r/interestingasfuck • u/Odd-Difference-1483 • 17d ago

/r/all Kangaroos are freaking scary.

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u/CorvidCuriosity 17d ago

Actually, their tail really does act as a third leg. When they "gallop", they use their tail like a rear leg and spring off of it, putting as much pressure on their tail as they put on their feet combined.

It's basically a 3-legged gait.

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u/ddraig-au 17d ago

Its also the most efficient of all forms of animal locomotion

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u/coffeebribesaccepted 16d ago edited 16d ago

First, you certainly must be only referring to land animals. Second, how is that more efficient than greyhounds or cheetahs that run the same speed or faster with smaller muscles.

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u/ddraig-au 16d ago

Oh yeah, of course land animals, oops. And usually speed is the enemy of efficiency.

That being said, that giant heavy tail and the big legs store a lot the energy when they land, and it is used to then make the next jump.

https://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/student-voices/why_walk_when_you_can/#:~:text=Red%20kangaroos%20hopping%20at%20speeds,a%20pitiful%206%20km%2Fh.