroo Get?
The red kangaroo is usually considered the largest mammal in Australia. It is not unusual for adult red kangaroos to stand up to 1.8 m (5.9 ft) tall. A typical male red kangaroo is between 1.3 - 1.6 m in length whereas a typical female is about 0.85 - 1 m in length. Then, the tail adds another 0.65 - 0.85 m for females and 1 - 1.2 m for males in length.
The red kangaroo is the largest kangaroo you can find. This means that the eastern grey kangaroo and especially the western grey kangaroo are considerably smaller.
The red kangaroo lives over most parts of central Australia. It is used to the heat and dryness which can be found in central Australia.
How Tall Does A Eastern Grey Kangaroo Get?
The eastern grey kangaroo tends to be a little bit smaller than the red kangaroo. Its length is anywhere between 0.95 to 1.8 m and they have a large powerful tail which adds another 0.43 - 1.1 m in length.
The eastern grey kangaroo is not only smaller than a red kangaroo, but it is also considerably lighter. Males only weigh around 50 - 66 kg whereas females only weigh 17 - 40 kg. Compare that to 55 to 90 kg for red kangaroo males and 18 - 40 kg for female red kangaroos. As you can see, there is often a huge difference between males and females. This phenomenon is called sexual dimorphism which means that male and female kangaroos are different beyond their sexual organs. You can see it when female kangaroos are sometimes just half the size of their male counterparts, they are also considerably smaller and look a little bit different.
The eastern grey kangaroo lives in the eastern part of Australia along the eastern coastline, most parts of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and southeastern South Australia.
The Tasmanian eastern grey kangaroo lives in parts of Tasmania.
How Tall Does A Western Grey Kangaroo Get?
If you have the chance to stand next to a red kangaroo and western grey kangaroo at the same time you will immediately see the difference. The western grey kangaroo is considerably smaller compared to the red kangaroo. Its length of adults is anywhere between 0.8 to 1.2 m and when the kangaroo is standing it’s approximately 1.3 m (4.3 ft) tall. Its tail is 0.5 to 1 m (20 - 40 in) in length.
Similar to red kangaroos and eastern grey kangaroos, female western grey kangaroos are considerably smaller than males. This means that male western grey kangaroos can be twice the size of females. Eastern grey kangaroos live in open forests, woodlands, and open scrub. They spread across the southern parts of Western Australia, South Australia, and regions of New South Wales, Queensland, and western Victoria.
How Tall Does An Antilopine Kangaroo Get?
The antilopine kangaroo is closer related to the red kangaroo but it is significantly smaller.
On average, a male antilopine kangaroo is up to 1.2 meters (4 ft) tall. Its tail adds another 0.9 m (35 in) to its length. Female antilopine kangaroos tend to be much smaller than males. On average they are just up to 0.84 m (33 in) in length with a tail that adds another 0.7 m (28 in) to their size. When an antilopine is standing, it’s about 1.1 m (3.6 in) tall.
You can find the antilopine kangaroo in the tropical northern woodlands of Australia. It lives in the Top End (NT), Cape York Peninsula (QLD), and the Kimberley region of Western Australia.
The Difference Between Kangaroos, Wallabies, and Wallaroos
The antilopine kangaroo is often called an antilopine wallaroo. Wallaroos are smaller than kangaroos but larger than wallabies. That’s probably the source of their name - it’s a combination of the name kangaroo and wallaby.
I decided to include wallaroos and wallabies in this article because they are closely related to kangaroos. The main difference is in their size. They have many things in common, though. If you want to read more about the difference between kangaroos, wallabies, and wallaroos I can recommend my article on this topic.
The Size of Wallabies
The agile wallaby lives in northern Australia and New Guinea and is also the most common wallaby in that area. Males are up to 0.85 m (33 in) in height whereas females are a little bit smaller. They grow up to 0.72 m (28 in) in length. Their tale is almost the same length as their body which adds another 0.6 to 0.8 m (23 - 31 in) in length.
The black-striped wallaby is an endangered species that can be found in the north-eastern parts of Australia. You can find it in Queensland and west of the Great Dividing Range in New South Wales. It is similar to the more common red-necked wallaby but it is smaller and more colorful. Also, the black-striped wallaby walks differently. A female black-striped wallaby can reach 0.65 m (25 in), compared to the male which can reach 1 m (40 in). They also have a tail being 0.5 to 0.8 m (20 - 31 in) in length.
Tammar wallabies are native to very small areas of Western Australia and South Australia. Their body is between 0.5 and 0.68 m long (20 - 28 in). However, males range between 59 to 68 cm (23 - 27 in) whereas females are about 0.52 to 0.63 m (20 - 25 in) in length. In their upright position, they are about 0.45 m (18 in) in height.
The western brush wallaby is native to the southwest coastal region of Western Australia. It is up to 0.9 m long with a tail that is around 0.6 to 0.9 m (23 - 35 in) in length. Their standing height is around 0.8 m (32 in).
Then, there is the parma wallaby which you can find in the forests of northern New South Wales. It is near threatened and was believed to be extinct. The parma wallaby is about 0.5 m (20 in) in length with a tail that is about the same length as the body.
The whiptail wallaby is taller than a parma wallaby. It is native to northeastern Australia from Cooktown (QLD) to Grafton (NSW). Their body is about 0.6 to 1 m in length with a similar-sized tail. The standing height of females is between 0.65 to 0.75 m (23 - 30 in) whereas males stand at a height from 0.7 to 0.95 cm (27 - 37 in).
Red-necked wallabies are native to eastern Australia and Tasmania but they have been introduced to many other countries such as New Zealand and some European countries. They can attain a length of 0.6 to 0.9 m (23 - 35 in). Males are usually bigger than females, though. Their tale is about 0.6 to 0.9 m (23 - 35 in) in length.
Summary
Kangaroos are pretty impressive animals. They vary in size significantly, and there are also huge differences between the size of males and females. To answer the question of how tall do kangaroos get, we had to look at different species of kangaroos, wallaroos, and wallabies. As a general rule, kangaroos are taller than wallaroos, and wallaroos are taller than wallabies. They are closely related, though. If you want to read more about the difference between kangaroos and wallabies and wallaroos you can read my article on that.
Next time you’re next to a kangaroo you know what to expect. It might be taller than you!
