What kind of an animal is a joey?

Kangaroos are the world’s largest marsupials. A Red Kangaroo can weigh 90kg and can grow two metres tall. Black Wallaroos, at around 20kg, are the smallest species (their name a portmanteau of wallaby and kangaroo).

Kangaroos are famous for their forward-opening pouch, where the joey (baby kangaroo) develops and suckles. A female kangaroo is known as a ‘flyer’ or a ‘doe’ and a male kangaroo a ‘buck’ or a ‘boomer’ (hence the nickname of the Australian men’s basketball team, the Boomers). They live in social groups called mobs.

Unlike the young of most other mammals, a newborn kangaroo is highly underdeveloped and embryo-like at birth. After a gestation of up to 34 days, the jellybean-sized baby kangaroo makes the journey from birth canal to pouch by clambering up through its mother’s fur. Once safely in the pouch, the joey suckles solidly for just over two months.

At around six months, when the baby kangaroo is sufficiently well developed, it will leave the pouch for short periods, returning when it needs to feed. Red kangaroos leave the pouch for good at around eight months and continue to suckle for another three to four months; grey kangaroos leave at about 11 months, continuing to suckle until they are as old as 18 months.

Interestingly, female kangaroos are able to suckle two joeys simultaneously – one in the pouch and one outside, offering two different types of milk, as well as having an egg ready for implantation.

More Info: www.discoverwildlife.com

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15 Comments

Gary Chadwick

A Joey isn't just a baby Kangaroo but the young of most if not all Marsupials.

Denise Currie

All Marsupial babies are called Joey not just the kangaroo.

Georgia Kemp

All marsupial babies are joeys so quolls have joeys as well as kangaroos.

Coral Harvey

Kangaroos have a rare ability to halt the development of the roo in her uterus. In times of drought or scarcity of food she can pause the pregnancy for significant periods of time. The whole reproductive life of the Kangaroo 🦘 is likely to be the most unusual of any other sources . It's amazing that the kangaroo can suckle two Joeys simultaneously most likely they are at different stages of development hence the two types of roo milk !

Rob Orr

A joey isn't a 'kind of animal', but a generic term for the young of many (but not all - Quoll babies are pups) marsupials. It's equivalent to asking what animal is a pup - answer includes the young of Quoll, dog, mice, bats etc

Leapy Lee

I find it frustrating when people who are obviously not Aussies generate questions about my country that contain only half truths or leave out so much of what is necessary to properly answer their questions.

Lorna Lake

Why don't some people do basic research??

JRW

Both quolls and kangaroos have joeys, so 2 correct answers....again! Here is a 2022 headline from ABC (Australia) "Record numbers of eastern quoll joeys born at Barrington Wildlife Sanctuary"

JRW

Rob Orr, young quolls are joeys, not pups. As most commentators here seem to know. Though you are correct in saying both pup and joey apply to multiple species.

billyboy915

Billy Charlton, The young of all marsupials are called joeys: koalas, quolls, kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, tasmanian devils, possums & bilbys.

billyboy915

Gary Chadwick, You are correct. The young of all marsupials are called joeys: koalas, quolls, kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, tasmanian devils, possums & bilbys.