Consider it a “mom club” for kangaroos. When their young are with them, marsupials appear to establish close social groupings with other mothers—and some mothers are obviously more popular, according to a recent research.
The findings, reported this month in Animal Behaviour, give an important glimpse into the marsupials’ “rich social life” and reflect just how sensitive and intelligent they probably are. “If you’re a vigilant mom trying to protect yourself and your young,” he says, “it makes sense to surround yourself with other vigilant moms doing the same thing.”
According to experts, these social gatherings may function similarly to neighbourhood watch programs, protecting newborn joeys from foxes and dingoes while also deterring rowdy males.
Kangaroos live in groups that can reach several hundred individuals, but their one-on-one relationships have been hard to study.
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Compared to animals like deer, marsupials are significantly more difficult to catch and tag. Joeys hide in their mother’s pouches, and adult roos’ strong tails—which allow them to leap half the length of a city bus—can hurt or kill them as they try to escape after being darted or trapped.
Bergeron was shocked to discover kangaroo mothers, who had previously been demonstrated to be antisocial, demonstrating long-term female connections similar to those found in dolphins, primates, and other highly sociable, highly cooperative animals. It might be because the kangaroos in the new research dwell in a region with more threatening predators, she speculates, making them more willing to cooperate.
Although additional study is needed, Campbell believes these partnerships will allow females to share watch periods against predators while also “harassing” males who spend their time chasing females, sniffing their pouches, and attempting to mount. Females hop away and may “bark” at males, or even smack them over the head if they won’t take a hint. However, the males follow, forcing the females to jump away once more, Campbell explains. “They get really annoyed.”
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