Red Giant Kangaroo Male Skull Replica measures 8.1 inches. Skull is museum quality polyurethane cast. 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw). Made in the USA. Cast of an original California Academy of Sciences specimen.
The Red Giant Kangaroo (Osphranter rufus) is the largest of all kangaroos, the largest terrestrial mammal native to Australia, and the largest extant marsupial.
Red Giant Kangaroo’s are found across mainland Australia, except for the more fertile areas, such as southern Western Australia, the eastern and southeastern coasts, and the rainforests along the northern coast.
This species is a very large kangaroo with long, pointed ears and a square shaped muzzle. They are sexually dimorphic as the males have short, red-brown fur, fading to pale buff below and on the limbs.
Females are smaller than males and are blue-grey with a brown tinge, pale grey below, although arid zone females are colored more like males.
Red Giant Kangaroo have two forelimbs with small claws, two muscular hind-limbs, which are used for jumping, and a strong tail which is often used to create a tripod when standing upright.
Males grow up to a head-and-body length of 4 ft 3 in – 5 ft 3 in. with a tail that adds a further 3 ft 11 in. to the total length and are referred to by Australians as “Big Reds”.
Females are considerably smaller, with a head-and-body length of 33 to 41 in. and tail length of 26 to 33 in. Females can weigh from 40 to 88 lb., while males typically weigh about twice as much at 121 to 198 lb.
The average Red Giant Kangaroo stands approximately 4 ft 11 in. tall to the top of the head in upright posture. Large mature males can stand more than 5 ft 11 in. tall.
The Red Kangaroo maintains its internal temperature at a point of homeostasis about 36 °C (97 °F) using a variety of physical, physiological, and behavioral adaptations. These include having an insulating layer of fur, being less active and staying in the shade when temperatures are high, panting, sweating, and licking its forelimbs.
