Kangaroos weigh between 28.6 pounds and 145 pounds on average, but they weigh up to 200 pounds. Eastern gray kangaroos are generally the heaviest species, averaging 100 pounds. Newborn kangaroos weigh 0.03 ounces and measure one inch long.
Kangaroos are the natural mascot of Australia, their native land. These jumpy marsupials can grow as tall as humans and as muscular as bodybuilders.
But how much do kangaroos weigh exactly, and what is the heaviest kangaroo species?
This article will cover everything you need to know about kangaroos’ weight, including the heaviest kangaroo species and the average size of a baby kangaroo.
How Much Do Kangaroos Weigh?
Kangaroos weigh between 28.6 pounds to 145 pounds on average, while some individuals reach up to 200 pounds. Males are generally much heavier than females.
Eastern gray kangaroos are generally the heaviest of all kangaroo species.[1] Although they are the most robust, red kangaroos are actually the largest kangaroos with males measuring 4.9 feet in height.
Male kangaroos are much heavier than females. Does (females) only reach a maximum of 88 pounds, while some kangaroo jacks (males) weigh 200 pounds.[2]
Kangaroo Species Weight Comparison
Each kangaroo species has a different average weight. Eastern gray kangaroos are the heaviest on average. Males are heavier than females in each species.
Kangaroos reach adulthood at sexual maturity and they reach their adult weight at the same time.
Adults reach their maximum weight at different times: females are sexually mature as early as 15 months, while males may have to wait 40 months to become productive.
Kangaroos’ weight fluctuates heavily within species. For example, a common wallaroo male weighs anywhere between 16 pounds to 132 pounds.[9]
| Species | Average adult male weight | Average adult female weight | Heaviest weight recorded |
| Eastern gray kangaroo[3] | 120 pounds | 80 pounds | 201 pounds |
| Red kangaroo[4] | 110 pounds | 50 pounds | 201 pounds |
| Western gray kangaroo[5] | 100 pounds | 62 pounds | 120 pounds* |
| Antilopine kangaroo[6] | 90 pounds | 44 pounds | 108 pounds* |
| Common wallaroo[7] | 70 pounds | 40 pounds | 132 pounds* |
| Black wallaroo[8] | 45 pounds | 29 pounds | 77 pounds* |
*proposed maximum weights, but not recorded
Eastern Gray Kangaroo Weight
Eastern gray kangaroos are the heaviest kangaroo species. Some individuals reach 145 pounds, with the heaviest individual ever recorded as 201 pounds.
Even females of this species are massive relative to females from other species. The heaviest eastern gray kangaroo female weighed 88 pounds, which is more than the average adult weight of common and black wallaroos.
Red Kangaroo Weight
Red kangaroos weigh a bit less than eastern grays. Although the heaviest individuals come from red kangaroos. The biggest kangaroo ever was a red kangaroo measuring 201 pounds in weight and 6 feet 9 inches in height.
Red kangaroos are known for their muscular physique. Their muscles make up as much as 50% of their body mass.
Western Gray Kangaroo Weight
Western gray kangaroos are the third heaviest of all kangaroo species. The eastern and western gray kangaroos are part of the genus Macropus.
Their maximum weight is the average weight of eastern gray kangaroos.
Antilopine Kangaroo Weight
Antilopine kangaroos are the second heaviest of the Osphranter genus. Males weigh about 50 pounds more than their females.
Even so, the heaviest males at 108 pounds only weigh as much as the average red kangaroo male.
Average Common Wallaroo Weight
Common wallaroo males measure about 70 pounds in weight and 3.5 feet in height. This makes them the bulkiest kangaroo species, as their mass is much bigger in relation to their weight.
Average Black Wallaroo Weight
Black wallaroos are the smallest and lightest kangaroos. There is a massive difference between them and the second-to-last common wallaroos.
Even the heaviest black wallaroos at 77 pounds are only 7 pounds heavier than the average common wallaroo male.
Average Size of a Baby Kangaroo
Baby kangaroos weigh 0.03 ounces and measure one inch long at birth. They develop in their mother’s pouch for about six months before they can leave it.
Kangaroo joeys are born after about 30 days of gestation. They are underdeveloped, blind, hairless, and as big as a jellybean.
