Osphranter rufus (Desmarest, 1822) is a macropod commonly called the red kangaroo and is the largest extant marsupial. Sexually dimorphic in size and coat color, this large macropod is one of four species in the genus Osphranter. In general, males are larger than females, and are reddish-brown in color, whereas females are bluish-gray. O. rufus is endemic to Australia, where it inhabits both arid and semiarid areas with wide habitat preferences that include open plains, open desert, grassland, woodland, or shrubland habitats. Although it is regularly harvested for its meat and hide, O. rufus is an abundant species that is not of special conservation concern and it is listed as “Least Concern” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources.
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19 January 2021
Osphranter rufus (Diprotodontia: Macropodidae)
Calli R. Freedman,
Daniel Rothschild,
Colin Groves,
Amy E. M. Newman
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Mammalian Species
Vol. 52 • No. 998
December 2020
Vol. 52 • No. 998
December 2020
Australia
kangaroo
macropod
marsupial
red kangaroo