Kangaroos have short pregnancies. A red kangaroo joey is tiny when
it is born - just 2.5 cm long! After it is born, the tiny baby
crawls up the fur on the mother's belly and into her pouch. It
immediately attaches itself to the teat and suckles for a long
time. The mother cleans the inside of the pouch with her lips and
often holds it open with her hands.
After three months, the joey begins to go out and look for food,
returning to the pouch between expeditions. The baby's stay in the
pouch may last five to nine months.