The first action newborns need to make is to climb up into their mother’s pouch. There, they attach themselves to a teat and grow rapidly in their first year.
| Average size at birth | 1 inch |
| Average weight at birth | 0.03 ounces |
| Growth in size in first to second year | Around 3 feet |
| Growth in weight in first to second year | 24-40 pounds |
Factors That Affect Kangaroos’ Weight
There are many determining factors of a kangaroos’ weight, but the most important are nutrition, exercise, development, gender, species, and genes.
Kangaroos are subject to the extreme weather of Australia. This allowed them to evolve into sturdy animals. They evolved to be big and muscular to deter predators and withstand harsh conditions.
Still, not all kangaroos are created equally. There are several factors that influence their weight:
- Food intake
- Exercise
- Development
- Gender
- Species
- Genes
1. Food Intake
Kangaroos are herbivores, relying on a plant-based diet to maintain their weight. They only eat food equivalent to about 1.5 to two percent of their body weight daily (a 132 pounds red kangaroo male eats about two pounds of food per day).
As they only eat plants, they need to eat many different species to obtain necessary nutrients:[10]
- Saltbush
- Shrubs
- Grass
- Leaves
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Crop
- Flowers
2. Exercise
Kangaroos need daily exercise to maintain their body mass. Males mainly achieve this through sparring and fighting. This also helps them establish their position in the mob.
Kangaroos generally move about four miles per day, so their legs become the most muscular of all their body parts.
3. Development
Joeys need a healthy and steady development to reach their potential weight. A kangaroo baby suckling on its mother’s teat is completely reliant on its mother to keep it safe.
A malnourished or injured mother might produce lesser quality milk, hindering her baby’s development
4. Gender
Kangaroo males are generally heavier than females. Male kangaroos are the main protectors of the mob, so they need to be strong to deter potential predators.
Kangaroos’ society is also hierarchical, so males fight with each other to assert dominance.
Males weigh twice as much as females on average.
5. Species
Different kangaroo species have different average weights. Eastern gray kangaroos weigh 75 pounds more than the lightest black wallaroos on average.
As such, a kangaroo’s weight fluctuates between 28.6-145 pounds and can reach up to 201 pounds.
6. Genes
Alpha males of the mob have exclusive right to mate with the group’s females. A heavy and strong kangaroo is more likely to produce heavier offspring than a weak kangaroo.
The gene pool of the mob gets bigger if more males are able to mate. This reduces the chance of inbreeding and weeds out recessive genes, making it more likely to have heavier kangaroos.
Kangaroo Weight Compared to Humans
Humans are taller and weigh more than kangaroos, but kangaroos are more muscular. Some kangaroos are as muscular as athletes.
Kangaroos are lean and muscular, though still smaller and lighter than the average person. Their body fat percentage is almost 20 times lower than the average adult woman’s.
Newborn kangaroos are much smaller than newborn humans.
| Comparison | Average weight | Body fat percentage |
| Male kangaroo | Black wallaroo: 45 poundsEastern gray kangaroo: 120 pounds | 2% |
| Adult human male (US) | 197.9 pounds | 28% |
| Adult human female (US) | 170.6 pounds | 38% |
| Newborn kangaroo | 0.03 ounces | N/A |
| Newborn human | 7 pounds | 15% |
Conclusion
Kangaroos weigh between 28.6 and 145 pounds on average. The heaviest species on average are the eastern gray kangaroo and the lightest are the black wallaroos. Males are heavier than females and newborns only weigh 0.03 ounces.
The heaviest kangaroos are generally red kangaroos and they can weigh as much as 201 pounds. Kangaroos need sufficient food, exercise, and development to maintain their body mass.
FAQs
What is The Heaviest Kangaroo?
The heaviest kangaroo ever was a red kangaroo with 201 pounds. The heaviest kangaroo species ever was the Procoptodon goliath, which stood at around ten feet tall and weighed 440-530 pounds.
Can a Human Beat a Kangaroo?
No, humans can’t beat kangaroos. Kangaroos are generally stronger and their kicks are capable to shatter our bones and cause internal bleeding. Humans have the massive advantage of using tools, like rifles, but it’s a bad idea to square up against kangaroos in hand-to-hand combat.
How Strong is a Kangaroo Punch?
A kangaroo can punch with 275 pounds of force. Their punch is not that effective, as their arms are relatively short and can’t generate much momentum. Their kicks are much stronger at 759 pounds of force.
Why Are Kangaroos So Buff?
Kangaroos are buff for protection, sparring, and impressing the females. Kangaroo males protect the mob and brawl with each other to assert dominance. Males also flex their muscles to impress the females during courting.
